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I figured there had to be a video out there about tying shoes, and sure enough this one shows the bunny ears method along with the traditional method. She ends with a double knot, but of course kids don't have to do it that way. Then they'd have issues untying them.
Editing to say I tried to post the Youtube link, but it posted the video directly in my post so I had to remove it. I found the video by Googling for it here, the 4th one down: youtube bunny ears tie shoes - Google Search
Thanks. I guess I still use the bunny ear method and I am almost double your daughters age.
I'm not understanding how tying shoes is complicated. Break it down step by step in a demonstration and kids learn. I knew at 3, and so did my brothers and sisters and two out of three kids (my boy learned at 4).
Take a little time each day to demonstrate and practice. It really isn't that difficult.
I'm not understanding how tying shoes is complicated. Break it down step by step in a demonstration and kids learn. I knew at 3, and so did my brothers and sisters and two out of three kids (my boy learned at 4).
Take a little time each day to demonstrate and practice. It really isn't that difficult.
Some kids are not that coordinated. I know I wasn't. I remember being happy when I got my first velcro shoes.
...getting ready to have to go through this with our 5 yr old. Kindergarten is next year so we want her to know how before she goes. With our oldest she didn't know when she started school so I had to make sure I double tied them at home really well before I sent her off so at least they'd go for longer before she needed them tied.
My sister, and our parents, were big on Velcro because they did not want to be trying shoes all the time. I always buy laces because I know how important it can be for their motor skills development to grasp this. Guess whose kids can’t tie their shoes? Plus, what teacher, or any adult for that matter, wants to be spending the day tying shoes for second or third graders? In some cases kids can’t get it as quickly as other while in most, parents don’t take the time to teach the kids. Its on my pre-k checklist and I homeshool so school is not the reason behind it. But I know if my kids can tie a bow, there are a lot of other things they will be able to do well. They know by age four but as soon as they can pick the shoe up, loosed it enough to get their foot it, they are old enough to at least pull the strings tight as a minimum It’s a great example of many parents who prefer to have the school teach the kids. Maybe I am speaking too much from my experience but I remember my parents waiting until days before the first day of school and throwing a fit because I could not grasp it in a day and even saying "I thought they were suppose to teach this in school." I struggled in kindergarten holding pencils and using scissors correctly, because my parents did not want me to have sharp object or cut my hair before school and I had never even used a butter knife. Again, its not every case but I look back remembering being appalled with a cousin whose mother wiped his nose at age ten. Kids are not being competitive about tying shoes, they naturally recognize difference as well as laziness in the children and lazy parenting. In cases where the kid had a real medical reason behind it, the children need to learn tolerance.
Really though, for them to grasp it they need some time to learn. Instead of waiting until school, start when they are two or three. You show them how to untie them first and how to put the shoe on. If they can do this fine, then you show them how to pull the strings tight, and always leave time for them to do this before leaving somewhere. Then you take over and talk about what you are doing. “Make an X and pull it through the hole, then pull it tight again. Before age four, they’ll have half of it down. Once they can do that on their own you then you have them make the first bow and let them hold it while you finish and then let them pull it tight. When they are always involved, they will be doing it on their own and one day in a hurry, you’ll look down and say, “Oh, you did it already. Great job! Ok, lets go.” My DD was able to tie her shoes by herself at age 4 but I always had to tighten them for her until just before age 6. My son has no issues. The big part in leaning anything that you have done everyday from birth, is to talk about what you are doing, communicate with the child and allow them to do it on their own every single time.
....and also because you are a teacher and you've had enough of tying dirty shoe laces??
If I were you, that's what I'd be saying!!! I think tying dirty shoelaces is pretty disgusting and as a teacher (which I'm not) I'd be trying to come up with a polite way to send the message home to the parents.
I know several kids that don't know how to tie their shoes. Wth?!?!
I am not even going to touch the $80 sneakers part of that!!
....and also because you are a teacher and you've had enough of tying dirty shoe laces??
Saw a Seinfeld episode once when Jerry walked through his front door and George was there. He had one shoe untied and promptly removed it and cut his shoelaces off with a pair of scissors.
George: What are you doing?
Jerry: My shoe came untied in the men's room and touched the floor so that's that!
Seems like a lot of fretting over a relatively little thing. I had trouble learning to tie my shoes as a child until a family friend taught me the bunny ears method. I tied my shoes that way from the time I was 7 until I was in my 30s. My two kids have mostly had velcro shoes, because that's what Target sells for toddlers, and Target shoes are what we could afford. Also, they learned to dress themselves when they were 2 years old and could put on and fasten their own velcro shoes. (It's not always easy for me to live with the results of them picking out their own clothing and dressing themselves, but it's worth the sacrifice).
Then when my oldest started kindergarten, her teacher asked all the parents to please have their children wear lace-up shoes, and she would work with them on tying shoes the first few weeks of school. We did, and my daughter picked it up quickly. The teacher understandably wanted to focus on teaching instead of spending day-after-day for months tying 18 pairs of shoes, unfastening 18 jackets, etc. My daughter already knew how to zip and unzip or button and unbutton her jacket, and to pick up after herself, use her manners, treat others with respect, etc.
So I don't think the teacher was unreasonable in her request, nor does she look down on those children who have not yet mastered tying their shoes. And most importantly, she has a very well behaved class of good kids who are getting a great start on their education, whether they can tie their shoes or not.
This post was meant to be light hearted on some of the ironies of growing up. I completely understand that some children take longer to learn certain skills. However, you can bet 100% that I wouldn't spend a lot of money on sneakers for a child who is unable to maintain them properly. Shoelaces that are dragged on the floor constantly look like crap, period case closed. Dirty and frayed shoelaces tend to make an expensive pair of sneakers look ugly. It just seems pointless to me to waste money like that.
Anyway, the OP was not meant to attack parents or children. I just found it funny that these older children did not have a clue. Let's not forget that untied shoelaces can be dangerous. So teaching them that skill is a safety issue too.
I thought kids learned how to tie shoes in kindergarten or earlier. What parent in their right mind buys kids that young $80.00 shoes?
You must work in a very well to do school district.
I work in an urban school in NJ where about 90% of the students are on free/reduced lunch. That has nothing to do with what they wear, what their parents drive or what the kids have. One of my students one year wore Gucci sneakers. I didn't even know Gucci made sneakers. I asked him where he got them and he told me about their trip to the mall (there went my theory that maybe they were fakes).
I've had students who were dropped off in Jaguars, BMWs, RangeRovers, etc. but would tell me their parents couldn't afford notebooks, pencils and other items. It's all about priorities.
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and I am almost double your daughters age. 
