At what age should a child be able to tie there own shoes?

Question

I babysit an 8 year old who doesn't know how to tie there shoes. I have tought them and even encouraged them to practice. The mom says they know how but when it comes down to it they sit there for a long time, of course not tieing them. This was an issue with the child two months ago now he wears velcro? Is it the parent or the kid with the problem?

Answer 1

The parent is probably the problem, my 5 year old learned how to tie her shoes in preschool. She has to tie her own shoes even when she doesnt want to. A great way to teach them is on a piece of cardboard with an old lace. As with most learning objectives, you have to reward and praise a child over and over until they do things on their own. Tieing shoes is a hard task. Heathy treats are great motivators. After they get the hang of doing it right cut back on the treats but never the good jobs or high fives. Good Luck, and even if your not the parent, the rewards of seeing a child do what YOU teach them is breath taking.

Answer 2

Hi. I found this question while searching the web for motor skills my soon to be 6 year old SHOULD know. I say should because he has Asperger's and Sensory Dysfunction with fine and gross motor skill delays. My son receives Occupational Therapy and he is learning to tie both at home and in therapy. Some children have extreme difficulty with the fine motor coordination of shoe tieing while others seem to get it on the 3rd try. I learned how to tie my shoes at 4 and could also ride a 2 wheel bike at 5. My son still can not ride a bike. I suggest you look up bi-lateral coordination problems as to why this occurs.

You shouldn't be so quick to blame the parents for lack of interest or time for their children. That being said there are lots of parents who leave these necessary life skills to others, i.e. school, siblings, babysitters, etc.

My mother always said my son wouldn't go to college with a pacifier. He "gave" it away right before he turned three. Maybe too late? Who knows. Who should judge?

But what made me even respond to this topic was the fact you can't even spell the simple word "their". That is a word you SHOULD have learned in the 1st grade. Maybe you are delayed in some areas as well? Again, who makes the call?

All children are different. If this bothers you so much maybe you should try and mentor the child in some way and teach them this vital skill (how to tie shoes). Maybe the child will be able to remember this 15 years from now and thank you for caring and taking the time.

Answer 3

I think that at age of 7 child should be able to tie his shoes. I don't think it's bad that a child at the age of 5 can't tie his shoes yet!

Answer 4

Most kids learn at 5-6 years old. My son learned at 7. My nephew is 9 and still doesn't know how. That is because his mom never worked with him on it.

All these velcro and zipper shoes have made kids lazy. Every time I see the commercial for Sketchers "Z-Strap" shoes I want to shoot the TV!

Answer 5

At the school I went to you had to know how to tie your shoes by the time you started school. I learned at the age of 4 according to my mom.

Answer 6

I suggest a class in childhood development. Some kids can do it as early as three, while there are five-year-olds who have trouble managing it - and they're all developing normally. Especially in the area of fine motor skills, children exhibit a wide variation in the rate at which they develop and learn. The key for those wishing to teach a child such skills is patience. Never berate them for their lack of success. Simply show them, as often as necessary, how to do it and then help them until they finally get the hang of it. I raised six children of my own - each learned at his or her own rate. And that's why I got grey hair, lol...

Answer 7

I think it varies with each child. My oldest learned when he was 5, before he started kindergarten but my youngest who is now 6 still cant tie her shoes. She knows how to do it but cant quite get it done yet.

Answer 8

I remember learning to tie my shoes in nursery school. I remember the teachers saying that they wouldn't do it for me, but they would help me. The kids that knew how to tie their shoes made fun of the kids that didn't. My brother is 7 years younger than me, I remember teaching him to tie his shoes before he went to school so that people didn't make fun of him.

Answer 9

They should be able to tie their own shoe at about 5 or six years old.

Answer 10

Well it all depends on the kid i didnt learn until i was 8 and im 19 now ,you see this is how it is if the kids a fast learner then it will take him less time.