Shoes

If your child is wearing Velcro sneakers and you’d like them to graduate to tied sneakers, so you have more options, my Saturday suggestion is to take ‘tying your shoes’ off the to-do list. Mikey is 19 now and he has never had a pair of shoelaces he has needed to tie.

Lock Laces

There are many products to choose from, but we use lock laces. Mikey doesn’t even tighten and loosen them (although that is an option if your child is very active, and they need to tighten the laces). When I buy Mikey a pair of sneakers, I just also buy a set of lock laces and I re-lace the shoes for him with the elastic laces and lock them in place according to the instructions.

At any given time, Mikey owns three pairs of shoes: his sneakers for everyday wear, his crocs for pool or beach and Merrells (slip on shoes which can pass for dress shoes should he need to attend anything dressy). Depending on your climate, you might need rain or snow boots for your child, but those come in slip-on versions too. It keeps life simple and with lock laces, it means Mikey never has an occasion to tie his shoes.

You have enough to worry about! Cross this one off the list.  It turns out, a full and wonderful life can be lived without learning to tie your shoes.  Phew!