to be astonished that secondary kids can't do up a tie

[SEmyarse]

Dd1 started secondary today. She has a muscle condition which means that her fingers (amongst other things) are very weak, and she also has very poor co-ordination.

She manages her condition so well in almost every way, and really hates attention being brought to it, so has been practicing doing a tie all summer. She would be mortified to have to ask a teacher to help at this age.

So imagine her surprise when having had PE today, at least 10 kids couldn't get their ties back on, and had to form a queue to get the teacher to help.

Now I get that they've not worn them before, and no-one learns anything instantly but a) why have the parents not taught them? b) why are the kids not concerned themselves that they'll be seen as babies? Someone must have put them on this morning, so they must have been aware they couldn't do them. This doesn't seem like the sort of stuff secondary teachers should have to do.

[Chottie]

Yes, I am amazed I have two DC and both wore school ties from the age of 5 and I taught them how to tie ties and shoelaces before they started school.

[ShadowSummer]

I can't tie a tie and I'm a good bit older than that......

[lborolass]

I totally agree that the teachers shouldn't be doing this and I'm very surprised that 2ndary teachers would actually do it but it doesn't surprise me in the least that the children couldn't do it.

They may have parents who've never worn a tie, don't know how to do it and just didn't give it a thought. It's a skill I'm sure they'll learn eventually.

[KirjavaTheCat]

I have to tie my OH's

[SEmyarse]

But presumably you don't need to. If you started a job that required you to put a tie on I reckon you'd sort it, and not line up for your supervisor to do it.

[Lj8893]

I learnt to tie a tie this summer and I'm 25. I learnt because my dp also had to learn because he was wearing a tie for the first time ever for a wedding.

I've never had to wear a tie and doubt I ever will.

[EvilTwins]

We have clip on ties at our school. It's got rid of a whole host if issues.

[ShadowSummer]

Yes, I guess if I actually had to wear a tie I'd figure it out sooner or later.

Or I'd get a clip on tie and hope no-one minded / noticed.

[HeySoulSister]

You sound like you're trying to sound smug op!

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

I can't tie a tie; I have never worn one.

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

I reckon I didn't untie my school tie properly from the first to the fifth year - just loosened it and put it over my head every day!

[jamaisjedors]

DH can't tie his - and I would have no clue how to go about it.

I guess we could watch a Youtube video - there must be some out there.

[BlackeyedSusan]

i used to be the fastest tie tie-er in the west. 15 or so ties stood between me and my coffee break.

[KatyPutTheCuttleOn]

I've never worn a tie, we watched a youtube video which showed us and they eventually picked it up from there!

[LadyBigtoes]

School ties are completely nuts. Any tie is a but random, but can you imagine the health and safety uproar if they didn't exist and so done invented them.

"as of the new school year all pupils must wear a 3-foot long cord tied in a knot around their neck.

No earrings or piercings as they're not safe."

[MrsRogerSterling]

My 6 year old dd can tie her own school tie. Yanbu.

[deste]

My DS could tie a tie before he was five because he had to, he could also tie his laces. We practiced before he went to school.

[coldwater1]

I never knew how to tie a tie until i bought my daughters high school uniform this summer. We got the lady in the shop to show us and my daughter carried on practising over the last few weeks. She knows how to do it now :)

[murasaki]

My good friend and IT manager at work can't do a tie. As he's Israeli, and they didn't wear them at school.

So, he has an interview to do a law degree at our gaff (university, we'd pay the fees) and comes to me for assistance. Sadly, although I can tie a tie, I can only do it on myself, or that way round, if you see what I mean, never tied one facing someone else.

So, I get behind him, and start tying it round his neck with him standing straight infront of me, stooping slightly, as I am shorter.

So far so good, and then the head of department barges into my office, blanches, says 'oh..... I'll come back later' and backs out. While we collapse into hysterics.

I guess it probably did look a bit wrong with me on tippy toes holding him closely attempting to strangle him with john lewis's finest.

[Hassled]

I doubt my High School age children could tie a tie. They've never needed to. That said, I'd teach them if they were going to a tie-wearing school.

[GW297]

I could never master the skill of tying a tie!

[MelodyBaker]

DD can tie a tie. I can't I can't do shoelaces at 40 either but I do have issues with motor skills.

[Bluebell99]

I apparently bought the wrong type of blouse, and the blouses I bought according to my dd's tutor require the wearing of a tie! So having had no intention of my dd wearing one, day 2 she had to, whilst I ordered the different type of shirt! I showed her how to tie it, remembering from when i wore one thirty years ago! But tomorrow will be the first time doing P.E and I am not that confident she will manage it. They have just changed the uniform so all the year 7's are wearing shirts and ties, and being nagged to tuck in shirts and do up top buttons, whilst the older years and still wearing polo shirts!

[LegoDragon]

No one I know can tie a tie. They seem quite outdated and unnecessary, but if you have it as a uniform, you learn fast usually, YANBU to think chikdren going to a school where a tie is used should know what to do.