learning
although many of today's kids' shoes feature velcro instead of laces, tying laces is still a rite of passage for young kids. Here's how to help them master it...
Matters of the sole
most parents, teaching a child to tie his shoes is simply tough. He probably won't get it on the first go....or even on the twentieth ..but it will eventually click with him, so just hang in there. It will happen... While some children can manage to tie
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their shoes as early as three years of age, others may take much longer. It's all down to their fine motor-skill development and hand-eye coordination, so don't panic if your child isn't lacing up like a real pro before he reaches his fourth birthday! Most kids will learn lace tying in playschool and will have it mastered by the end of their first year at primary school. (You can actually help your child to
develop his fine motor skills even before starting into the lace tying. When he's a toddler, for example, begin working on activities that require your child to use the small muscles in his hands, so that, when the
48MODERNMUM Autumn 2016
he first thing you need to know about teaching your child to tie her laces is that you need patience - and lots of it! For
time comes for him to learn to tie his laces, he’ll have developed the little muscles in his hands.) As with any activity, it's a question of
practice makes perfect. Rather than squatting over your child's shoe, find a comfortable seat for both of you and place an adult-size shoe (this makes it easier for a young child to handle) on a flat surface. Better still, make an easy 'practice shoe' by nailing an old trainer to a piece of wood. Demonstrate to your child how to tie a
lace once or twice, describing what you're doing as you're going along. Use child- friendly terms as much as possible to describe what you're doing. You could say, for example, 'make two bunny ears. Te bunny runs around the tree. Ten the bunny jumps into a hole. Close it up tightly!' Aſter you've repeated this a few times,
break the procedure down into manageable 'bite-size' pieces, allowing your child to practise each stage until he's comfortable with it.
Make learning to tie laces a fun time! Put
on some fun music - albeit quietly so that your child can clearly hear you - and give lots of praise as you go. Once your child has mastered the first step (ie, crossing and pulling the shoelaces), for example, praise him for all of his hard work. Only work on shoe-tying for around
fiſteen minutes at a time. Children don't have a long attention span at this age and they'll quickly lose interest - particularly if they're can't get the hang of it. Fiſteen- minute spells will make the whole experience less frustrating for your child - and for you! If your child is unable to manage tying his
laces and is becoming frustrated, leave the shoe to the side and do something else instead. Learning to tie laces is a necessity in life, so he will have to learn to do this, but it's not a 'must do' at such an early age. Wait until another day when he has to put shoes with laces on and is not frustrated. Ten, simply start the whole procedure afresh! „
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