Putting on Shoes

Putting on their own shoes can give kids a feeling of independence and personal responsibility. When you’re teaching them, keep these two important things in mind. Kids don’t automatically know how to tell left from right and they don’t always put the correct shoe on the correct foot. Secondly, tying shoelaces is a higher-level skill so you may want to start with shoes that don’t require tying.

Left and Right

Lots of parents use stickers on the insoles of their kids’ shoes. One suggestion I have heard is to put one half of a heart in each shoe to make the complete heart when the shoes are lined up properly. If you think this might work for you, amazon has a bunch of options (search left right shoe stickers for kids). Mikey would have taken stickers off immediately, especially if he could feel them inside his shoes.

If your child has sensory issues, consider putting a little charm on one shoe’s shoelace to remind them.  If your child is flexible and funky, the shoelaces could be different colors on the two shoes. I have even seen parents trace their child’s shoes in the correct orientation onto construction paper and laminate it.  Then, the kids use it like a welcome mat. They put the shoes on the mat to match the shapes and then they can step into the shoes right on the mat. Get creative but look for ways to turn over the responsibility to your kiddos.

Laces

I love lock-laces (elastic laces with a clip to hold them in place) because they enable you to buy any type of shoe and let your child use them as slip-ons. Of course, shoes like crocs are always slip-on. Shoes like Merrell’s, rain boots and snow boots have slip-on options.  Thinking these things through when you’re buying the shoes can help make the learning process easier.

Misc

Helping kids to learn how to straighten their socks before putting on their shoes can avoid discomfort. You may also need to help with teaching them to use their hand to hold the back of the shoe so that the heel of the shoe doesn’t get crushed when they slide their foot in. For kids with mobility issues, a long shoe horn might be a great tool to facilitate sliding their foot into the shoe.

Go get ‘em, parents!!