How Old Before Tying Shoes Independently?

if memory serves, it was first or second grade.
i don't know why it was a big deal to me that they learn. but it was. somehow it got lodged in my young-mother brain that my kids would be lazy and incompetent if they didn't learn to tie their shoes.
like most they used velcro when they were little. and i'm happy to say that when they decided to learn it, they did it fairly quickly. but they were older than i wanted 'em to be.
seems so silly in retrospect.
khairete
S.

Kindergarten, so age 5 or 6, same age as when I was a kid.

Go on Pinterest and search for "easiest way to tie shoes". I found a video there that my son watched twice the night before 1st grade started. He learned that night. It is still a little tricky for him sometimes and he's a little slow, but I think that's because with wearing snow boots every day for the last several months he has just gotten out of practice. Make sure the shoelaces are kind of long. That makes it easier for my son.

Mine learned in first grade, but he's a determined kid. We practiced for a few days and he got the hang of it - mostly because he wanted to.

My daughter...no interest. She may be 18 before she figures it out. She's the kid that if she can get anyone to do something for her, she will. So.....
I think it depends on the kid.

Some kids just get it earlier and some get it later. Personally, I don't think it's worth having a kid stress over that, and if you look up "elastic shoe ties for kids" in a search engine, you'll see dozens of choices for cool, sporty, funny, basic shoe ties. You put them in once, and then some have a little tab, some just spring into place, but you never have to tie them. Places like PayLess and kids' shoe stores and Walmart sell them too. Just one less thing to fuss or stress over, in my opinion. Most kids will figure it out eventually, and if they're a little less gifted in the shoe tying area, it's no big deal. I guess it's only worth really trying to master shoe tying if the child has significant problems with fine motor coordination, and his or her physical or occupational therapist wants the child to practice this as part of an overall therapy program. Otherwise, go velcro or elastic!

I didn't buy my kids tie-shoes until they really wanted them - thus, they didn't learn to tie shoes until later. I think my older was in 4th grade before he was willing to give up the convenience of elastic laces or velcro for the 'cool factor' of tie shoes. So, he learned in 4th grade. My K child has no desire to get shoes that tie, and so we haven't even tried.

So, I wouldn't worry about a 1st grader not getting it. I'd just let him get elastic laces or velcro shoes for another year.

As a substitute teacher of elementary kids...THANK YOU for working on this skill!! I literally tie shoes all day long...and more than tying it is when their shoe pops off or they pull them off to get rocks out or some such thing then can't get their parent's double knot untied end up making it worse and I end up trying to teach while unknoting laces.

And yes, I was one of those parents who just thought if I tied and double knotted they would be fine all day and not bother the teacher. Oh were my eyes opened....again thank you!! (after my first week I went out and bought both my kids velcro shoes and told them no laces until they could tie them alone!!)

Every kid is different. My son did not learn till he was 10 and in 5th grade!!! My daughter learned when she was 6 (this year in Kindergarten). My son was very embarrassed that it took so long. For my son I finally taught him by going on Youtube and we watched some tutorials for different methods to tying shoes. He finally learned using a different method than I was taught.

Around that age or grade 2. Mine wore velcro. I tried making my oldest learn and it was like, as you say, loose and they'd come untied. With the next, I waited longer and it was much quicker.

I kind of had that approach with everything after my first. Wait just a bit longer and it's easier for them, and on me too. From potty training to tying shoes.

We are never the first. But we're not the last either - somewhere in between.

My kids were all different too. Some still tie sloppy bows and they come untied and they're in middle school ..

I teach elementary school. Most kindergartners can't tie shoes--maybe 1 or 2 in each class. First grade is a few more...maybe 5 or 6. So, don't think your kid is in the minority. My oldest learned in 3rd (he was 8). He needed new sneakers and I bought his ones with ties. I showed him 2x and he was a pro--definitely an advantage to waiting a little longer.

I taught my kids this method
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm5ItoIJ4sg
and they do very well with it. Someday we will do something more standard, like the bunny ears, but this one is easy to learn and it looks nice. We add a double knot at the end to keep them tied longer.

i was having the same problem last year, and they were very sloppy and unsightly when she managed. i finally asked her sister, who is two years older, if she knew why jewel was having such a problem with her laces. vi said because she doesnt want to do it and she knows that if she messes it up you will do it for her. that one really opened my eyes...my six year old was playing me, and not just about her shoes, but all sorts of things. i could always see it when other kids did this to me, or their own parents, but i was having a hard time seeing this problem from my own. dont get me wrong, it is more then alright to take over if your in a hurry...they do take a long time. on weekends though jewel would tie one shoe while i or violet did the other until jewel got to the point that she wanted to tie both by herself, and it didnt take as long as you might think.

During the Christmas break all kindergartner's had an assignment to come back to school and know how to tie their shoes.

It sounds like he may have some finger coordination problems. Try to give him some clay to mold and perhaps have him pick up some jacks with his index finger and thumbs.

He will get it soon enough.

I had kids in my child care center that couldn't tie their shoes in 3rd grade. Most can do it by 1st grade or during that year but some kids? They don't have the dexterity yet.