i had a hard time teaching my first son to tie his shoes. he was in grade 3 before he finally got it (another student at school taught him!). with my second son, i didn’t bother with the fighting, so i bought “TANA Boing” laces. they are twisted elastics that are fine for his outdoor shoes at school.
some kids learn easier than others. my 6 year old has almost mastered it now!! i wish they still taught it in kindergarten!!! i find it is easier to get a friend to teach them new things.
i remember back in my kindergarten glass my teacher had these wooden blocks shaped like shoes with laces thread through them,she would teach us daily to thread and tie our laces using those,they where so cute and obviously worked because i was able to tie my shoes not long after 1st grade.
let him ride his bike …sooner or later he will be a pro at shoe tying ….or you can do the loop dee loop …..over and under bike thing was a joke!!!!!!!!!! but it made me tie my shoe when i was a young’in
have him sit on the floor in front of your, his back against your chest and have him watch you tie his shoe, in SLOW motion. this way he’s looking at it from the same angle. When crossing the laces, drop them so he can see how they’re criss-crossed and proceed from there. Let him try and try and try–give him instruction as you go. Be patient. He’ll get it.
I think a good way to teach a five year old how to tie their shoes is to use the bunny ears. I am thirteen and I still use that. Tell them to criss-cross the laces and put one under. next tell them to show their strength and pull tight. Next tell them to make a bunny ear with one lace and to do the same thing to the other. Tell them you want to see their strength one last time and have them pull tight. If they do it right give them a little prize like ice cream or cookies. Just make sure you explain it in a little kid form.
Mine learned by watching Blue’s Clues, before we bought him velco shoe and I like it better; no hassle and it’s fast. I think kids find it out by themselves how to do those things and adapting to situations to get by their everyday life.
I don’t know if this will be any help, but i also have a 5year old son. He has a thick fuzzy robe with a long belt on it. Every night, we practice tying his robe until he can do it himself because he knows that is the same way to tie his shoes. He gets frustrated, and his knots aren’t perfect, but he wants to keep trying. He does it 2 or 3 times until it looks good, then does it again the next night. I asked him if he wanted to give his shoes a try yet, but he said, “maybe after 2 more tries, mom”. It might help you. Good luck.
After a bit of trying to show my son how to tie his shoes I decided that I needed to sit behind him and show him That way the perspective was his. Showing a child how to tie from the front is difficult.
Always stand behind the child when you are teaching him/her to tie shoe laces or they get confused when trying to do it back to front, another tip, when my kids were little I made a shoe shape with holes in like there are in a shoe & lace string through the holes, they practiced on them & soon picked up how to tie their laces
This is horrible! I’m 21 and I’ve always done the “bunny ears” I can’t get out of the habbit. I taught the little boy I babysit how to do bunny ears and it worked.. My husband tells me I tie my shoes wrong.. but I just can’t do it the other way!! ha. Good luck!
Take an old pair of shoes and practice. Also look for a book that has the tie, buckle, and other little people in training things to do. Keep track of the progress and reward as each new step is upgraded. Definately look for some visal effect to help out .
Criss Cross Tying Shoes
(Tune: Splish Splash I was taking a Bath)
Criss Cross and go under the bridge
Then you got to pull it tight.
Make a loop but keep a long tail
That is how to do it right
Then you take the other string
and you wrap it ’round the loop
Pull it through the hole
Now you got the scoop
Criss Cross and go under the bridge (this is where you tie the loops together)
Now you made a Double Knot!
this is weird because im going thru the same thing…hes 7 ive tryed, he just dont care.. my mom says when hes gets older the first or second time i show him, he’ll pick it up right away, so i wouldn,t worry
i used my shoes, took them off gave my boys one and i took one and we did it step by step,, took about 15 minutes,, from a stay at home dad with 3 boys, we used my shoes because they are alot bigger, just put them on the table and enjoy,, get pictures too,
You know I didn’t know how to tie my shoes until I was nine and I thought I was different…I do have an autistic related illness and I always thought that’s why I couldn’t tie them..I remember my dad telling me that if I didn’t tie my shoes I would have to go to school bare footed..laugh..Singing a song sounds like a good suggestion..But I hope you’re not the type of parent that ties your kids shoes hard out of anger or pull them by the strings from 2 feet like my brother did..
do the bunny ears it works every time. or if he’s a fan of sponge bob get him the CD with the shoes tying song. these are just ideas. he’s still only 5 so he’s got time to learn. soon his friends will start tying there shoes and he’ll want to be just like them. it worked for me. It’ll work for him too. don’t push it. he’ll get it soon enough.
You can do it step by step and have him do it with you and tell him when he gets it and can do it without having to be shown or told he’ll get a reward. That should motivate him a lot.
i couldnt tie my shoes until i was in the 4 grade our libarian showed me when she saw that i was tucking in my laces i guess every child learns differently
One of the major problems with young children is their fine motor control (especially boys), so the relatively small shoelaces make it more difficult. Start out with an apron hung over the back of a chair, and use the long ties to demonstrate, and for your child to practice on.
Velcro seems to be a way out of learning how to tie shoes or set is aside…. Diligence if a good thing to learn, procrastination really isn’t.
I liked an idea on the 1st page, it sounded like a good one… She spoke of having the child w/ his back on your chest, looking at his shoes at the same angle that he would be when he can do it on his own…(Susan D wrote)
I bought a clown from preschool section that lets them pratice tying shoes. and buttoning up the shirt..Will help alot ..and let them learn. pratice makes perfect
There are a couple of ways to visibly do this. One: sit the child on your lap and show him from that point of view, talking him thru each step, or two: be the “mirror” for showing him to to tie the shoes, stand opposite of him, and have him “mirror” what you do, step by step, with verbal directions along the way as well. “Make a loop, bring the string around and up thru the loop, ” etc. It shouldn’t take long for the child to learn. Take care.
you know what it would be great if you look at like its a game lets tie the shoes like if you tie the shoes you would be mommas hero or you show it to him everyday and you say to him now boy do that again what just i show it to you and told him if he learns fast he would be biggy boy and not little!
This is what you should do: Tell the kid you’ll reward him/her with icecream, candy, a toy, if they do it right. Trust, I would tie my shoe as fast as possible if my parents told me that. Or you should sit them down go over it over and over again and they’ll get it.
If hes not ready to learn just yet – and some kids are not at that age – get the kind of shoes that have the velcro fastening so he can simply press it down. Give him lots of praise for doing up his own shoes even though it is relatively simple for a child to grasp, then move on the laces afterwards. When learning to tie them do a simple, one two, three as you tie them for him and he will soon start to copy.
Buy him/her a pair of velcro sneaks.Most kids are impatient about learning so young and would rather do something else.Don’t belive me? Buy them a pair of sneaks with laces,then a pair of velcros.Then put both in front of them and ask which they prefer after they tried’em.By the time they get a little older they will easilly have the patience to learn the laces.Don’t rush them into it,it will only make them want to do it even less.I finally asked the wrong person to tie my shoes at nine years old one day and was humilited and insulted in front of the entire class.It was my 3rd grade teacher.Thats when I learned.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:23 am
i had a hard time teaching my first son to tie his shoes. he was in grade 3 before he finally got it (another student at school taught him!). with my second son, i didn’t bother with the fighting, so i bought “TANA Boing” laces. they are twisted elastics that are fine for his outdoor shoes at school.
some kids learn easier than others. my 6 year old has almost mastered it now!! i wish they still taught it in kindergarten!!! i find it is easier to get a friend to teach them new things.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:55 am
i remember back in my kindergarten glass my teacher had these wooden blocks shaped like shoes with laces thread through them,she would teach us daily to thread and tie our laces using those,they where so cute and obviously worked because i was able to tie my shoes not long after 1st grade.
just practice is the key i think..
July 21st, 2010 at 10:42 am
let him ride his bike …sooner or later he will be a pro at shoe tying ….or you can do the loop dee loop …..over and under bike thing was a joke!!!!!!!!!! but it made me tie my shoe when i was a young’in
July 21st, 2010 at 11:10 am
have him sit on the floor in front of your, his back against your chest and have him watch you tie his shoe, in SLOW motion. this way he’s looking at it from the same angle. When crossing the laces, drop them so he can see how they’re criss-crossed and proceed from there. Let him try and try and try–give him instruction as you go. Be patient. He’ll get it.
July 21st, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Bunny ears! The loop-dee-loop song from Spongebob Squarepants actually works, too. No joke.
July 21st, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Make Up A Song with how to tie your shoe steps and when you tie it, sing it!
July 21st, 2010 at 12:12 pm
I think a good way to teach a five year old how to tie their shoes is to use the bunny ears. I am thirteen and I still use that. Tell them to criss-cross the laces and put one under. next tell them to show their strength and pull tight. Next tell them to make a bunny ear with one lace and to do the same thing to the other. Tell them you want to see their strength one last time and have them pull tight. If they do it right give them a little prize like ice cream or cookies. Just make sure you explain it in a little kid form.
July 21st, 2010 at 12:52 pm
prolly the best way is to make it fun for him… make a game out if it so he will want to learn it also.
July 21st, 2010 at 1:08 pm
if he cant tie shoe laces … get him push-in shoes tat dont require laces to b tied… as he gets older he will learn it automatically
July 21st, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Get him to watch this video on Youtube on how to tie shoelaces:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc4H6goKFB0
Hope this helps! =)
July 21st, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Mine learned by watching Blue’s Clues, before we bought him velco shoe and I like it better; no hassle and it’s fast. I think kids find it out by themselves how to do those things and adapting to situations to get by their everyday life.
July 21st, 2010 at 2:07 pm
I don’t know if this will be any help, but i also have a 5year old son. He has a thick fuzzy robe with a long belt on it. Every night, we practice tying his robe until he can do it himself because he knows that is the same way to tie his shoes. He gets frustrated, and his knots aren’t perfect, but he wants to keep trying. He does it 2 or 3 times until it looks good, then does it again the next night. I asked him if he wanted to give his shoes a try yet, but he said, “maybe after 2 more tries, mom”. It might help you. Good luck.
July 21st, 2010 at 2:18 pm
After a bit of trying to show my son how to tie his shoes I decided that I needed to sit behind him and show him That way the perspective was his. Showing a child how to tie from the front is difficult.
July 21st, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Always stand behind the child when you are teaching him/her to tie shoe laces or they get confused when trying to do it back to front, another tip, when my kids were little I made a shoe shape with holes in like there are in a shoe & lace string through the holes, they practiced on them & soon picked up how to tie their laces
July 21st, 2010 at 3:57 pm
This is horrible! I’m 21 and I’ve always done the “bunny ears” I can’t get out of the habbit. I taught the little boy I babysit how to do bunny ears and it worked.. My husband tells me I tie my shoes wrong.. but I just can’t do it the other way!! ha. Good luck!
July 21st, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Take an old pair of shoes and practice. Also look for a book that has the tie, buckle, and other little people in training things to do. Keep track of the progress and reward as each new step is upgraded. Definately look for some visal effect to help out .
July 21st, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Make a game out of it. Sing a song while you show them how to tie their shoes. They will remember the process more easily.
July 21st, 2010 at 4:29 pm
New!! Shoe Tying Song
Criss Cross Tying Shoes
(Tune: Splish Splash I was taking a Bath)
Criss Cross and go under the bridge
Then you got to pull it tight.
Make a loop but keep a long tail
That is how to do it right
Then you take the other string
and you wrap it ’round the loop
Pull it through the hole
Now you got the scoop
Criss Cross and go under the bridge (this is where you tie the loops together)
Now you made a Double Knot!
July 21st, 2010 at 4:54 pm
this is weird because im going thru the same thing…hes 7 ive tryed, he just dont care.. my mom says when hes gets older the first or second time i show him, he’ll pick it up right away, so i wouldn,t worry
July 21st, 2010 at 5:39 pm
spank them
July 21st, 2010 at 6:03 pm
i used my shoes, took them off gave my boys one and i took one and we did it step by step,, took about 15 minutes,, from a stay at home dad with 3 boys, we used my shoes because they are alot bigger, just put them on the table and enjoy,, get pictures too,
July 21st, 2010 at 6:59 pm
The old “Loop, Swoop and Pull” always does the trick dude! Good luck!
July 21st, 2010 at 7:36 pm
loop–swoop–pull
or the bunny ears
July 21st, 2010 at 8:11 pm
You know I didn’t know how to tie my shoes until I was nine and I thought I was different…I do have an autistic related illness and I always thought that’s why I couldn’t tie them..I remember my dad telling me that if I didn’t tie my shoes I would have to go to school bare footed..laugh..Singing a song sounds like a good suggestion..But I hope you’re not the type of parent that ties your kids shoes hard out of anger or pull them by the strings from 2 feet like my brother did..
July 21st, 2010 at 8:13 pm
do the bunny ears it works every time. or if he’s a fan of sponge bob get him the CD with the shoes tying song. these are just ideas. he’s still only 5 so he’s got time to learn. soon his friends will start tying there shoes and he’ll want to be just like them. it worked for me. It’ll work for him too. don’t push it. he’ll get it soon enough.
July 21st, 2010 at 8:39 pm
You can do it step by step and have him do it with you and tell him when he gets it and can do it without having to be shown or told he’ll get a reward. That should motivate him a lot.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:37 pm
i couldnt tie my shoes until i was in the 4 grade our libarian showed me when she saw that i was tucking in my laces i guess every child learns differently
July 21st, 2010 at 10:04 pm
loop swoop and pull..
July 21st, 2010 at 10:48 pm
One of the major problems with young children is their fine motor control (especially boys), so the relatively small shoelaces make it more difficult. Start out with an apron hung over the back of a chair, and use the long ties to demonstrate, and for your child to practice on.
July 21st, 2010 at 11:47 pm
the way my mother taught me was tie them like bunny ears and then knot them…
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:23 am
it is better that you adjust tie for the first time and never open it.i do so for my little son.
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:10 am
watch the spongebob episode when he forgot how 2 tie his shoe…if he likes spongebob.
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:52 am
i have a 5 and 8 year old and i taught them to tie doing the bunny ears loop and loop and then twist them together and them pull…
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:48 am
Velcro
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:01 am
tell him youll give him a 5 doller bill if he can do it thats how my dad taught me
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:19 am
Velcro seems to be a way out of learning how to tie shoes or set is aside…. Diligence if a good thing to learn, procrastination really isn’t.
I liked an idea on the 1st page, it sounded like a good one… She spoke of having the child w/ his back on your chest, looking at his shoes at the same angle that he would be when he can do it on his own…(Susan D wrote)
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:42 am
I bought a clown from preschool section that lets them pratice tying shoes. and buttoning up the shirt..Will help alot ..and let them learn. pratice makes perfect
July 22nd, 2010 at 4:09 am
There are a couple of ways to visibly do this. One: sit the child on your lap and show him from that point of view, talking him thru each step, or two: be the “mirror” for showing him to to tie the shoes, stand opposite of him, and have him “mirror” what you do, step by step, with verbal directions along the way as well. “Make a loop, bring the string around and up thru the loop, ” etc. It shouldn’t take long for the child to learn. Take care.
July 22nd, 2010 at 4:11 am
teach him how to make the none-openable ties.
after that show them the pappion looking one.
it will take sometime but sit with them and show them all the steps.
best idea would be to use a shoe with a fair good amount of lace since the kid needs enought to make a proper tie.
also first do it with out wearing a shoe or just use strings as a practice.
July 22nd, 2010 at 4:44 am
I-hope-u-are-serious-to-your-questions!
Uhm-first-have-patient-to-your-5-yr-old-kid-and-lets-enter-his-behavior-to-ur-personality-in-short-be-5yr-old-mind-who-teach-another-5-yr-old.
Let-be-him-a-repeater-of-what-you-are-doing-when-you-lace-your-shoes (copycat)-:). In-a-way-of-step-by-step-sl0wly-but-surely.
Thats-all-gud-luck!
July 22nd, 2010 at 5:21 am
The bunny ears technique
July 22nd, 2010 at 5:22 am
FIVE years old?!?! Wow, I am quite surprised.
July 22nd, 2010 at 6:20 am
i teach kindergarten and this is how i teach them:
“make an X, loop it through. make a rabbit ear. choke it’s neck. pull it through.”
they laugh and get excited about repeating the saying by trying to tie their shoes over and over again.
July 22nd, 2010 at 6:42 am
velcro
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:23 am
you know what it would be great if you look at like its a game lets tie the shoes like if you tie the shoes you would be mommas hero or you show it to him everyday and you say to him now boy do that again what just i show it to you and told him if he learns fast he would be biggy boy and not little!
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:29 am
This is what you should do: Tell the kid you’ll reward him/her with icecream, candy, a toy, if they do it right. Trust, I would tie my shoe as fast as possible if my parents told me that. Or you should sit them down go over it over and over again and they’ll get it.
July 22nd, 2010 at 8:13 am
go behind him and fit yourself on his body as you were one person. Move his hands in the way you would do it!
July 22nd, 2010 at 8:45 am
If hes not ready to learn just yet – and some kids are not at that age – get the kind of shoes that have the velcro fastening so he can simply press it down. Give him lots of praise for doing up his own shoes even though it is relatively simple for a child to grasp, then move on the laces afterwards. When learning to tie them do a simple, one two, three as you tie them for him and he will soon start to copy.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:06 am
You instruct them on how to tie their shoe allowing them
to follow your instructions, and doing it themselves with
as little assistance as possible.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:32 am
Buy him/her a pair of velcro sneaks.Most kids are impatient about learning so young and would rather do something else.Don’t belive me? Buy them a pair of sneaks with laces,then a pair of velcros.Then put both in front of them and ask which they prefer after they tried’em.By the time they get a little older they will easilly have the patience to learn the laces.Don’t rush them into it,it will only make them want to do it even less.I finally asked the wrong person to tie my shoes at nine years old one day and was humilited and insulted in front of the entire class.It was my 3rd grade teacher.Thats when I learned.