Shoe-Tying Tips for Parents

by Caroline

A number of factors come into play for children when they learn how to tie their shoes. If they start too early or don't practice enough, they will get frustrated and give up trying all together. The trick is to introduce shoe tying at the right point in their development, and then stick with it. Here are a few tips to help you guide them through this learning process.

Start at the right age. Children should begin practicing between ages 5 and 7. At this point, their fine motor skills have developed enough that tying shoes is a realistic possibility. Also, their attention span is more mature so they will stick with practicing and retain what they learned the last time they tried.

Decide on one method. Our family likes the "bunny ears" method. But for awhile there I was teaching a different method than my husband. It is no surprise that our son became frustrated and gave up all together for a few weeks.

Wean yourself from Velcro. Undoubtedly, Velcro is the easiest option. But if kids don't have to practice - or if they don't have any shoes to practice on - they just won't learn to tie their shoes at all. The good news is that tying sneakers are usually cheaper!

Stay side by side. When you teach your child to tie, sit next to them. It will be easier for them to learn by sitting next to you rather than attempting to mirror your efforts across from you.

Two lace colors. A favorite shoe tying tip is to use two different colored laces. That way your child can keep track of what goes where.

Know right from left. It is important that your child knows her right from her left. Otherwise this puzzling process will become that much more confusing.

Practice and patience. Chances are that your child will not master shoe tying on his first try. In fact, chances are that he will become frustrated and give up a few times. But insist that they keep trying. Give them incentives. Be positive. And help them learn patience as they retry and retie again. When they do learn, they should be extraordinarily proud of themselves. Shoe tying is one of those milestones that assures children they can succeed at grown-up "kid stuff" after all.

Good luck!

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