Question about 6 year olds and shoe tying :)?

Question

I asked a similar question earlier, so I'm rewording it. I'm wondering how many kids were tying their shoes by 6. I'm having the worst time trying to teach my daughter to tie her shoes, (not that she isn't capable, she's just refusing to even try) the more frustrated she becomes. Within seconds of me showing her what to do she's whipping her shoes across the room telling me she can't do it. I'm just wondering if there are other 6 year olds that refuse to learn to tie their shoes, lol.

Neil...if at 6 yrs old my biggest problem with my child is not getting her shoes tied, I'd say I've done a pretty bang-up job of parenting..but thanks. :)

DJ - Firstly, there's nothing wrong with coming online and looking for other parents who have had similar experiences and learning from them. However, if it helps you sleep better at night insulting parental skills of people that you dont know - more power to ya. :)

Answer 1

It's all about Velcro.

.

Answer 2

She's only six!

Honestly, in the UK you'd have a hard job even finding shoes with laces for a child that young, because even those who can tie them properly have problems doing them tight enough. Both my kids (11 and 8) can tie laces, but they both still have Velcro shoes (as do I) because they're so much simpler and quicker to take on and off. My son learnt in the last year, and I'd guess my daughter was 7-8 as well, I really don't remember. Simply not an issue.

Answer 3

When I was little my great aunts made me a doll. It had buttons to button, snaps to snap and ribbons to lace up and tie. I was tying my own shoes by the age of 6. Now that I've grown up, I've seen toys on the market that do the same thing. My kids are grown so I haven't shopped for toys in a long time, but I'll bet there are things out there.
Little kids learn better if the lesson comes in the form of a game rather than a "lesson". They never pushed the shoe tying issue, they just let me learn on my own.

Answer 4

Hello,
I think children learn to do things in there own time
no two kids are the same maybe if you just back off a little it
will come to her try using slip on's for the moment it dosen't
matter at what age you learn and yes I couldn't do my laces
either till I was about nine and I am now 54 so give her a break hope this helps

Answer 5

I have a daughter who is the exact same way- she gives up so easily and its always with an attitude (throwing the shoes). She is now 7 1/2 amd can partially tie but its the easy way- guess its better then nothing.I suggest you finding a friend to show her or look up different ways to tie shoes( internet) and see what results you get. I knwo the frustration and I think they know how to work us best. Regardless of the way she ties her shoes I make her do it, the teacher will not always be there to help her and niether will I.

Answer 6

I know what you are going through. Sounds like she wants to do this on HER OWN but of course, tying a shoe for the first time does not come easy! Just went through this last year with my younger daughter. I wore sneakers continuously and somehow, imagine this, the laces were always coming undone when my daughter wasn't looking. I made a point to tie them when she was looking, or I'd say "We need to stop so I can tie my shoes". Of course, she'd watch, but since I wasn't "teaching" her, she didn't feel like a little kid. One day, I got "confused" tying my shoe and I asked her if she could show me what step comes next. She tied my shoe for me.

Hope this or one of the other answers you gets helps, but if all else fails... they do sell really cute shoes with stretchy bands instead of velcro now! : ) Good luck!

Answer 7

Don't worry about it, my son is 7 years old and he can't tie his shoes either. Some kids just take longer than others to learn. Don't worry about what some of these people said, on this website you will find ignorant people, keep up the good work!

Answer 8

I worked as a Kindergarten teacher's aide, and we would start teaching the kids how to tie their own shoes when school began, with a goal of them being able to do it totally alone (no one expected perfect) by Christmas. Then, when we had our Christmas party on the last day of school, the kids who could do it got a special treat, and the kids who couldn't were challenged to learn how over the holiday break. We had about 70% at the Christmas party, and about 95% after the holiday break. We continued to work with the 5% who 'just couldn't do it' using manipulatives that would help with their small motor skills. By the time they were finished with Kindergarten, they had it down pat!

Don't give up - she'll get it! I wish you well!!!

Answer 9

I have a learning disabilities and a slow learner. But I did learn how to tie my shoes at the age. She might doesn't want to tie her own shoe. But encourage her. Give her some kind of reward if she keep practice tying her shoes.. Good luck..

Answer 10

Neil is right.

At your home, a six-year-old is the BOSS and you are online writing pleas to find out if you are 'normal'.

A parent isn't someone who encourages or bribes or cajoles a small child into learning a necessary task.

A parent simply demands that it be done. You can be positive and encouraging and patient in your demands, but make it clear there is no other option. Mommy is the Master, not Baby.

You also should not accept the word "can't" from anthing your child does. Giving up should be the worst sin in your household. It breeds incompetent, ineffectual people who are miserable failures at life and perpetually unhappy.

Answer 11

I learned when I was 4. I guess I just found the challenge fun. Get her to watch the Spongebob Squarepants episode on tying shoes and see if that helps her interest in the subject.