Velcro® Shoe Independence
“I want to go on this foot!” four-year-old Jayden announces in a squeaky falsetto, pretending to be the voice of her left shoe as she pulls it onto her left foot and fastens it.
“And I want to go on that foot!” Jayden announces in the low, growly voice of her right shoe.
Shoes on and strapped, Jayden looks up and flashes us a triumphant grin. Then—empowered by her newly gained independence—she bolts out the door to catch up with her friends on the playground.
Jayden has mastered "Velcro® Shoe Independence," a trick we use to help children put their shoes on the right feet without adult assistance.
Getting dressed can be a big challenge for young children, who are still learning how to use their bodies to put on clothes and shoes without an adult standing by to lend a helping hand.
Putting on shoes may seem like a simple task to an older child or an adult, but for members of the under-five set, it's a tricky undertaking that requires these and other still-emerging skills:
- Balance: When young children lean over to put on their shoes, they may wobble, lose their balance, and end up in a heap on the floor, which is probably the best place to start from anyway!
- Grip strength: Pulling a shoe onto a foot requires grip strength, which is still developing.
- Hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills: Children need both of these skills to determine where to place a Velco strap for maximum fastening power, pull the strap into the right place, and press down on it to make sure the shoe is securely fastened.
For all of these reasons, it's important to be patient, offer help when needed, and celebrate your child's efforts.
You're bound to observe some frustration as your child works on this task, but you can help lay the foundation for shoe independence if you teach your child the steps to Velcro® Shoe Independence.
Read on to find out how!
- Sit with your legs in a letter V position and tell your child to do the same.
- Then place your child's left shoe in the middle of the V formed by your child's legs.
- Show your child that the strap on the left shoe is pointing toward the left foot. Then say: "The Velcro strap always points to the foot that the shoe should go on."
- Using your best falsetto "talking shoe" voice for the left shoe, say: "I want to go on that foot!" while drawing your child's attention to the Velcro strap on the left shoe, which is pointing toward your child's left leg and foot.
- Repeat the process for the right shoe, but use a low, growly voice and say: "Well, I want to go on that foot!" and point the Velcro in the direction of the right foot and leg.
After a few practice sessions, your child will be imitating the tremulous voice of the left shoe and the commanding voice of the right shoe with the skill and self-assurance of a voiceover artist!
In no time, your child's shoes will be on the correct feet without you lifting a finger to help—and out the door you'll go!