Shoelaces: how old?

[Ljcrow]

How old were your children when they learned to tie their shoelaces? Mine's 7 and can't. She probably could if we made more of an effort to teach her tbh, but because she doesn't own any shoes with laces it's one of those things we never seem to get round to!
How old were yours when they learned?

As a child i had a piece of cardboard, shaped like the profile of a shoe, with lace holes and one shoelace and I use to practise doing up the 'bow'.
I think it came from a shoe shop but it could easily made.
I was about five.

I taught all my dc to tie laces in R/Y1, so about 6yo. But none were able to have lace-up shoes until a couple of years later as they just weren't available in their sizes. (School required PE shoes to be either slip-on or velcro. Fair enough - you can't expect the teachers to do up to 30 pairs of laces!)

Once we could, I made sure the dc wore lace-up school shoes for a year to embed that skill. After that year they had freedom to choose laces or velcro.

Some of their classmates still could not tie laces well into secondary school. No special needs, just lack of practice.

I consider a basic level of knot-tying to be an important life skill.

Yeah you're right, it is! I need to get on it.

Mine could by the age of 7 and pretty well by the age of 8 but DH takes the credit for the tuition
I now know 12 year olds who can sort of do it but not very well so have shoelaces trailing all day. And others who can’t at all.

my parents were very lazy teaching me and now at age 46 I’m still crap at it.

We teach it to our Cubs... the majority can't when they start at 8yo, but can within a few months even if their only regular practice is with us (along with various other knots)

6/7 here, DD1 needed lace ups for school due to her feet, DD I got a bargain pair of trainers and they were lace-ups. She had a quick velcro pair too but these were good for walks. They have educational needs so I was surprised at how quickly they learned, although the challenge is for them to tie them tight enough.

Found this useful here!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDgy1Lmo-Lk

Around 7 as DD wanted lace ups for junior school.

But doing it absolutely reliable I would say she was 8.

https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/oakley-graham/i-can-tie-my-own-shoelaces/9781849566193?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwpaj1eahiAMVJ5ZQBh0_by06EAQYBCABEgKGJfD_BwE#GOR004531484

By 9 or 10 is useful because sports shoes start being more or less lace up only. I’m not especially keen on laces, they aren’t disability friendly. Our DC still struggles and the lack of understanding in relation to laces vs how readily most people understand him having to type all exams and schoolwork is quite depressing

We started around the age of 4 with my three DC, which is roughly the age my parents started with us.

They'd also practice tying their teddy bear's bow ties and that seemed to help.

It's strange but I was having a conversation with someone just the other day, and we were saying kids are learning later and later probably due to velcro shoes which didn't really exist when we were kids.

Ditto school ties, as they're mostly elastic in primary school.

I suppose when they wore shoes or trainers with laces

DS2 and 3 could do it around the time they started school, but DS1 found it very difficult, he still struggled in Y4. Even now, as an adult he will very rarely tie and untie laces. I suspect dyspraxia, although he's never been diagnosed - he's quite cack-handed in many ways! Although very clever and lovely, of course!

Ours learnt about year 1/2.

We bought a wooden shoe with laces for them to practice on. Their school shoes were still Velcro for a while, rugby boots were the first things with laces that they had and trainers soon after.

Very true!

I was 4 and a bit when I learned, because that was when I started school. Most of my classmates could manage. They were 5.

In those days, it was expected that our parents would have taught us before starting school.

Times have certainly changed. I work in an infant school and almost all the children have velcro shoes. Those that don't generally have to ask a grown up to tie their shoelaces several times a day! Bar a select few Year 2 children.

Yes, the difference would be that it was a necessity for us.

My 6 year old hasn’t got a chance in hell. He can only tie a granny knot by fluke if I’m honest. He’s waiting for OT through so he’s not quite typical.

I teach year 1 and most haven't got it yet. But could if really pushed to. Wouldn't worry me if they didn't come in on pe days with lace ups anyway which means I have to tie half a class' laces. I have seen a surprising number of year 4s that can't as well which is more worrying.