United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Does anyone have an easy way to teach to tie shoes? I'm having a hard time even slowing myself down enough to figure out what I do, let alone teach my son who has LOBPI. He is quite frustrated, as I'm sure every kid is, but what he is lacking in his fine motor skills, is bringing him down. Then he "decides" its too hard. Any cute songs out there? Easy poems to remember? I dont remember any songs or anything when I learned. HELP!

After my husband trying to teach our daughter his way (loop one side, then loop the other and then loop the loops together...and me trying to teach her the way I learned (the right way-hehe) she became very confused and it took her PT to show her how and they practiced it on and off through the therapy session and then revisited it at each session thereafter (for a while).
I wish I could "tell" you but I honestly don't know how she taught her (I was out of the room; Emma pays better attention when I'm not there and it was 4 or 5 years ago) Emma has now taken to slip on shoes/boots and velcro sneakers--it's faster.

Good luck!
Peggy
mother of Emma (9 yrs, ROBPI)
and of Joel (11 yrs, LOBPI~transient)

I received these instructions for tying one-handed years ago and saved them for when my child would need it. Funny you should ask, because I bought my child her first laced sneakers (age 7) just yesterday so I had to dig this out for us, too. I'm going to try it tomorrow to see if I can do it first, then I'll work on teaching my daughter. Good luck to you.

1.Cross the two shoe laces.

2. With the lace laying on the left side, push it under the other lace. Like you would do any other shoelace.

3. (this is tricky) to tighten the shoe lace, hold one lace with one hand and place the other lace under your other foot and pull it tight.

4. Using one hand take the left lace and make a loop. With a free finger take the other lace and place it over the loop and tuck under the hole.

5. Now you should be able to pull the bow tight. Use one hand and with the injured hand place one of the loops of the bow through a finger and pull tight.

There is a section on one handed shoe tying on the old NBPEPA site. http://www.nbpepa.org/tyingshoes.htm
Hope that helps.
Brenda
http://www.cafepress.com/erbspalsy

My son has been tying forever so I Cannot really healp you but I know that once he got it, no more slip ons and no more velcro, because he will forget it. His pre school teacher taught him how off the instructions above that brenda suggested !!! Good Luck
Gayle mom of Brandon 7 ROBPI

Bumping up for Tisha.

Carolyn J

My husband did this for Amber. He excluded the shoes altogether in the beginning because the laces and shoes are so small and fine motor can be so hard. He instead took one of our endtables and the belt from my housecoat and tied it around the endtable so the table was the shoe. Then he showed her how to tie the table instead, this way she was working with a much bigger object. She got it after about 1-2 days and now helps to tie the other kids shoes in her pre-K class at age 4!

Tanya in NY
Amber's Mom, ROBPI, 4 years old

here's an easy for kids to remember,
you make 2 loops and then you have one loop go around the other and under, your basically typing the loops together, i'm not sure if this makes any sense, and the poem is: The bunny goes around the tree and into it's hole and out the other side. hope this helps
-Cara