Learning to tie your shoes is a lifelong skill commonly learned around kindergarten or first grade. Teach your child to tie his shoelaces to prevent him from feeling frustration or embarrassment. Your child will need to practice the skill over several weeks to perfect his tying abilities. Lots of praise and even a sweet reward can help keep your child focused and determined to conquer the task of tying his shoes.
Step 1
Practice on a shoe your child is not wearing, suggests OCHomeSchooling.com. Place the shoe in front of the child, with the toe pointing forward. Dangle the left and right lace on each side. Other teaching aids, such as cardboard pieces with laces attached, are also helpful. Practice with large oversize laces that are easy for small hands and fingers to grip.
Step 2
Demonstrate how to tie a basic starter knot, also known as a half hitch. Cross the left lace over the right lace; tuck the left lace under and through the gap in the two laces. Teach your child to always pull the laces tight to form a firm knot. Repeat this basic starter knot until your child can effortlessly perform this step.
Step 3
Create a loop or rabbit ear with the right lace. Ensure your child can grasp the loop firmly with one hand. Show her how to wrap the alternate lace around the loop. Make sure your child understands the wrap always must end at the front, where the loop began.
Step 4
Show him how to push the loop through the gap to form a second loop or rabbit ear. Pull both laces, or ears, tight.
Step 5
Perform each step for your child before requiring him to practice on his own. Slowly demonstrate each step, and repeat it more than once. Ensure your child has successfully tied the standard knot before attempting to tie laces on shoes he is wearing.
Step 6
Reward your child to show you are proud of her achievements. Give her small pieces of candy, stickers or prizes, whether she is successful or not. Frustration can build up when your child is learning to tie her shoes, so always use positive words throughout the process.
Tips and Warnings
- Know when your child is ready---children between the ages of 4 and 6 years old have developed the fine motor skills to learn to tie their shoes. Do not push a child who is not ready to learn the task. Instead, wait a few weeks, and then try again. Consider telling a story when instructing your child how to tie a shoe. Use a story involving bunny ears, associated with the shoelace loops, or other animal characters. According to Fieggen.com, more than 17 different ways to tie your shoes exist. The most common method is the standard shoelace knot described in this article.
Things You'll Need
- Shoe
- Piece of cardboard with laces attached
- Small reward
