Teaching kids to tie shoes YIKES!!!!

[TwingleMum]

I don't know about anyone else but my boys (7 yr old twins) have been wearing sneakers that have the velcro fasteners forever (slimers from stride rite mostly) Now they want regular tie sneakers. OMG its sooo hard to teach them. I don't like the two loop method so I'm teaching them the other method. Any good tips???

 

[Poohforyou]

Buy them one of those lacing puzzles or see if another kid you know can show them. I know I didn't teach my DD. I think she learned in kindergarten from another kid. I remember showing her a few times but she wasn't interested. A lot of times stuff like this is easier taught by a peer.

 

[TriMom]

Here is a good site for tips for teaching children:
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/tipsforchildren.htm

And I HIGHLY recommend learning the Ian Knot. Once you figure it out and practice a few times, it is the easiest way to tie a shoe. Also, they don't come undone. I struggled with my laces always coming untied until a few years ago when I learned the Ian Knot.
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm

and GOOD LUCK - it's not easy to teach!

 

[Imzadi]

There is more than one way to tie shoes?

This is one of those, "What I learned on the DIS," moments for me. Thanks TriMom, for the link to the Ian knot. My knots were always crooked. They always looked wrong when I tied a bow on the top of a gift basket, or when I have to tie the belt on the back of a dress. I never could understand why they would always lie crooked, no matter how much I futzed with them. I just learned they were Granny knots. Now I can do the Ian knot.

 

[bumbershoot]

My son didn't learn until after I bought him lace-up shoes. After he got the shoes he figured it out inside of 24 hours. (of course it wasn't perfect and I had to re-do it many times, but practice makes perfect and now he's most excellent at it!)

 

[PollyannaMom]

We punched some holes in the lid of a shoebox and threaded a lace through that so DS would practice when we weren't rushing to leave the house. He was more patient then.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Start at the end. Have them finish the knot and take it one step at a time backwards. I've never had it fail.

 

[golfgal]

Longer laces are easier to tie. If the laces in their shoes are on the short side, put longer ones in until they get the hang of it. Also, teach them that the closer to the shoe that they tie their laces, the tighter the lace and the easier it is. I am surprised that your school didn't require them to know this at the end of kindergarten.

 

[Frye7127]

Practice makes perfect. And also, if either are left handed, be ready for a real chore. My son is right handed, but does many things left handed, including tying shoes. I thougth he would never learn.

 

[mjkacmom]

I never taught my kids - I have no idea how they learned, although I suspect the older kids taught the younger kids, and my oldest always had great fine motor skills. The older kids always made fun of their siblings if they had geeky velcro shoes, so there was a big motivator. We had no velcro here after kindergarten.

 

[Katy Belle]

Going on a long car ride or plane ride soon? I found it works well to teach kids when they cant go anywhere! Also, put the shoe in their lap, so they can reach it easier.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I let each of my kids pick out a pair of new lace up shoes that they couldn't wear until they were able to tie them. It didn't take them very long because they were very motivated to wear their 'big kid shoes'

I just realized they never tie theirs anymore. DS13 wears skateboarder shoes which only get laced once and DD12 wears Uggs or sandals... funny how such big deals become such little ones over time.

OP don't stress, after all your hard work they will probably skip wearing tie shoes too....sigh

 

[golfgal]

This thread got me thinking back to when DS18 was 5. Somewhere along the way he heard that you can't tie shoe laces until you are in kindergarten. I think what he heard was during the kindergarten screening they do here at age 3 someone said that by the end of kindergarten they will be expected to know how to tie shoes. Somehow that stuck in his mind that he couldn't learn until he was IN kindergarten. The night before kindergarten started I talked him into learning to try because he was "officially" in K. It only took him a few tries to get the basics down though. Kids get the funniest things in their heads sometimes. .

 

[GinnyEmma]

I let each of my kids pick out a pair of new lace up shoes that they couldn't wear until they were able to tie them. It didn't take them very long because they were very motivated to wear their 'big kid shoes'

I just realized they never tie theirs anymore. DS13 wears skateboarder shoes which only get laced once and DD12 wears Uggs or sandals... funny how such big deals become such little ones over time.

OP don't stress, after all your hard work they will probably skip wearing tie shoes too....sigh

Lol, still, tying a knot is useful information. You didn't teach it for nothing!