Shoe tying

When did your kids learn to tie? The girls have their first set of tie shoes and apparently no one in their kindergarten class knows how to tie yet. Any tips on teachIng them? I've been doing the bunny version and double knotting them so they don't have to worry about them.

 

1st grade. In first grade many teachers in our school put up a chart where kids get their names on it when they can tie--they get a star for doing double knots. Now, 4 years later, the one that mastered it in 1st doesn't tie very well and the one who couldn't do it in 1st now does it well. Some of it is about coordination and how long the laces are. I taught my niece when she was at the end of K, but she is a November birthday, so she was 6 1/2 at the time--which is more like 1st grade age.

 

Emilie can tie her shoes now, however they are not very tight. Trevor can't, but does try. I have been helping them, by showing them what to do. They both have shoes with ties on them for that exact reason. :good: My oldest DD could tie her shoes when she was 6.

When I am showing them I sit behind them and show them how to do it so they can see exactly. I don't do the 2 loops bunny ears just the one loop and and the other string goes in that. I could never do the 2 bunny ears myself, so that is why I chose not to teach my children that way. But I do find it works best if I get behind them and show them.

 

I do one loop as well. Their kindergarten teacher
Suggested standing behind them so they don't tie backward

 

My 9 yr old can finally do double knots tight enough that they don't slip out We started working with him at about 5-6 yrs old. He could tie them but not tight enough, the laces kept slipping out. It's just in the last year that he can finally pull the laces tight so they don't slide.

I dislike the way laces are made now, so slick, it makes getting them tight enough difficult even for me. :aggressive:

 

We bought tie shoes right before school started (about a month ago) and they got it within a week. :good: They are now working on double knotting. I do usually tie them for school so I can double knot them tightly and they don't come undone during the day. But they tie them by themselves any other time. I had them practice a lot. And I used the bunny ears. I never liked doing it that way but it seemed easier for them to learn it. ardon:

 

We also bought tie shoes for school this fall to practice tying them. One is VERY interested in learning, the other one not so much. :lol: The one that is more eager to learn has the basics down, but fumbles a lot and can't yet complete the knot. I'm sure with practice it will happen soon. :good:

 

My girls are trying to learn, too! I bought them a hard back book about tying shoes and it has a practice lace shoe on top of it that they can practice with. They get so frustrated that I just don't know how to help them sometimes. I really hate teaching it, I just have to walk away sometimes with them screaming at me.

 

Peyton learned about a year ago when she first started K. The teacher put a star up for the kids when they learned. Most had it down pat by the end of K.

 

One of mine really wants to learn to tie shoes, the other could care less. I'm leaving it up to DH because the three of them are all right handed and I am the only leftie in the house.

 

Mine can't yet. They each have tried .. but just don't get it. I buy velcro or slip on shoes. I guess at some point they'll learn.

 

Well, DD can tie her shoes (she is a righty), but DS cannot yet (he is a lefty!). Both just started kinder.

And, I hate to admit this, but I did not teach her -- I asked her how she learned, and it said "by watching SpongeBob!" -- there is a Sponge Bob episode about tying shoelaces that has a tutorial on how to do it. :FIFblush:

Meg

 

Good to know !

 

Do they actually need to know how to tie shoes at any particular point? I can see that they have to be able to do it themselves if they're going to wear tie shoes to school, but it seems like nearly everything comes in velcro or slip-on....

FWIW, I think Amy can do the double bunny ears thing, and Sarah probably can't. But I can count on one hand the number of tie shoes they have owned.

I didn't learn till K myself (I was around just-turned-5 at the time) and that was in the era before velcro.

 

My oldest learned in K. The teachers told them that after Christmas break they would not be helping the kids tie shoes anymore. Caitlyn actually learned to tie her robe belt first not her shoes. The twins learned in pre-k. I don't remember if they were 4 or 5.

I never bought velcro shoes until after they knew how to tie.

 

I would say yes. We are at the point where my 9 year old wears men's size shoes, and finding sneakers that don't tie is getting extremely difficult. Also, all cleats and basketball shoes are tie.

 

Both of my big boys can tie. My lefty does a better job at it and my righty still prefers me to do it. He has to have them tied a certain tightness and he just hasn't perfected that yet. Oh and my daughter taught them.

 

I refuse to teach my kids. My mom taught me backwards so all growing up I heard how terrible I was at tying, LOL. So, I make hubby teach them or my sis'. I thought about trying to attempt it with my little guys, but they are too small. D my middle son still has difficulty. He can do it, but it takes great effort and is very loose. His head injury messed with his fine motor skills. So even at 9 he CAN tie, but not like I'd like him to be able too. By next year though, he has to be able to tie his hockey skates. Those must be tight. I have no idea if he'll be able to.

 

Good point about the cleats. Sarah has soccer cleats now and I have to tie them for her. We'll start working on that!

 

In my kinder classes, about half of the kids could tie their shoes by the end of the year. In my first grade classes, almost all of them could tie by the end of the year. Hannah, who has great fine motor skills for her age, was tying her shoes before kindergarten. Ben learned a few months into kindergarten. It is a huge deal for me, because they get their shoes on by themselves every morning. They can also get their own cleats on, which is an even bigger deal for us since they wear them a few times a week!

We just practiced lots, on their own shoes on their own feet. There was no secret trick! We did not do bunny ears, but the traditional way of tying shoes.

 

Each child is different, but I believe they should be at least attempting it by going to kindergarten.

My girls both had it down at 3, but my 7 year old didn't get good at it until 6 (he could do it at 5, just wasn't good at it). My last two...one is awesome at it, double knots and everything, the other can't do it at all...but he is still required to attempt it. The funny thing is, if parents don't spend some time working at it (and nope, it isn't fun)...then how do you expect it to happen. It's one of those "chores" to me, but it still needs to be done and can get done with practice!

 

Near the end of Kindergarten that was one of the homework assignments.

 

Both my kids finally got it down the proper way this summer (between K and 1st.) They could do it in K, but they were very tied very lose.