Life skill – tying shoes
by Cheryl, posted on December 20th, 2011 in Parenting
My kid is eight.
And yesterday, I bought him his first pair of sneakers with laces. Because it occurred to me, in the Velcro Age, that we’re raising an entire generation with no idea how to tie shoes.
So Monday, Sawyer and I had a little sit-down.
I realized I’d never taught anyone before. Sage’s friend showed her last year in pre-k, but I’m not convinced she really knows how to do it – since they always seem to be untied.
I’d heard something about bunny ears. But I have no idea what that’s about. I mean, there’s only one loop (I found out later that day, while chatting with a dad at a birthday party, that his wife still makes two bunny ears out of the laces when she ties her shoes – which I’ve never done. Anyway, he compared it to still calling the restroom the “potty.” Eventually, you outgrow the bunny ears. And the potty. Yes, I giggled.)
The first thing I figured out is you can’t teach it facing your child. You have to be next to him. Duh.
I showed him five or 10 or possibly eleventy-billion times. Then I had him try it, while I held his fingers.
Let’s just say there was a lot of, “I CAN’T DO IT” while his eyes drifted instead to the TV.
Once Tom and Jerry was paused, I came up with a bunny hybrid.
“You make the bunny ear, then you wrap the snake around its neck and pull it through,” I explained, demonstrating how you could strangle that damn bunny ear with the snake/lace.
It’s all in the delivery, people. I was speaking his language. Torture. Death. Reptiles.
He practiced and practiced and then..
“I did it, Mom!” he yelled, his smile lighting his face. And then he ran off to show David.
There really is nothing like seeing the joy of your child when he or she accomplishes something, is there?
Later, we sat in the car, waiting for Sage to finish soccer camp. We watched her on the far field as she dribbled and practiced new skills she’d learned. I told Sawyer that she was learning a lot, and that he could have gone to camp and learned them too.
“Well, I learned a LIFE skill today, Mom, and that’s more important.”
When did he get so smart?
Tags: kids, learning to tie shoes
Juli Says:
Janine Benedict Says:
Andrea Says:
Cheryl Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 2:36 am
Yes. She might like the hugging better.
[Reply]