when do they learn to tie knots?

I'm getting so tired of teaching them the bunny ears thing (over and over and over), and they get so frustrated and say "I can't!!!" My mother used to teach the kids how to tie laces a way that always seemed to work -- holding a small loop and pretending it's a stump and winding the other lace around the stump, except I can't remember what comes next. (My mother has dementia and has since forgotten. She has no idea what I'm talking about.) I remember learning in Kindergarten, but not the method they used to teach me. DH just shakes his head and says, "Guess they can't yet!"
Trying to find shoes that have Velcro in their sizes is getting harder and harder. Plus, I like the support that lace-up shoes give to them, more than the Velcro or "stretch lace" kind do.
However, they can't seem to learn how to tie laces.
I bought tie shoes for my older son anyway when he was in first grade, figuring he'd learn how to tie knots from his friends over time and he just walked around with untied shoes all the time. One day after school, after he'd asked so many people to tie his shoes for him that the JANITOR OF THE SCHOOL said to me,"I think they make some Velcro shoes."
I'm not expecting anyone to have a "magic trick" to teach them in here answer here, just wanted to vent. I've been home sick, and spending a lot of time home thinking of things to worry about it seems.

 

QUOTE(momofangels @ Apr 25 2007, 04:10 PM) [snapback]233785[/snapback]
I'm getting so tired of teaching them the bunny ears thing (over and over and over), and they get so frustrated and say "I can't!!!" My mother used to teach the kids how to tie laces a way that always seemed to work -- holding a small loop and pretending it's a stump and winding the other lace around the stump, except I can't remember what comes next. (My mother has dementia and has since forgotten. She has no idea what I'm talking about.) I remember learning in Kindergarten, but not the method they used to teach me. DH just shakes his head and says, "Guess they can't yet!"
Trying to find shoes that have Velcro in their sizes is getting harder and harder. Plus, I like the support that lace-up shoes give to them, more than the Velcro or "stretch lace" kind do.
However, they can't seem to learn how to tie laces.
I bought tie shoes for my older son anyway when he was in first grade, figuring he'd learn how to tie knots from his friends over time and he just walked around with untied shoes all the time. One day after school, after he'd asked so many people to tie his shoes for him that the JANITOR OF THE SCHOOL said to me,"I think they make some Velcro shoes."
I'm not expecting anyone to have a "magic trick" to teach them in here answer here, just wanted to vent. I've been home sick, and spending a lot of time home thinking of things to worry about it seems.



My daughter is going to be 7 in July and she still cant. Probably my fault though because I haven't really tried to teach her a lot. I have some, but not consistantly...kwim? Anyway, I have gone with velcro, but I am going to really work with her this summer to learn.

Sorry, no real advice.

 

My DH was insistent that they learn this early, so they were doing it when they started kindergarten. Their kindergarten teacher worked with the kids who didn't know how (her goal was for most kids to know how by Christmas, so that she wouldn't spend the entire winter tying kids' shoes every time they came in and took their boots off). All but a few were able to tie their shoes by the middle or end of kindergarten.

 

Jackson learned in Kindergarten. I taught him to make two loops and tie them in a knot. I never taught him the regular way of making one loop and wrapping the other lace around, and unfortunately, he now is one of the worst shoe-tiers I've ever seen!

I think when I start teaching Hayden and Brady, I'll do it the right way and have Jackson watch, too!

 

Well, I remembered the stump and the bunny trick, and I taught my son. We had a big day -- went out to the TMNT movie (kinda scary, not the same old friendly turtles he loves from the old TV shows) and then bought him some new TMNT shoes (with laces). So he thinks he's hot stuff.
I taught his brother, who I thought was not catching on at all, and so in frustration I said we should take a break and he said, "OK, just let me put these away." and tied the laces on the practice shoes we were using like a pro!! So we're going to buy him new shoes with laces ASAP.
So now I just have to go back and re-teach my oldest son without embarrassing him (he's much too cool for the bunny and the stump, he thinks.)

 

My son is going to be eight in June and he has just recently learned how to tie. However, he has some fine motor issues so that is probably why. My boys who are almost six don't know how.

From what I observe at our school, a few kindergarteners know how, more first graders know how, and almost all of the 2nd graders know how.

 

Glad you found something that seems to be working!

K&K learned about two weeks ago. K has really been wanting to do it, she tries to tie and gets them all in a knot. I am not a shoe tier teacher as I am lefty and tie very strangely so I didn't want to teach them myself. On Friday's my dad watches them while I go to work so we brought some tie shoes over and left the project with Grampy. When I came home they could both tie their shoes! Gotta love Grampy!!!!! They are 5 1/2.

 

Can you share with me the bunny trick? I remember something along those lines from when I was little but can't remember exactly how it goes.

This is one of those things that I swear I am dreading more than potty training. My daughter and I are going to butt heads because she and I are a lot alike and she also doesn't like it when she can't do something (read into that she doesn't like me telling her how to do something). My son is going to drive me crazy, because it will be hard for him due to fine motor delays and he doesn't like to try things that are hard (read into that he is going to whine and complain an awful lot).

My twins just turned 6 and will be going to first grade in the fall. It is my goal to get them tying before 1st grade. My incentive is that they have to wear lace shoes to ride their bikes and scooters and I know tying their shoes is going to get old fast!

 

My boys learned at 4-years old, and I wish I could take the credit, but I can't. I was sitting in the ER with Jaydon, and while we were waiting for his lab results to come back he literally tied a string around his leg - bow and everything. I asked him to do it again, and I watched. He did the wrap around AND double-knot. When I asked him where he learned, he said, "from watching you, mama". Of course, once one can do something the other can't there is an immediate competition. Within days Jackson was tieing his shoes too!

 

Mine learned at 5 almost 6 but now she's almost 7 and still can't ride a two wheel bike. Everyone is different. Some learn one thing quicker than others and other things slower than others. I wouldn't worry. They'll get it eventually.

 

Caitlyn was tying hers before Kindergarten. I don't know how to do the bunny ears method so I just kept showing her how I tie my shoes. The twins don't know how to do it yet althogh they think they do.

 

Here's the bunny/stump method. Starting with a half-knot, you make a loop with one lace (just hold the two pieces together at the bottom, pinched between finger and thumb). This is the stump. Sometimes for smaller hands, if you make the stump big (big loop), it's easier.
Pretend the bottom part of the other lace is the bunny. The bunny goes around the stump (all the way around), and through the hole at the bottom. This is a lot easier for kids if they wrap the "bunny" around the stump AND their fingers, and then stuff the "bunny" lace in the hole directly under their fingers. They may need to chase the bunny around the stump more than once. And then pull both sides to tighten.
Be patient. This just takes them loads of practice, but they were so proud of themselves when they got it.
Sorry it took me so long to answer.

 

I drive my mom crazy. We had to learn by 5 (I have a summer bday), because it was expected that all Kindergarteners could tie their own shoes way back in my day. There was no velcro back then! However, I did not rush my boys on this, I think waiting until 2nd grade to teach them. It seemed unnecessary to me to torture myself and them to learn this fine motor skill when it wasn't necessary. (However, I have lived in warm climates always, so boots in winter were not necessary.) It still drives my mother nuts that I won't make them learn between 4 and 5, but I figure it's like potty training: I can spend a lot of time and energy and have everyone frustrated, or I can wait a little longer and it will go very smoothly. Yes, I was out of diapers before 2, but back then there were only cloth diapers!