h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Little learned to tie his shoe-laces over the weekend. It had been a tricky task. I've tried numerous times to teach him to do it. This weekend, I set time aside to have another go. We got as far as the initial knot, but came to a halt doing the first loop. His was much too big and the loose end wasn't long enough. I showed him again, and he went into a big strop and refused to try again. I persisted, he stropped, sounding *very* cross.

Roy had a go. He took him into the quiet room. Sensibly, he did it with the shoe off. Little listened to him and quietly did as he asked. He showed him a different method to mine. I left the room, as there was still some crossness in him from having 'failed' with me. In no time at all, he was able to do it! Roy said that apart from him being a good teacher (which he is), the trick was having a second person, where he could start afresh, and not from a point of having failed.

I'm really proud of him. I would have been happier if it had been me who had taught him. Someone asked if he had dyslexia - he has, mildly. Apparently, it's an indicator. Roy has too.

How old is he? It took me ages to lurn to do my shoelaces, I used to wear the velcro shoes for years

He was nine in September, 2legs. Yes - he's had Velcro fastenings for most of his shoes. Makes it much simpler - till the Velcro comes off!

I always seem to remember the vecro loosing its 'stickyness' (or however you describe what it is that veclcro has) as bits of plants and leaves and mud and stuff got on to it I remember lurning to do my shoelaces whilst at Primary school, think it would have been towards the end of primary school, so I guess I'd have been 8 9 or 10

When we were little girls we had to learn quite early to tie our pinnies and the sashes of our dresses behind our backs. A skill which, like tying your shoes, is not needed so much these days.

Like tying your tie, which we also didn't think anything about doing every morning from the age of 6 or so.

Now you have to make sure little wears shoes with laces more often, or he might forget how to do it. One easily does!

Thats weird; as I said it took me quite a long time to be able to do me shoelaces, but as you say, I had to wear a tie at school and mastered that quite quickly

So he is mildly dyslexic. So he is a bright little boy then, and didn't want to fail in front of his beloved Mum. I found with my two that for many things, I was the last person able to teach mine, probably because I cared a bit too much Certainly I couldn't have taught them Maths, as I was, and still am to some extent, dyslexic, where numbers are concerned, and we need to know so many of them today to learn Pin number

Funny the things we had to learn before starting school which don't seem to happen now. Tying shoe laces, getting dressed, holding a knife and fork, knowing our name and address, most of the alphabet and up to 10 at least for counting. Tying a tie, and a pinny behind your back as already mentioned.

Children now are much more independent and know so much that the little things get forgotten.

Just out of curiosity - has he been diagnosed as dyslexic? It fasinates me how many people in the public eye, especially actors and actresses, are dyslexic.

Websailor

I think its more difficult to dianogse dyslexia in teh very young isn't it? Strangely though I did lurn and could do my tie early on at primary school, I managed to forget how to do it as we never wore them at middle or secondary school, and it wasn't till mid way through my degree many mny years after last having tied a tie when I next needed to do it i had to get someone to show me! but it did soon come back to me

Well done little .

I once had a friend with dyslexia. He was very good at history.

Yes, 2legs, velcro does lose it's 'stickyness' by getting all sorts of yucketty stuff caught in it. Up to a point, you can pull it off, but only up to a point. I'm not sure at what age you can diagnose dyslexia. He was diagnosed a couple of years ago.

Now that little has learned to tie his shoelaces, he is keen to wear his blue trainers with laces - before that, he insisted on wearing his boots, which have velcro fastenings, so yes, TC, he'll get lots of practice. He's already learned to tie a tie and can do that quite nicely now. He loves wearing a tie.

I've never tried to teach little to tie a pinny behind his back, Websailor, and I can't remember when I learned to do it myself. That's a bit trickier, as you have to do it without looking. Yes, the school said he had dyslexia and he was getting help for it at one time, then they said it wasn't severe enough, so they stopped him going to the special classes, which he was quite cross about. Apparently the signs are, difficulty with writing (his writing is now much better), tying shoelaces, lefthandedness in the family and falling over a lot. No doubt there are more, but I can't remember them. Yes, I remember that quite a few actors and actresses are dyslexic. I think there's meant to be a link with dyslexia and creativity, although I can't remember where I heard that. Certainly Roy has a wonderful visual imagination (I haven't) and can see all sorts of relationships between things.

Gazongola - luckily, little is only mildly dyslexic - however I have a friend for whom letters appear to jump around on the page. She found that if she wore coloured spectacles, it helped.

Traveller in Time forgotten to ask 'Rose' about shoelaces
"I do not remember for sure, but I think we learned her some time ago to tie her shoelaces. The fact is she wears these high boots most of the time so she does not practice much as they have zippers. Would be an experiment to see if she forgot how to do it. .

'Waterrat' does not know how to tie his shoelaces for sure, he does not even bother to close the velcro straps. "

How old are they, TiT?

Traveller in Time searching for shoes
"'Rose' just got seven and 'Waterrat' just five. I asked now, 'Rose' claims she still can, she will demonstrate in the afternoon. "

Oh, well done, Rose! Waterrat is a bit young yet, I think.

Little will learn new skills next week when he's on a school trip to an environmental centre. The first thing the children will be taught will be to make their beds. He makes his bed by straightening his duvet at the moment, but he's never put a duvet cover on, or a pillowslip, or fitted a sheet to his mattress.

Reminds me of a joke about a prisoner who was told that he had to make his own bed, and was given some wood, a hammer and some nails!

Traveller in Time thinking of another thread < F35977?thread=570795 > about making beds
"I managed once to make it stiff enough to bounce the coin.

Completely forgot about the shoelaces , she is giving the birthday party for her friends tomorrow. Bouncing of excitement. "

You made a bed stiff enough to bounce a coin, TiT? Why?

Rose has a birthday tomorrow, or Waterrat? And she's forgotten how to tie her shoelaces?

Traveller in Time rephrasing
"'Rose' had her birthday right after newyear, she is giving the party for her friends tomorrow.

And I forgot to ask her, as she was ranting about and planning games for the party.

About the bed, I always say my hands can make what my mind can imagine. I used some elastic to stretch the sheets, the blanket on top was still a delicate job. "

Little is going to a friend's birthday party on Saturday - he's going ten-pin bowling.

I thought being able to bounce coin on the bed was maybe a military standard for the correctness of the bed being made (like the proverbial squeezing your bum together so tight when you stand to attention that you flatten the pattern off it. Or is it the German army where they say that? Must ask hubby when he comes in)

Traveller in Time just finished decorating
"She woke up for the toilet, so I asked her to ty her shoelace. Well, that is it was my shoelace, according to 'Mesologist' she does not have any shoes with laces.
This morning on our way to school however, she told me she practiced the knot every sport hour. It makes me wonder whose shoes she ties.

Practice practise completely confused, have seen a thread about the 'c' or 's' the other day, now I do not know anymore what goes where when and why. "