Teaching kids to tie their shoes......

[bigbabyblues]

I tried to teach my dd before she started Kindergarten
She could not get it.
One day, we were going on vacation and weere in the car for 10 hours. She was bored and practiced tying her shoes. Sshe finally got it. She was so excited. She is going into 2hd and can still have a hard time.

This may be a great idea! We're driving 14-15 hours to WDW in November, that would be a great time for him to practice.

My 7-yo has a broken arm right now, and is in a cast for at least 4 more weeks. After tat, they'll xray it and he hopefully won't have to be recasted. I bought him those shoes that don't tie for school (starts a week from Monday), because I thought that would be easier with the cast. I did warn him that when the cast comes off, his time of no tying is up!

 

[The Disney Bunch]

At what age should they know how to tie their shoes? Mine have shown no desire to tie their shoes at age 7 1/2 but then again they wear alot of crocs & velcro shoes. I don't ever remember NOT being able to tie my shoes so I had to be really young when I learned.

 

[daisyduck123]

At what age should they know how to tie their shoes?

I teach 1st grade. I expect the students who have shoes with laces to know how to tie them themselves. If they can't...there's always another 1st grader willing to do it for them!

On Back to School night every year, I highly recommend velcro sneakers to parents, if their children can't tie their own shoes. (My own DS10 has never worn shoes with laces).

 

[LuvMickey36]

Is left- or right-handedness an issue? DH & I are left-handed and our kids are right-handed. I guess DH & I tie backwards and the kids just couldn't do it our way. My best friend is right-handed and she taught both of my kids to tie.

I had never thought of that! DS is a lefty & dh & I are righties. HMMMM I will have to rethink our teaching method.

Thank goodness for Keens! Glad I am not the only one to buy the slip on shoes.

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

My son is left handed and it's confusing teaching him things when he's the opposite of me. Frustrating for both of us!
One of my closest friends is a left-handed occupational therapist, maybe I should just hand him over to her for lessons. LOL!

I am a left handed mom to right handed boys. I just taught my boys by sitting in front of them and having them mirror my moves. So when I was using my left had they used their right.

 

[stace1214]

One of the OT's in my school spends time each day in my classroom and for the first month of school we spend A LOT of time teaching the kids to tie their shoes (I teach 2nd grade special education). The way we always start is to have the children make two "bunny ears" and then tie them together. By the end of the fall just about all my students can tie, maybe not very tight, but they can tie. I guess I just think it's so important, I don't want my students to end up having to wear velcro sneakers in middle school when all the other kids have "regular" sneakers!

 

[mjkacmom]

I blame velcro sneakers for this problem. Dd #1 picked it up in first grade, but ds #2 struggled. However, before 4th grade, he was embarrassed to wear velcro sneakers to school, so we bought laced sneakers, and he practiced, and learned. Peer pressure is good! He plays a lot of sports, and it would be humiliating for mom or dad to have to run into the field to tie his cleats.

Dd7 learned - I think a friend taught her. I just bought dd5 and ds5 velcro sneakers, but I think the next pair might have laces.

 

[bzzymom]

DS is 11, going into 6th grade, and has been able to somewhat tie his shoes since last year. It takes him a long time, and he doesn't get them tied tight enough. Often it is so loose, I can pull on it and fit my hand through it.

 

[stsomewhere]

Hi! I'm a teacher too, with a DS10 of my own.

He has never, ever had to tie shoes. I just buy velcro or slip-ons. We're going to go shopping this week for his new sneakers for 5th grade. I will not buy shoes with laces. Why stress over it? I can't stand to see kids walking around school with their laces undone. Even many of the 5th graders don't bend down to tie their shoes. Velcro/slip-ons are just easier.

OUr DS's must be twins. He is 10 and going into 5th. When I pick him up, his shoes are always untied.
He has very narrow feet, so velcro are hard to find., We found him of Strige Rite Nickoleadan Slimer t-shoes that velcro, but, dress shoes that tie.

 

[minnie2]

DD 8 has been tying her shoes since kindergarten. Not well ut she could do it. With DS who just turned 6 no way! He isn't even interested. DH gets so frustrated that he can tie them yet. He feel by now he should know how to! I have always used lace shoes for sneakers and dress shoes. I told DH if it is so important to him then he needs to teach DS!

With DD we did the bunny ear method not the whole loop around thing and it worked. I need to teach her the other way but if the bunny ear thing works then I am sticking with it!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Another "thank goodness I'm not the only one" here! My boys are 9 (going on 10 in a few week) and 13 (just turned last month). Neither has any interest in tying his shoes. The 13 year old has Asperger's Syndrome and his fine motor skills have always been a bit off so his situation is a little different. My 9-almost-10-year old tried to learn the other day but just couldn't get the hang of it. I just ordered their new school shoes on-line and, once again, had to go with velcro for both. Now this can be a challenge for a rather large 13 year old 7th grader who already wears a men's size 8 1/2. Most men's-size athletic shoes have laces. I have to go on-line and search for velcro shoes that will fit and look half-way decent on him. I don't want to send them to school with laces since there are times when they take their shoes off (special indoor P.E. activities or games, for example). I would hate for them to be embarassed that they can't tie their shoes when they put them back on.

We'll keep working on it and, hopefully, someday it will click!

 

[Minnie's Friend]

I was stressing over DD who turns 6 on Sunday not knowing how to tie her shoes last year before Kindergarten and searched for slip on shoes. She would wear tie shoes at times and the teacher would fix them for her if necessary. Well after struggling to find shoes she liked I went to tie thinking we would help her learn this summer. She is left handed, dh and I are right handed. I had no clue really how to start as she gets frustrated easily when learning something new. But her counselor in her summer program taught her. Now she takes forever to tie them and they sometimes are not tied the best but she has the idea and is practicing. So now I don't feel so bad sending her to 1st grade.

 

[NotUrsula]

DS has Asberger's, and also had horrible issues with tying shoes. He practiced constantly, and still could not get it until he was nearly 9. Now he's happy that he CAN do it, but chooses NOT to do it if he doesn't have to.

He wears slip-on Merrell Jungle Mocs to school, not athletic shoes. So far (6th grade) he hasn't had any issues with being allowed to wear the Jungle Mocs in gym class. Velcro shoes are a bit passe for boys by middle school, but slip-ons abound.

(Note for boys that don't wear tied shoes: beware of the drawstrings on swim trunks and gym shorts. You really don't want to be losing your pants because you can't tie them on your own. This motivated DS a LOT more than shoes did.)

 

[perkinsrose]

One of the OT's in my school spends time each day in my classroom and for the first month of school we spend A LOT of time teaching the kids to tie their shoes (I teach 2nd grade special education). The way we always start is to have the children make two "bunny ears" and then tie them together. By the end of the fall just about all my students can tie, maybe not very tight, but they can tie. I guess I just think it's so important, I don't want my students to end up having to wear velcro sneakers in middle school when all the other kids have "regular" sneakers!

I learned with the "two bunny ear" method too. I still don't/can't tie the other way where you wrap one lace around one loop. DS8 is finally mastering the 1 loop method. I think the incentive was a cool pair of running shoes with laces--no "hail mary" slip ons or velcroes. Learning to tie on his dad's shoe in his lap or something else never really worked like the meaningful purpose of having to tie his own shoes everytime he put them on.

We got the shoes though before he mastered tying. I agreeed to buy them--if he promised to learn to keep them tied. Also, because I was spending alot of money, I explained he could not slip on & off and wreck the heal. He must tie and untie each time putting on/removing shoe.

For DS, it worked. Now, he doesn't even want me to do it for him if i offer--(because if he's going out to run around, ride bikes, etc. --when i tie them and double bow them--they stayed tyed longer). His independence & confidence very important I guess.

 

[Disneygirl26]

Well I guess I'm not alone, I'm always telling my 10ds to tie his shoes, he ties them and two steps later their untied again, so I guess thats why they make crocs without laces......lol

 

[SalandJeff]

I'm so glad I found this thread. DD is only 4.5, but she has been trying to tie my shoes (or anything else she finds that could be tied). I felt so badly that I had not taught her how to tie shoes. I think they were trying to teach them at daycare. She waves her arms around making tying motions as though she is practicing. She has gotten to where she can do the first part. I haven't tried doing it as bunny ears. Maybe we will work on that.

 

[Off2CDW]

I also used the "bunny ears" method when I taught my daughter to tie her shoes. I think she was in kindergarten and had a cool pair of Barbie shoes with laces. You make two bunny ears/loops with the laces, one on each side, and then tie them together. My friend showed me this ingenious technique. It helped so much. The traditional way I learned wasn't working.

Now, my sons are learning. Hulk shoes with laces and velcro. They actually make shoes that have both on them now. Oh my! So, he can velcro them above the tying part. He really wouldn't need to untie and tie them. But, since he's interested, I'm going to give it a whirl. With the second and third child, it seems like I'm not as motivated to do these things. But, I agree that velcro and slipons have made it so kids don't care to figure it out. I told my older son who's going into 1st grade that he would get a special prize that he's been wanting when he can do it alone. He wants to try it now.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

Just another vote for the bunny ears as the best way to teach. That is the way I always taught my students, that is the way I taught my DD but just realized the other day I have not even thought about teaching my DS (6) yet because he doesn't have any shoes with laces!!!! If they can tie to laces together then they can tie to "bunny ears" together. Tie lace together. Make two loops like bunny ears. Tie the bunny's ears together and pull. (Just watch out for animal rights)

 

[almburr]

Is left- or right-handedness an issue? DH & I are left-handed and our kids are right-handed. I guess DH & I tie backwards and the kids just couldn't do it our way. My best friend is right-handed and she taught both of my kids to tie.

Im the lefty in the family Dh has to teach the kids.

 

[gr8leg8]

There is a cute Blues Clues where they even sing a little song

<cowboy music>
"take your laces
make 'em change places"

ok,
now it's in my head.