How to Tie Shoelaces
By: Shivani Malhotra
Introduction The author, Shivani Malhotra, who has been studying child psychology for several years decided to write this “manual” to help your kids. If you have a four-year-old asking for help with their shoelaces, then this is the manual for you. Children often feel embarrassed asking for help in school so this guide not only helps your child learn a simple task but also to become independent. This guide comes with a 100% guarantee or full refund within 30 days of purchase. Ages: 3 to 6 Statutory Warning: This guide might just cure your child. Safety Guidelines: 1. Think safety! Haste causes many accidents. Tell your children to work deliberately and carefully so that they don’t have to tie their shoelaces every half hour. 2. Children must be supervised. 3. Know the hazards of any materials involved. The tips of shoelaces (called aglets) are sometimes pointy and might hurt your little ones skin. 4. Keep your work area clean. 5. Failure to conform to any of the above rules may result in your child not being able to become independent.
Shoelace Tips for Teaching Children: 1. Replace thin laces with something that is easier to grip. Soft, wide laces would be perfect. Thick laces would be ideal, too, because it will help keep the Starting Knot tight while working on the finishing bow. 2. Replace the synthetic laces with the cotton one’s that are also easier to grip. 3. Sit comfortably and practice instead of having to bend down to reach your shoes. 4. To make it easier for the child to get the process, use two different colored shoelaces for practice. How to Tie Shoelaces: The following method has been illustrated with the use of diagrams. Step 1:
Hold one end of the lace in each hand. Step 2:
Cross the left (blue) lace over the right (yellow) lace to end up on the right side.
Step 3:
The next step is to wrap the right (blue) lace around the left (yellow) lace and feed the end through the gap between the laces. Step 4:
Start to pull the right (blue) lace out the right side. Step 5:
Having formed a knot, continue pulling on both ends. This gives you the starting knot.
Step 6:
Hold the right lace (blue) between the right thumb and the forefinger and the left lace (yellow) around the left thumb and the forefinger. Step 8:
The result is two loops, one where the loose end is in the front, and the other where the loose end is at the back. At this time, the left hand is just rotating forward to get the loop to the right. Step 9:
The two loops now cross over each other. At this time, the left thumb should be used to push the loose end to the right and the right middle finger to push its loose end between the left thumb and the forefinger to end up inside the loop. Step 10:
Use the left thumb and the forefinger to grab the right loose end and the right thumb and the middle finger to grab the left loose end. This step might be tricky. Step 11:
Release both loops and grab the ends of the opposite hand. Be careful and not pull both ends till the very end because then the knot will be lost. Step 12:
The last and final step is completed by pulling the two loops tight.
Conclusion: We strongly believe that this manual will help your child gain self confidence. And of course with each time they practice, they will get better at it. So start now, and see the difference for yourself. Please feel free to send us any recommendations to better our product by calling us at our toll free number 1-800-tying shoelaces.