On my list of Things to Teach My Five-Year-Old, I’ll admit that tying shoelaces is a pretty low priority. I mean, God created Velcro for a reason, right? But I suppose it’s an important life skill, one that will open up a whole new realm of footwear options. OK, OK, I’ll get on it.
Luckily, today’s instruction techniques have evolved the bunny ears approach we all know but can’t really explain. (“Wait, so the ears jump into the hole before or after you criss-cross the tree?”) Now, there’s another system that many parents swear by.
It doesn’t have a catchy name, but I’ll call it the Big Loops Trick. A five-year-old named Colton demonstrates how to do it in a video posted by Love What Matters and shared by Fatherly.
The method: Before you begin tying, stick the plastic ends of the shoelaces back into the holes that the laces came out of. Then, pick up the two big loops you just created, and tie them into a knot, twice. Finally, remove the plastic ends from the holes.
That’s it. You’ve just tied your shoelaces with a double knot. And when you’re a kid running around on the playground all day, you need that double knot.
This technique is great for those who could use some help stabilising the laces. One issue I’ve found, however, is that some holes are too snug to accommodate the ends, while others may be too large. But it works for most sneakers. See if it will help your kid. You might just be one step closer to a world beyond Velcro.
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