Hi folks. I have 2 unrelated questions, and could use your advice. First, can anyone remember the little rhyme used in teaching kids to tie shoes? All I can remember is that a rabbit goes in the hole, but can't figure out the rest . I'm trying to work on some skills that our preschool recommends before they start Kindergarten. It seems like shoe tying used to come earlier, before velcro and slip ons. We made some lacing cards together, but they're a little frustrated at not being able to do it. The little rhyme or any other advice would be a big help.

Second, my daughters HATE having their hair brushed. One has corkscrew curls, the other has long straight hair. I've tried the sprays and comb out their hair in the tub w/ conditioner, but the dry hair morning routine is horrible. The longer haired dd complains the worst and we fight every morning over it. I bought them each their own brush and am trying to encourage them to brush their own hair--no luck--and ask if they want to have their hair cut--no luck. Any advice?
Thanks,
Laura, mom of ggb's 7/99

No advice on the shoe tying, but we are experiencing the same thing with the hair brushing. One daughter said she wants her hair cut like her brother's since he never has tangles (he has a buzz cut!) We use the Loreal kids shampoo that is supposed to prevent tangles and the Loreal spray that can be used on dry hair. Neither works that great. I recently tried using my adult conditioner on them while they were in the tub and seemed to have better luck with that. They are just so tender-headed at this age. I think it is just a "right of passage." For your daughter with the long hair, is it long enough to braid? I know a friend of mine used to do this to her long hair to keep it from tangling in the night. For your daughter with curls, could you put in a few big sponge rollers around the ends? Worst case, summer is just around the corner...get them a short do until their heads get a little tougher. We did bobs last summer and will probably do the same in a month or two.

The shoe tying, I'd give them another year before their fine motor skills are more finetuned - I remember managing to do mine when I was 5 1/2. As for the hair brushing, mix cheap adult conditioner 5 parts water 1 part conditioner in a spray bottle and spray on dry hair to brush. It stops the frizz with curly hair too. Ellie takes after me and has the tangliest hair in the world!!!

Bernie
Mum to Aaron 14.12.92 and Jasper, Ellie & Natty 17.3.99

>No advice on the shoe tying, but we are experiencing the
>same thing with the hair brushing. One daughter said she
>wants her hair cut like her brother's since he never has
>tangles (he has a buzz cut!)

When mine were about three (thankfully after their pictures were taken for school,) My DH gave my son his buzz cut. My one daughter hated having her hair in her face and asked daddy to buzz her hair to and would you believe he did it. He gave her a mullet, buzzed at the sides and long in the back. Thankfully I got to him before he got to Amelia.


Mom2aej
Amelia, Emily & Jarrett 4/9/99

"Just when you get a handle on life... It changes."

Mom2aej
Amelia, Emily & Jarrett 4/9/99

"Just when you get a handle on life... It changes."

All I can remember is 'make a rabbit's ear...'

Both my DDs have hair cut in a bob (well, just about, a full year after my mother decided to cut their hair they almost have it the way I wanted it now) and I plan to keep it that way for a while. Long enough to tie back, but only just. They get tangles at the ends sometimes though, so I've told them I've made an appointment to 'get the tangly bits at the ends cut off'. Not keen on haircuts but they will accept losing the tangles.

The Body shop leave-in conditioner works well, or what also improves things for us is using a small amount of ordinary conditioner on their hair when wet and leaving it there. I don't get it on their scalp, just the ends of the hair after towel drying, and then comb through. The effects seem to last for several days.

Mine are not too bad with brushing but HATE hair washing, even though they like to get their hair wet in the bath. No logic!

PS I owe you an e-mail

Thanks all. Those are some good suggestions. Bernie, maybe you're right on waiting, but the kindergarten list of skills they gave me is amazing. They're even supposed to know how to write their names in appropriate upper- and lower-case letters!! HUH?!!! Since when do 5-year-olds have to be that accomplished by age 5?

I'll try the conditioners you all suggested. Sarah, are you still headed across the pond this month? I'm presently shut out of my Senate office building due to a ricin attack. Some life...We ought to be back in by Monday or so, hopefully.
Laura

We use the Suave kids shampoo with the Suave kids conditioner while in the bath and then use Biolage leave-in conditioner on dry hair. It's been working pretty well.

Laura
Mom to Meghan, Nichol & Christopher (5/8/99)

Laura
Mom to M, N & C (5/8/99)

Hi Laura:
My boys did not learn how to tie their shoes until the summer before 1st grade. They were (by far) NOT the last kids in their class to learn how to do so. Many if not most of the kindergartners did not know how to tie their shoes. The summer between kindergarten and 1st grade I made up a chart w/a few skills I wanted them to master in time for 1st grade (each boy did not necessarily have the same skills to master). They got prizes that got progressively better as they mastered more skills (the prizes started out small like baseball cards, etc). I made a poster up w/pictures of the prizes they could pick from on each level. They had fun and ended up mastering all the skills I set out for them. (Although I really don't know if they COULD have tied their shoes before kindergarten, I just don't know if they would have had the coordination/patience.)

Regarding your curly haired daughter, I have curly hair and I when I wear it curly I almost never use a brush. I only use a "pic". Maybe a pic would work better on your daughter w/the curly hair. (As a child I can remember crying when my mom used to brush my hair...I hated it too!!

Good luck,

Kelly

dont know any tricks for tying shoes, we just practiced with thier sneakers, but i still have 1 that cant do it, and doesnt even really care to try. 1 learned shortly into kindergarten, the other towards the end of K and now we are almost done in 1st grade. And yes you will be amazed at what the curriculum is for school these days, just as i knew they would be potty trained by the time they walked the wedding aisle, im sure my ds will be able to tie his shoes by then too, and in the mean time we have bigger fish to fry!
As for the hair, boy do i hear you!! My dd has the finest, tangliest hair i've ever seen...but its long and beautiful, almost to her waist. I have been using mostly salon products for the last 2 years, the amplify products are wonderful and is truely amazing how easy it is to brush out...well worth the extra money to not be fighting with child as you brush out, as well as breaking all that hair as you work through the tangles!! The best store brand, which my sis in law who is a hair dresser said is the closest to salon products as well, is salon selectives...the Full of It line does pretty much the same thing as the Amplify, and is surely much cheaper. I put my dd hair up in a bun or braid to go to bed everynight and she has a satin pillow case so her hair slides rather than sticking and tangling all night. And i can truely say these products, although expensive, have kept her hair in really good shape, and i can tell the difference as my trio goes to their grandma's every other weekend, and when she comes home, her hair is all dried out/tangly again after using the regular kids, no tears, shampoo/conditioner combo type products over there.
good luck
triozoo bb/g 8-7-97

For shoe tying the first thing that came to my mind was "Big Daddy" and Adam Sandler teaching that little boy to tie his shoes. He used the : Loop It, Swoop It, Pull It method.

Elizabeth
AABC Mommy to:
Adriana 4-14-01
Brittan 4-14-01
Cameron 4-14-01
Abbey 3-14-02

Laura
on the hair, you decide if they don't want to brush their hair, take them to get it cut. No options! Actually go, they might just change their mind and start doing it. My aunt cut my cousins hair have too long of a struggle. She is an adult now and loves to where it a short. She had curly hair as well.

Danielle
Easton, Blake & Hunter
1-24-99

Hi Laura,

Regarding the hair...I have 2 curly haired girls. So I can *totally* understand your pain!!! They both have very fine, soft long curls, no layers. Both dds wake up with major *bed head*! So I normally spray their hair with water first, then detangler spray, comb it completely straight and then *fluff* the curls back. 1 dd DOES NOT always enjoy combing her hair and can be a real challenge in the mornings (w/clothes also...that's another post LOL)and my other dd is very easy (thank goodnes). Another option we use is to get the hair done in the morning (prek, m-f bus comes at 8:10am)is to either wash their hair over the tub, or give them a (quick) shower in the morning. Honestley, it might sound like more work/time but both girls seem to get ready much more trouble free that way. HTH!

ps-Aren't boys hair much more easier to manage, lol!!!

Amy~
Paige, Austin & Hailee - 5yrs
10/29/98 34w1d
Kenny - 18yrs

Amy~
Paige, Austin & Hailee - 9yrs
10/29/98 34w1d

Laura,

There is a website out there somewhere that gives the rhyme for tying shoes the bunny in the hole method. Just type "how to tie shoes" in the header and away you go. However, this method didn't work at all for my son. He learned on his own out of the blue the summer between K and 1st grade. It seemed like last year when he was in K the girls did much better with it than the boys. Shoe tying was also on our list of things to know before going to K, but you can't make them do what they aren't ready to do. KWIM? Anyway, the teacher just requested that the parents use either zip-up or velcro shoes so that her day wouldn't be consumed with shoe tying instead of teaching. Our school didn't teach how to tie shoes, zip a zipper or any of that. It was just expected that the parents would teach it I guess.

As for the hair. Sorry, can't help you there. Just boys with very short hair cuts here!

We are in the throes of shoe tying too - and here is the little rhyme mine say to help remember:

"Over and under - it's easy to do....make a loop and pull it through".

I know there is another one about a bunny - but don't recall it offhand. And this cute one my kids came home with from K so I can't take credit for it either - lol.

Jan
Mom to 5 blessings
Ricky 17, Matthew 11, Jared, Brandon & Lisa, age 5 (33.1 wks)

JW
b 20 b 14 b/b/g 8

"I am too blessed to be stressed"

It's not the bunny song but, here are a couple of shoe-tying poems or songs that are good to use.

Build a tee pee
Come inside
Close it tight so we can hide
Over the mountain
And around we go
Here's my arrow
And here's my bow!


Criss Cross Tying Shoes
(tune: Splish Splash I was taking a Bath)

Criss Cross and go under the bridge
Then you got to pull it tight.
Make a loop but keep a long tail
That is how to do it right
Then you take the other string
and you wrap it 'round the loop
Pull it through the hole
Now you got the scoop

Criss Cross and go under the bridge (this is
where you tie the loops together)
Now you made a Double Knot!


Clelie Bourne
The Temporary Nanny
The Solution to Your Child Care Puzzle!
http://www.temporarynanny.com

Clelie Bourne, The Temporary Nanny

Nanny/Infant Specialist/Parent Coach
The Solution to Your Child Care Puzzle!
http://www.temporarynanny.com