tying shoelaces, riding a bike etc

[superbagpuss]

what age did your DC start tying shoelaces, riding a bike with stabilisers and other development points?

we have had a letter home from school asking if D's can tie his shoelaces yet, I thought at 4 it was too early to expect that and now I'm wondering what else he should be able to do by now that I haven't been working on

[ditsydoll]

Dd could tie her shoes at 4, she can ride a bike but we've not even tried without stabilizers yet (she's 5) because her balance is terrible!

[Mollymoo75]

My DD is 7. Learnt to tie shoe laces (bunny ears) at 6. But still has stabilisers on her bike and only just learning to swim. I used to worry a lot about her development. She was one of the last in her group of playmates to walk (16months). But I've learnt not to worry. You just need to show them you love them, encourage, support and practice with them. All children are different.

[Mollymoo75]

My daughter is 7. She can tie shoe laces with bunny ears! Rides a bike with stabilisers and only just started learning to swim. I used to worry a lot about her development as she was one of the last of her age group to walk (at 16months). I was paranoid. But quickly learnt to stop worrying - everyone is different. But I do think you have to spend a bit of time coaching, helping, teaching and reassuring them.

[Mollymoo75]

My daughter is 7. She can tie shoe laces with bunny ears! Rides a bike with stabilisers and only just started learning to swim. I used to worry a lot about her development as she was one of the last of her age group to walk (at 16months). I was paranoid. But quickly learnt to stop worrying - everyone is different. But I do think you have to spend a bit of time coaching, helping, teaching and reassuring them.

[Southpaws]

Dd is 4 in a few weeks and has just learned to ride a bike without stabilisers but has been riding her balance bike regularly for over a year so it was an easy transition. Would agree with others who have said give the stabilisers a swerve and use a balance bike instead.

[Delphiniumsblue]

They all do it in their own time. DS1 could ride a bike at 3yrs and DS2 was just short of his 7 th birthday. DS 3 couldn't tie shoe laces until he was 9 yrs- he changed schools and was too embarrassed to ask for help so he had to master it.

[MeanwhileHighAboveTheField]

Well my youngest was riding a pedal at 22 months (never had stabilisers) so I disagree very strongly that balance bikes don't help them learn to ride.

He isn't even 3 and half yet but cycles everywhere - I wouldn't dream of running behind him like a loony. I have a bike and cycle everywhere with him. And if I have to walk he has good brakes and knows how to use them :)

[Forago]

I agree as an aside none of mine have ever used stabilisers but had balance bikes

[Pabboo]

I am not sure X even has shoes with laces.

He was riding a bike without stabilisers at 3yrs 11 months - but he had a balance bike before, then stabilisers for 6 months or so. I think the balance bike was essential for him to be able to ride a non-stabiliser bike so early.

[bigkidsdidit]

Riding a bike with no stabilisers since 2.10 bit he had a balance bike since 18 months. He is currently 3.6 and absolutely no chance of laces, if he had any lace shoes!

[Forago]

4 is way too early for shoelaces I'd have said!

My ds1 was riding a bike without stabilisers the August before he turned 4 at Christmas. He is now in Y4 and learnt to tie his shoes reliably in Y3, around 8. i.e when he started playing a lot of football.

ds2 has only just learnt to ride a bike age 61/2 - they are all different which is what is silly about these prescriptive letters.

[SugarPlumpFairy3]

Dd was almost 3 when she rode a bike with stabilisers, just turned 5 without.

She had just turned 7 when she learnt to tie shoe laces.

[HolidayCriminal]

there is nothing fantastic about riding so early without stabilisers. They go too slow for rides with adults & they go too fast for adults to keep up with them unless you run. Without stabilisers they want to go on the roads like adults & they may lack coordination to manage brakes, too. Never mind lacking sense of knowing when to brake. Unless they drag their feet to brake (not nice if you paid a small fortune for their shoes).

I'm a huge fan of them not riding without stabilisers until at least 6yo, but I wasn't so lucky.

We had a balance bike only for DC4 & it definitely slowed him down learning to ride without stabilisers, so that was a good thing. I still had to chase him all the time on the balance bike which could be nerve wracking. Balance bikes typically have no brakes so shoe drag might be only way to stop. So am not a huge fan of balance bikes although they do look cute.

[drinkingtea]

5-6 is probably average for bike riding without stabilizors in the UK... maybe 2.5 or 3 would be averagw with (as its just the same as a trike/ pedal ride on with stabilizoes). In countries where stabilizors are not a "thing" and the normal route is balance bike to pedal bike, 3.5-4 is the normal age to be riding without stabilizers, with a general feeling that anything after 4 is late... but it is 90% opportunity to ride the balance bike lots from age 2, or earlier, 8% inclination and 2% talent IMo (where no SN are in the mix of course).

[ThreeLannistersOneTargaryen]

DS2 is 12 and still cannot do either of these reliably.
He can sort of ride a bike without stabilisers, but not in a straight line or with any level of control.

He knows how to tie shoelaces, but lacks the manual dexterity to make the knot tight enough to be of any practical use. He currently has lock laces on his school shoes and his trainers. None of his friends have commented.

[HolidayCriminal]

I couldn't tie laces until 8yrs old which was tricky as we didn't have no velcro shoes, either (old gimmer emoticon) I was past-master at getting someone else to do it for me. I still can't do it reliably. I love velcro shoes!!

DC rather late for laces: DS1 was 14 (sort of, very slow). I doubt DS2 will manage it ever. Other DC managed at 8yo & not yet (youngest only 6yo).

I was at a hockey match recently where a lad had to retie his laces a few times, he wasn't quick enough for the whistle a few times, velcro shoes like all the other 10yos would have been far better.

All DC rather early for bikes: w/o stabs betw 3y51 weeks & 4y10months. 5-6yo is typical age. Plenty of adults still can't do it.

[superbagpuss]

never had balance bikes for ds and he was given a bike with stabilisers , I just think he needs more time on it as he prefers his two wheel scooter

we have a book to practice tying shoelaces, I just now need to use it .

[rocketjam]

Bike: both DSs had balance bike and never had stabilizers, went on to normal bikes at 3 ish. Those balance bikes are brilliant.
Shoe laces - DS1 at 7, DS2 has only just turned 7 and is learning now.

[drinkingtea]

cosi that is crazy, that staff time is used to tie the laces of NT 8 year olds! Maybe a half hour of class time spent on teaching them all would be a good investment though you'd have thought their parents would have taught them by 8!

[PeterParkerSays]

DS (4.9) has just learned to ride a bike without stabilisers and has been confident in riding a bike with stabilisers for about 9 months before that.

Still can't do shoe laces, but that will also be a practise thing - we never buy him shoes with laces, which he wouldn't be able to tie himself, and buy him velcro shoes instead.

[cosikitty]

Agree that parents need to actively teach children to tie laces. It isn't a skill which just evolves.

[drinkingtea]

Oh sorry - we never had stabilizors, they are evil, avoid if you want him to ride a pedal bike sooner! :)

[cosikitty]

dd did both of these about age 5-6.

Boys in year 3 at the school I work in can't do laces (though I think they should be able to). Nobody seems to show them, there doesn't seem to be any expectation that they should. I don't think I should be tieing all their trainers when some of them 8 going on 9.

[drinkingtea]

You need to actively teach shoe lace tying for most kids - its expected before starting school where I live, but they don't start til age 6 - my older 2 got the hang if it fairly quickly when taught age 5.

Riding a bike is down to inclination and whether they had a balance bike ;) My older kids were 3.5 (DD) and 2.9 (DS1), DS2 can't yet and just turned 3. DS1 was inseperable from the balance bike from 16 months old though, as well as riding a pedal tractor a lot, so one day he hust picked his sister's bike up and pedalled off - couldn't expect that if he hadn't spent so much time on the balance bike and pedal ride-on!

[Seeline]

Bike with stabilisers about 3/4 I think. Shoelaces were one of his Beaver challenges before he moved to Cubs so 8. However, he didn't need to be able to do them until he changed schools at 10!