Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Original poster

tying shoelaces, riding a bike etc

39 replies

superbagpuss · 06/05/2014 19:05

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

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
mousmous · 06/05/2014 19:07

tying shoe laces - nearly 7
riding bike (without stabilisers) - nearly 4.

bakingtins · 06/05/2014 19:12

My DS who is 7 still can't tie shoelaces, but has never had lace up shoes. He has been riding a bike without stabilisers since he was 3.5

FatalCabbage · 06/05/2014 19:13

Pfb is nearly six. He's been riding his bike without stabilisers for six or seven months, but shoelaces baffle him.

mousmous · 06/05/2014 19:17

don't worry about shoelaces unless shoelacy shoes are part of the uniform (unlikely).

Original poster
superbagpuss · 06/05/2014 19:18

OK, so he needs more time on his pushbike, but I can stop panicking about shoe laces

OP posts:
HerRoyalNotness · 06/05/2014 19:22

DS1 almost 7, can't tie shoelaces, and has just got the hang of a bike with stabilisers in the last 4mths. No way is ready to have the stabilisers off either.

DS2 almost 4, can't do either, he is just getting to grips with cycling his trike.

I don't think there is a prescribed age for these things. I have a friend who has a DS that is extremely talented in sporting pursuits/physical things. He was skiing confidently after 30mins on them. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it for myself. He's 7, has been riding a bike without stablisers for a couple of years, tries to do tricks on them and on scooters. He is just such a physically able child. I think they should push him for sports in his career tbh.

GiveTwoSheets · 06/05/2014 19:25

DS (3.5yrs old) been riding bike with stabilisers since 3rd birthday.

Other things he can do is get dressed, put coat on (can't do buttons or zips) and put slip on shoes.

My 17yr DD I still giggle at her when she does the bunny ears

GiveTwoSheets · 06/05/2014 19:25

To do laces

SixImpossible · 06/05/2014 19:25

All my dc could tie shoelaces in Y1-Y2, but that was because I actively taught them to. Most of their classmates could not. They had no need nor any opportunity to tie bows. I, and most of my classmates, OTOH, could tie shoelaces in YR, and tie a sash in a bow behind our backs in Y1, but that was because Velcro did not exist and our summer uniforms had belts that tied behind us.

4 seems very early to be worried about shoelaces.

All of mine - including the one who is several levels behind peers in PE - could ride a bike with stabilisers at 4. They all got the hang of riding without stabilisers at 6.

Original poster
superbagpuss · 06/05/2014 19:26

thanks for the replies

D's is small (clothes size 2 to 3) but very physically able, I just think that sometimes I don't move up to the next stage quick enough

OP posts:
GiveTwoSheets · 06/05/2014 19:28

I wouldn't worry about laces as always Velcro shoes even those with elastic laces also I used to write L & R in DD shoes for when she did PE

MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 06/05/2014 19:35

ds2 is 7 and can't tie laces yet, he has been riding a bike (never had stabilisers) for almost 5 years. So gross motor skills are very good, fine motor skills are appalling!

MiaowTheCat · 06/05/2014 19:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nonemoreblack · 07/05/2014 12:50

Just taught nearly 6 year old DS to tie shoe laces after getting trainers with laces- there seem to be less Velcro options after size 13/1 and I thought it was quite a useful skill to know even though his school shoes are Velcro. In the process of learning to ride 2 wheeler bike, but we are late with that, most children we know learnt around age 4/5.

Seeline · 07/05/2014 12:54

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!

drinkingtea · 07/05/2014 12:58

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!

cosikitty · 07/05/2014 13:01

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 · 07/05/2014 13:02

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

cosikitty · 07/05/2014 13:03

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

PeterParkerSays · 07/05/2014 13:05

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.

drinkingtea · 07/05/2014 13:05

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! Shock

rocketjam · 07/05/2014 13:41

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.

Original poster
superbagpuss · 07/05/2014 17:09

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 Grin.

OP posts:
HolidayCriminal · 09/05/2014 07:59

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.

ThreeLannistersOneTargaryen · 09/05/2014 08:09

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.