Need Help with Tieing Shoes

loop swoop and pull Ive been having the same problem my daughter has the loop down she gets mixed up with the swoop and pull so Im going to try the color trick one loop and swoop with another color may work good luck to us both.

1- Bunny Ears
Probably the most common method for teaching kids to tie their own shoes is the "Bunny Ears" method.
Tell the child that he needs to make his shoe laces into "bunny ears."
a) First, he needs to secure a knot for the bunny's head. Take the laces and cross them over to make an "X". Then, pull one ear through the bottom of the "X" and pull tight.
b) Say, "Now we need to give bunny some ears." Loop the laces into "bunny ears".
c) Tell the child that now we need to "make the bunny ears tight so they don't fall off". Then make another "X" using the "bunny ears", slide one "ear" under the "X" and pull tightly.

2- The Squirrel and the Tree
This is a fun method that utilizes a kid friendly story and movements that help kids understand and remember the basic steps to shoe tying.
a) Tell the child to create "tree roots" by making a starter knot.
b) Make a tree with a long thin loop; hold the loop in the child's right hand.
c) With his left hand, take hold of the lace and tell him that a squirrel runs around the tree and jumps into the hole under the tree and comes out the other side (he'll need to switch hands at this point which can be difficult for some kids).
Many parents prefer this trick because it teaches the kid to tie shoes with the single loop method.

3- Loop It and Swoop It
You can teach your child to tie his shoes using the standard tying method, but as you go through the motions say, "loop it, swoop it, pull." Do this over and over while repeating the same three, simple instructions until your child is able to tie his shoes on his own. Encourage him to say "loop it, swoop it, pull" each time he attempts tying his shoes until it becomes second nature.
hope this help!LOL
josie

Hi M., if the songs don't work maybe go to you local wal-mart,k-mart fred meyers or a store like that, and over in the puzzle isles they have shoes that have the strings to help teach as well. can one of your older son's help to teach? kids usually can learn quicker by their siblings. good luck to you.

I have three boys and the second two were the easiest to teach because of a trick I learned from school with the first. He went to a Montessori school through Kindergarten and the way they taught kids to tie was with a big board that had laces put through it. However, the "trick" was that the laces were two different colors! The teacher explained to us that one of the most difficult things for a child when they are learning to tie shoes is that the laces all look the same and it just looks like a jumbled mess to them.

When it came time to teach my younger two, I took an old, white shoelace and colored half of it with a darker colored marker. Then I laced up one of their shoes with it (you could do both, if you wanted to leave the laces in and have the child just wear them like that for awhile). Having two opposing colors to look at really helped them keep track of what lace went where when they were learning.

I would also echo the advice of having an older sibling help explain it. It's amazing to me how my 8 year old can teach my 5 year old something I have no luck with. It must be some kind of secret kid language!

I had a heck of a time learnig to tie shoes when I was growing up and never relly learned how untill after the fourth grade heres a little song I know that could maybe help you out.

"Over under around the tree, swing past the knot hole pull and see."

Hi M.,
Wow! 5 boys!! It's a wonder you can tie your own shoes! When my son had the same trouble I made a box for him to practice on. I used a small shoe box with the lid on. Cut 6 holes and used extra long shoestrings. I laced it up and he practiced on that box for one day and got it! I think it's easier when it's bigger and not the pressure of having to really tie his own shoes. More like a game. Good luck!
V.

http://www.unitedspongebob.com/playvid/tieyourshoesmall.avi
I was just watching "Spongebob Squarepants" with my kids the other day when I saw this. It is from an episode called "Your shoe's untied" where Spongebob forgets how to tie his shoes and it gets him in big trouble. This is a cute little song at the end of the show that tells how to tie shoes. The lyrics are probably on this site too. It requires Windows Media player. The song is "Loop de Loop". I hope this helps!

This sounds strange, but have one of your other kids... like your 5 or 8 year old teach them. Both of my boys, now 7, learned from their two older sisters... we tried and tried to teach them for a year and they couldn't get it until suddenly one day our daughter sat down with one of them and they had it down in 5 min. It's something about the view of another child... they can explain it better.

two different colors, and really, really big loops are helpful for little hands.

I don't remember the songs either, BUT I did watch a movie called "Big Daddy" with Adam Sandler. In the movie he teaches this little boy to tie his shoes with a song. If you have time to go to Comcast on demand you may find it. Sorry I could not be more help. Have a great Sunday!

I also need help with finding this song! If anyone remembers please let me know :)