At some point, even the little ones no longer like only Velcro shoes. So that mom or dad don’t always have to play shoe slave, it’s great if the little ones can tie their own shoes as early as possible.
Table of contents
Tying Shoes: What Is Needed?
Tying Shoes: This Is How It’s Done
1. The first step and one of the best tricks to make it interesting and less confusing is to use two different colored ribbons. This way, the little ones won’t get tangled up so quickly and will be able to keep track of things better.
2. You should also buy extra long shoelaces for practice. You can then tie them twice in case of doubt so that the little ones don’t stumble, but the longer laces make tying much easier.
3. Many children love rhymes. Rhyming is one of the best ways to help children learn. If you are trying shoes, why not try the simple tying version, to begin with, making two loops, then placing them on top of each other and knotting them once. It’s easier. And it goes with the following rhyme that you say with your child while tying: “Rabbit ear, rabbit ear, once around and then through the gate.” So make a loop at each “bunny ear,” then lay one on top of the other at once around, and tuck it through and knot it at “through the gate.”
4. If you want to tie the shoes classically, it needs a little more patience. But there are more rhymes: “Cross your arms and slip out the bottom, now pull tight and put another ear! The ring around it and out the window, pull the ears nice and long and go home!”.
5. You can also modify the above rhyme if you like, for example, to “Make a big bunny ear, dance around (as you loop the ribbon) and hop inside the gate with it.” There’s no limit to your imagination, maybe your child will help you!
6. And little car fans might like this rhyme: “Go right and left and underneath! Then a traffic circle and the car hum-um around! Through the tunnel, home, fidibum!”.
7. You will see that tying shoes is easier with rhymes and the little ones are proud to have learned two new things at once.
As a reward, the parents should or could go shopping with the child for shoes, which he can choose himself – and of course, if he likes, some with Velcro, right?
