Q: I think my daughter is a little nudist! She's 3 years old, and it seems like every time I turn my back, she has peeled off all of her clothes — in the house, in the sandbox in our backyard, one time I even caught her taking her shirt off in the McDonald's Playland! She complains that she doesn't like how clothes feel, and she says they are scratchy. She goes to bed in a loose nightgown, and I find her naked in the morning. I haven't seen her doing anything inappropriate when she's nude, but how can I send this kid to preschool next fall when she won't keep her clothes on?

A: I'm sure you've already told your daughter to keep her clothes on and at least, for the most part, she understands that she must keep them on in public. When she's distracted by outside activity, she's less likely to notice the scratchiness that causes her discomfort and may even prevent her from sleeping. I'll soon suggest a behavioral plan to tempt her to stay dressed, but first you'll want to determine what's causing her distress.

The most typical culprit is detergent. Using Ivory Snow or a detergent that advertises itself as clear with no allergy producing chemicals will usually help children with highly sensitive skin. Careful selection for soft cotton materials and loose clothing will also alleviate discomfort. Avoid tight elastic or lacy ruffles. The good news is that as your daughter matures, she's likely to gradually become less sensitive to the scratchy feelings. Since that often happens at adolescence, I've never been quite sure whether these children's body changes make the difference or whether their social motivation to fit in with peers causes them to ignore their sensitivities. Perhaps it's a little of both that encourages these little nudists to dress like typical adolescents without complaints.

In addition to providing your daughter with more comfortable clothing, you will have to tempt her into changing this bad habit, and stickers usually work well for the change. Explain how important it is for her to learn to keep her clothes on as part of her getting ready to attend school soon. Make a cute little chart together so she can add a sticker or star for each day and another sticker or star for each night she keeps her clothes on. The stickers may be enough reward to keep her happy, although you can add an extra kiss of delight as you let her know how proud you are of her. If she seems to need a little more reward, you can tempt her further by telling her that she can add up the stickers and select another small prize for each ten stickers she earns. By the time she's earned two or three prizes, you will have changed her nudist habit and the sticker game can automatically disappear or be altered for use with a different habit that needs changing.

For a free newsletter about raising preschoolers, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope for each newsletter and a note with your topic request to address below. Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or [email protected]. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.