Velcro vs tie sneakers for 5.5 yo

[SmallWorld71]

Hi!
1st grade teacher chiming in

Velcro gets my vote -- all the way!!!!

Let me tell you, so many kids at school walk around with their shoelaces untied. It drives us teachers CRAZY!! I have a rule, and I tell parents on Back to School Night, that I will not and DO NOT tie shoes. I tell parents that if their kids don't know how to tie shoes they need to either teach them well, or buy velcro.

**My "no shoe tying rule" is due to the fact that 1st graders shoelaces are GROSS . Many of them are wet because the classroom bathrooms have little puddles around the toilet from where the boys don't aim well. Then the kids come in and step in them with their untied laces hanging all over....right in the little puddles!! Once again...I will not ties shoes, esp. ones with wet laces.

Another 1st grade teacher here. Although I have had plenty of students who could tie, I have yet to have a student who could tie well enough that it lasts for a long time. Laces are a huge PITA for both the child and the teacher and are definitely on the "don't do that to your poor child clothing list." Although not as bad as the belts that some poor kids come to school with and can't undo and have to embarrass themselves with asking for help so they can go the bathroom.

Although I taught them to tie much earlier than that, my boys did not wear laces to school until third grade when I didn't have to worry about them being embarrassed. There are plenty of sneakers out there that don't need to be tied but don't have velcro.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

Wow...I am soooo glad I stumbled upon this thread. Just this afternoon, we were in a store and I suddenly realized that ds had just turned 7 and didn't know how to tie laces. I was horrified!!! I was positive that he must be the only 7 yr old on the planet who hadn't mastered this. I'm very relived to find out that I'm not as much of a slacker as I'd imagined. DD never liked velcro styles, so she could tie her own laces when she was 4....always more independent of the 2 anyhow. DS has never once owned a pair without velcro...never! He absolutely loves Sketchers z straps..or whatever...almost always chooses the exact same ones...only a bigger size. Gosh that boy is sooo much like his Daddy it's scary...not in the good way!

 

[mom of princessx2]

My dd will also be starting K in the fall (just turned 5 in June). I am going to start the year with velcro and hopefully end it with tie tennis shoes. Our school requires tie shoes in the 1st grade.

I agree with pp about the cardboard with laces. We have a hand me down book from a friend that has a cardboard shoe and 1/2 the lace is red and the other 1/2 is blue. Gives step by step instructions and it really helped her kids.

 

[KJMAX1]

Im surprised so many of you use velcro! We have always given our kids tie shoes. We havent allowed velcro. Our kids have been in sports since 3, so cleats and the like all have laces and we just taught them easy. We do the traditional crossover and through the hole, but then we have them make two bunny ears and then crossover and through the hole. The whole thing of around and through never works.

Hope that makes sense, but after over and cross, and through the hole, have them make two bunny ears and try it...We also let them learn on shoes that were in front of them so it was easier to get the hang of it. Usborne books has a great learning to tie book as well.

 

[billwendy]

I vote for velcro or keens or crocs or the sketchers with the z-straps!!

I am an Occupational Therapist who works in pediatrics - I focus on the development of fine motor skills. While kids have enough coordination at 5 or so to learn to tie, not many of them do it well or will take the time to retie their shoe when their shoe lace comes untied!! Hanging shoelaces cause tripping and they get stuck in things too!!

I like kids to be as independent as possible, so something that is easy to velcro or strap is much better for them! If your son is going to be out in fields and dirt, imagine how yucky those untied shoe laces are going to be

Did you see crocs now makes a style that looks like keens? they cover the toes but are open on the sides.....

 

[minniem]

My DS just turned 7 and still has velcro sneakers. He had tie ones a couple of years ago, but he didn't like them b/c he couldn't tie them himself. So he asked for the "no-tie" kind. We got him the velcro and he loves them. I love that he can put them on all by himself.

So he still doesn't know how to tie, but he will learn. He's going into first grade this year, so I don't feel bad he still doesn't know yet.

I just think the velcro are easier, so they get my vote!

 

[jessica52877]

I have asked alot lately how old kids were when they learned to tie. DS is 6 and cannot tie them. He has the concept somewhat but it just doesn't work. He has never had velcro shoes (I don't like him), I just tie his shoes every morning in double (sometimes triple knots) and they stay. I don't think anything of kids that have velcro though.

 

[mmcphee]

most 5 year old boys can not tie shoes. The camp staff would really thank you if you went back and got a 2nd pair to wear to camp and when you guys are not along. Let him wear the "ties" when he is with dad!!

I have to agree. Laces come loose during the day, and if your son is shy about asking for help laces could become a tripping hazard. You wouldn't send him to camp unable to use the bathroom on his own, or other basic skills; shoes are no different.

My oldest is seven and can tie her shoes but neither my six or four year old can, and I am in no hurry. I wait until they want to learn; usually when they want tie shoes. I wouldn't force it on them.

 

[abcboys]

My 7 year old cannot tie either. We've tried a couple of times but it just seems so awkward. I think we are going to need several days of practicing and I always just seem to forget to practice it.

 

[3boymthr]

Okay definitely don't feel bad that he can't tie at 5.5 my middle DS at 9 still can't tie his shoes!!! We've tried, but he just hasn't mastered this skill. It doesn't help that the school has a rule that the kids must be able to do all their fasteners themselves - the teachers are not allowed to provide assistance unless the child has motor skills issues - which practically guarantees they will have to wear velcro shoes.

That said - there is a very very cute Spongebob episode which is all about Spongebob learning how to tie his shoes. Has a song even for learning the knot.

 

[NJtoATL]

I'm a Kindergarten Teacher. It is my personal policy that I will not under any circumstance will I ever tie shoes. I hate seeing children walking around with they laces untied. Teach your child to tie their laces or wear velcro.

 

[torinsmom]

I teach pre-K/K and HATE, HATE, HATE tie shoe strings! The kids sit on circle and untie them, put them in their mouths, tie KNOTS in them, etc. Then they go to the bathroom and drag their laces through the pee on the floor and on the playground getting them wet and muddy. Ten times during this they ask you to tie them, and you have to either say no and get a pouty face or interrupt your lesson to tie them and then wash your hands. Multiply this times 20 kids and you can imagine how much we love tie shoe strings.

Even the kids(at 5 or 6) who know how to tie don't do it tight, so they are walking around all day with half tied shoes. They trip over them, fall and get hurt, etc.

I did zipper reeboks until my son was 9 or 10. He knew how to tie, but preferred not having to do it every hour or so. I also never put BELTS or BUTTON pants on him in kindergarten. Do you know how hard a belt or button pants are to get off for little hands? The first time one of my students needs help with a belt is when it comes off and goes in his backpack.

Marsha

 

[mousebymarriage]

My DD12 could tie her shoes before she was 4 years old but, she is a little OCD(really) and when she gets it in her head to learn something she does it over and over again until she masters it. That was the case with shoe tying, she was about 3 1/2 or so and asked my mom to show her how to tie shoes. She then proceeded to practice on every shoe in the house for hours until she got it.

My DS8 was about 6 almost 7 when he learned to tie, I tried to teach him earlier and so did his sister but he could care less.

I always let both kids pick their own sneakers because they are the ones that have to wear them.
However, I will not spend more than $40 on a pair because my DD is really hard on sneakers and she looks homeless in 2 weeks. The only exception I make is for her basketball sneakers but, they are strictly for indoor use (practice and games) her last pair cost me $85. Believe it or not my kids like most of the shoes from payless so, I usually get away cheap.

 

[badblackpug]

I always looked on the velcro shoes much like pull ups. If kids don't wear tie shoes, they don't learn to tie. My kids learned to tie in kindergarten. Maybe they weren't great at it, but as a PP said, a good double knot held them for the day. They had also mastered button pants and belts by then, too. I have never had a teacher that refused to tie a child's shoes.

...and those of us who went to school pre-velcro survived!

 

[mom2aredhead]

I just tie his shoes every morning in double (sometimes triple knots) and they stay.

I agree, and this is what I would do for school, but for camp they go swimming every morning. I send him in his bathing suit and crocs, and after swimming they want the kids to be able to change from their wet bathing suits into dry clothes, socks and shoes as independently as possible. The camp has no rules or preference about what type of shoes they should be and in theory he could put his crocs back on, but they play soccer and basketball, play on the playground, etc. I'd prefer he had on the sneakers.