Tie My Shoes

Can learning to tie your shoes really be this difficult?  This little girl is three years old!  She’s bright and is learning independence.  She’s the one who asked me to teach her how to tie her shoes…

“Let’s try this again.  Make a loop like this.  Take the other lace and wrap it around like this.  Pull this loop through and TA DA!”

With chin jutting forward and total concentration Alice attempts yet again. 

“Oh, I just can’t get this to go right mommy.”

After several repeats of this scene, we decide it’s time for a well-deserved chocolate chip cookie.  Daddy arrives.  His schedule takes him away from home from Monday to Friday, so Alice is as excited as Tomcat when he hears the Friskies being shaken.  I’m pondering the value of Velcro fasteners…

“Daddy, Daddy!” she gives him a hug around his knees.  He sweeps her off the floor, kisses her check. “I can’t tie my shoes!  I’m really trying.  It’s hard.”

“Let’s try it again”, he suggests and I watch from the sidelines.  He sits behind her just as I did.  How does he know that’s exactly what I was doing?  OK…I’ve got to watch this. 

“Make a loop like this.  Take the other lace and wrap it around like this. Pull this loop through and TA DA!”

Chin is jutting forward, total concentration and yes, we have success!

“Look!!  Look!!  I did it.  Thank you Daddy.”

My heart is swelling in my chest – my baby’s learned to tie her shoes.  Another milestone attained.  Hold it.  Wasn’t I doing the same damned thing? 

With Alice still engrossed practicing her newly found ability, I asked what he’d done differently.

“That’s easy.  You’re left handed.”