It often seems easier to tie your child's shoes yourself. When you are pressed for time, you may even resort to outfitting your child in velcro-tabbed shoes so she can dress herself. But shoe tying is an important skill for a child to gain, and will give her a real sense of accomplishment. The most common shoe tying techniques are the standard knot and the two-loop knot, but there are numerous other methods, according to the website Ian's Shoelace Site.
Step 1
Cut a large shoe shape from a piece of cardboard. Your child will enjoy decorating the cardboard shoe with paint or markers. Punch holes for laces in the same pattern as a real shoe. Lace the cardboard shoe with extra-wide laces that are easy for little hands to grasp, and use this as a method of practice.
Step 2
Purchase some instructional materials about shoe tying. A wide variety of products can be found both online and in toy, book and educational game stores, and can help make learning to tie shoes a fun activity.
Step 3
Use a shoelace which is half one color, half another color when your child is ready to attempt tying his own shoes. Instead of saying "put the lace in your right hand on top of the lace in your left hand," you can say, "put the green lace on top of the red lace." This will make teaching easier for you and the lesson easier for your child, according to parenting coach Dr. Robyn Silverman.
Step 4
Sit side by side with your child, or hold her in your lap. This will make it easier for her to copy your movements. If your child is left-handed and you are right-handed, you might wish to sit across from her so she can mirror your movements. Or, ask a friend or family member who is left-handed to help your child learn how to tie shoes in a way that is natural to her.
Step 5
Break down the steps of shoe tying, teaching your child one step at a time. Have her repeat each step several times before moving on to the next.
Step 6
Use vocabulary that is easily understood and remembered by a child. You might even want to make up a story for the motions. For example, many parents refer to the loops in the shoelaces as "bunny ears." Pulling the lace through a loop might be called "around the tree" or "through the tunnel."
Things You'll Need
- Cardboard shoe cutout
- Extra-wide shoelaces
- Instructional materials about tying shoes
- Two-colored shoelaces
- Children's shoe
