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Trying shoes.

I don't trust her's picture

Does anyone have any advice on teaching children to tie their shoes. My boyfriends youngest is in preschool and we agree it's time he start learning. I know one challenge we'll face is that his mom has no interest in teaching him this skill but it's like that for everything. We taught him how to dress himself, how to shower by himself, brush his treeth, get his own drinks, and make simple food for himself like cereal or sandwiches.

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advice.only2's picture

They have a lot of books to help, I had one that showed several different ways to tie...because of that my son and my daughter both tie their shoes different ways, it’s actually pretty neat.

Areyou's picture

Preschool as in ages 2-4? Many children that age don’t have the fine motor skills to tie shoe laces. If you want to help him her develop those skills let him her play with laces that are different colors on each end so they can discern between the two ends. Use wider laces. Most kids don’t learn until first grade. That is why they have Velcro shoes.

I don't trust her's picture

Sorry I meant to say Kindergarten.

The teacher is also pushing for them to learn. It one of her big goals for the year.

Areyou's picture

Oh I see. Then he’s at the age where he can start to learn but he may take longer if at six he’s not starting to do it on his own. Mine was able to do it on her own in first grade.

fourbrats's picture

tying between 5 and 8 years old. Velcro shoes or no tie for now and some lacing cards will help develop those fine motor skills. Stringing large beads is also a great motor skill building tool. 

 

I don't trust her's picture

He's 6. 

fourbrats's picture

within the norm. It takes some kids longer. In the end they all learn to tie their shoes. I would get him some fine motor skill practice and then work on it. And remember that boys typically develop gross motor skills first and then fine motor skills. Girls are the opposite typically. 

elkclan's picture

My son has fine motor skill problems so he was late to be able to learn to tie shoes.  But then - and this is his major character flaw - he developed a complex about it and just refused. I tried to teach him. My ex did. My partner did. His grandparents. I tried rewards and incentives and holding back privileges. Ugh. Finally, my OSS one year older than my BS said "that's ridiculous, I'll teach him," and he did in about 5 minutes. 

twoviewpoints's picture

*raises hand* here too. I didn't teach any of my kids to tie their shoes. Their older siblings and/or neighbor kids did. 

Cover1W's picture

I taught SDs to tie shoes at ages 7 and 9. They had no idea how. Sdthen 9 fought it, but she had grown out of kids shoes and velcro in the styles she wanted couldn't be found. It took a day then some practice but it was quick 

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

When I helped SD5 tie her shoes, she’d do one and at the same time I did the other. She got excited because she was being a “big girl” and then she got to watch me doing it at the same time and helping walk her through it. It meant tying shoes took longer, but she picked up on it pretty quickly.