Kindergardners and Tying Shoes

Updated on January 09, 2010
C.S. asks from Clinton Township, MI
6 answers

My son turned 5 in late August and is currently attending Kindergarten. Until recently, the shoes he has had have been slip-on or velcro closures. We just bought him his first pair of tie-shoes with the intention of teaching him how to tie. He is the youngest of three boys and I know from experience that this is sometimes a long process. This morning he told me that he doesn't want to wear his new shoes because his Kindergarten teacher refuses to tie shoes. She told him she is "no longer tying shoes" (he came out of school yesterday with both shoes completely untied). To me, this doesn't sound reasonable. Many Kindergarteners I know do not know how to tie their shoes and when kids do learn it, it takes quite a while for them to get them tight enough to stay tied all day. I realize that if every student in the classroom wore tie-shoes it would cut into teaching time having to retie all the shoes all day long. However, I am sure that many children do not wear tie shoes every day (mine don't). I have tried double-knotting his shoes as tight as possible but they still come undone at some point. Is it too much to ask for a Kindergarten teacher to occasionally help tie a 5-year-old's shoe? I know this is petty but thanks for listening to my rant...

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K.S.

answers from Detroit on

my friend is a kindergarten teacher and she really doesn't have time to do shoes. The no child left behind act put and enormous amount of increased work on the teachers.
Also if one kid gets their shoes tied then the others will say oh Miss so and so will tie them, then all the kids will want her to tie them, then she is in a jam when she tells her boss the principle she was tying 6 kids shoes ....and the lessons got backed up .... Sorry try elastic shoe laces and your son will have lots of practice and do fine in a few months. Good Luck

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A.C.

answers from Detroit on

Look on the internet for those curly laces that don't come undone. I think I remember hearing once that putting wax on the strings helps them stay tied. You might just try buying a different pair of laces. My husband once had a pair of laces that were always coming undone, so he replaced them. Double knots really should stay put on a good pair of laces. You could also try wrapping heavy duty tape around the tied laces as a last resort.

D.B.

answers from Detroit on

Great, I've just found one more thing to be obsessed with teaching my four yr old before kindergarten next fall LOL. I get the idea behind the teacher NOT doing it, but isn't it a safety issue if their shoes aren't able to stay on their feet (trip and fall hazard). Good luck C.. I'm getting started on this tomorrow.

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A.H.

answers from Detroit on

That is also what my son's teacher is saying and I do respect it. I get they are teaching them independence and trust me... our kids are doing more for them then they will for us in many cases! I have been very surprised on occasion by what my son can do that I did know he was able, as I always just did it~

Right now, we haven't really sat down with this so I just double knot the laces. I have my son watch and we repeat SpongeBob's Shoe-tying song as he likes that one and recalls it easily enough. You will have to do what works for you.

(My son was also born late Aug, but he was early... So I still am not sure if this has any impact on him with anything.)

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P.M.

answers from Detroit on

This is a pretty normal response from the teacher. I've been told, there are two reasons for it. 1 - If the teacher starts tying shoes, she will end up spending a significant amount of her day on this task (they don't come undone only once per child per day). I can attest to this, because I have been a girl scout leader for girls as young as kindergarten. It also becomes an attention game....if you do it for one, it is perceived as individual attention, and soon even children who can tie their shoes want you to do it for them. 2 - If the teacher is not tying shoes, it gives the children incentive to learn from each other (some do know how to tie) and teaches them to work together. A great step toward independence.

Try spending just 5-10 minutes per day sitting with your son to practice tying. (Not too long, so that either of you gets frustrated) You'll be amazed at how quickly he becomes the one who is helping other tie their shoes.

S.S.

answers from Detroit on

there are curly laces that you can get that don't have to be tied but keeps the shoes on. Kids and seniors use them.

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