Teaching your child to tie their shoes can be a real challenge.
Both parents and kids can get frustrated from shoe tying. Tying shoelaces needs fine motor skills, and many children have not acquired it.
To help the kids to understand the trick of shoe tying, parents can follow these tips and tricks:
1. Break down the instructions into small steps
Remember that kids can not comprehend the whole process if the parents’ instructions are not clear.
Never say “do it like this”, “do that”, “do the other”. Children cannot understand what is this, that and other things like adults.
Don’t say “make a loop” and then expect your kids to do it right. Children don’t understand how to make a loop from scratch.
Instead, give short, clear small steps with visual help.
Watching a shoe tying tutorial is a good idea. Both parents and children can watch it together to get a better grasp of the shoe-tying trick.
Parents should say “Grab the lace with one hand”, “fold the lace in half”,… these instructions are clear and easy to understand for kids.
Parents should give them a visual example by tying the shoe while giving instructions. The kids can copy the steps easily this way.
Children generally learn through mimicking what parents do. So, the kids will get a faster idea of the process of shoe tying if they see their parents do it.
Also, you must be patient. Shoe tying can be really frustrating since your kids can fail multiple times before getting the hang of it.
Parents should encourage the kids to try it again if they fail. The pace of learning of each child is different.
Never say “Your sister/ brother got it in one shot!”. Keep comparing your kids to others will unnecessarily stress them out.
Clear instructions and patience will do the trick.
2. Make a shoelace practice board
Some kids have a problem holding the shoes while learning how to tie the laces. In that case, you can make a shoelace cardboard to help them.
You can watch the video and follow these simple steps to make shoelace cardboard for your kids. Customize the board with different colors will help increase your children’s interest in learning to tie their shoes.
The shoelace practice board should be placed between upper legs or knees, facing away. That way it would be like real shoes when you bent to tie them.
3. Choose colorful and soft shoelaces
Choosing the right shoelaces is an important hack of shoe tying. The laces should be soft and easy-to-hold.
Soft shoelaces are suitable for small and unpracticed fingers of kids. They are also easier to fold and secure.
Besides, colorful shoelaces are recommended. Light-color or two-tone shoelaces create contrast.
Children will know which lace is which better and parents can give more specific instructions. “Hold the red lace in your right hand” and “Fold the green lace with your left hand” for example.
Another shoe-tying hack is using a marker. Parents can mark the spots of the shoelace where they should be held or folded.
Colorful marks will help children to get the right length of the shoelace while tying.
4. Traditional shoe tying style: the Bunny ears style
There are a lot more of shoe tying styles than you thought. Parents should know more than one method to teach your child, in case one does not suitable for your kids.
Furthermore, learning new knots with your kids will help bonding family together.
The first and most typical shoe tying style is the bunny ears style. These are clear and simple instructions of this style:
Step 1: Preparing the materials
To learn shoe tying, you should get your child ready and a pair of untied shoes.
Step 2: Making parallel shoelaces
You should pull both shoelaces upward and ensure that they are even and parallel, just like a set of train tracks.
Step 3: Making an X
You should cross the tip of the shoelaces to make an X.
Step 4: Tucking the tips of the X
You should tuck the tip (the left or right one is fine) of the X underneath into the opening gap.
Step 5: Pulling the tips
You should pull both of the tips outwards and away from each other. Stop when the X reaches the base of your shoe.
Step 6: Making a Bunny ear
You should fold one lace in half to make a bunny ear with one hand.
Either left or right shoelace is fine, but you should always do one side first (for example, the left first) to avoid confusing your kids.
Step 7: Making the second Bunny ear
You should repeat the same step to the other lace.
Folding the other lace in half to get the second bunny ear with the other hand.
Step 8: Securing the X
You should pull both of the bunny ears outwards and away from each other to secure the X at the base of your shoe again.
Step 9: Creating the X with the Bunny ears
You should cross both bunny ears to create an X.
Step 10: Securing the X
You should hold tightly the X made of bunny ears with one hand.
The left hand or right hand is fine, but you should use one hand at all times to avoid confusing your kid.
Step 11: Tucking one Bunny ear
You should tuck one bunny ear using the other hand.
Tuck it underneath and into the opening gap. When you see the tip of the bunny ear peeking out of the opening gap, it means that you succeed.
Step 12: Pulling the Bunny ears
You should grab the tip of both bunny ears and pull them outwards and away from each other to secure the knot.
The shoe has been tied!
If you are still not sure how to give great instructions for your kids to tie their shoes, you can watch more tutorial videos of the Bunny ears style.
5. Easy shoe tying style: the Cheerio style
In case your kids are struggling with using both hands or have a problem with eye-hand coordination, you can try the Cheerio method of tying shoes.
It can be a bit more time-consuming than the bunny ears style, but it is definitely easier.
Step 1: Preparing the materials.
Again, you need to get a pair of shoes and your kid ready.
Step 2: Crossing the shoelace
You should cross one shoelace on top of another to make an X. Either left or right is fine.
Step 3: Tucking the shoelace.
You should tuck the shoelace that is on top underneath the other shoelace.
Step 4: Tightening the X.
You should pull both of the shoelace tips outwards and away from each other.
Keep pulling until the X reaches the base of your shoe and makes a secure knot.
Step 5: Crossing and tucking again.
You should repeat step 3 and step 4 one more time. Cross the shoelaces and tuck one underneath again.
Step 6: Creating the Cheerio hole.
You should slowly pull both tips of the shoelace outwards and away from each other.
Stop when you see a Cheerio-sized hole is created by the shoelace.
Step 7: Poking the shoelace tips into the hole.
You should poke the tip of the shoelaces, one after another, inside the Cheerio hole.
At this time, the folded shoelaces will look like two bunny ears.
Step 8: Pulling the bunny ears.
You should pull the bunny ears outwards to secure the knot.
The shoe has been tied!
6. The quickest shoe tying style: the Ian Knot
Sometimes, due to people’s being left-handed or right-handed, the shoelaces often get worn out and easy to break at one side or not being symmetrical.
Ian Fieggen, also known as “Professor Shoelace”, has invented a super fast and symmetrical knot, called the Ian Knot.
Even though this knot is only suitable for kids who are good with their hands, it is still the fastest way to tie your shoes.
Step 1: Preparing the materials.
Again, you need to get a pair of shoes and your kid ready.
Step 2: Crossing the shoelace
You should cross one shoelace on top of another to make an X. Either left or right is fine.
Step 3: Tucking the shoelace.
You should tuck the shoelace that is on top underneath the other shoelace.
Step 4: Tightening the X.
You should pull both of the shoelace tips outwards and away from each other.
Keep pulling until the X reaches the base of your shoe and makes a secure knot.
Step 5: Grabbing the shoelace.
You should grab both of the shoelaces with each hand to create a loop.
Notice that there will be loose ends of the loops.
Step 6: Exchanging the loose ends.
You should exchange the loose ends into the other loop by poking them inside the loops.
Step 7: Pulling the loose ends.
You should pull the loose ends until the knot is tightened and secured.
The shoe has been tied!
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