Learning to tie your shoes is a rite of passage for every child, and a challenge for the people who try to teach them.
But an Alberta mom has a trick that helped her son and is now helping countless others after it became a viral hit online.
“I had one of those epic mom fails where it’s a week back to school and I realized I hadn’t taught my son how to tie his shoes,” Kirsten Johnson told CTV Alberta from her home in Sylvan, Alta.
When she tried to teach her six-year-old son Rylan the traditional “bunny ears” method, he was frustrated.
“His walls were up, tears were out and he was crying,” she said.
That’s when the former teacher remembered a method she had used before, with children with delayed motor skills.
Following Johnson’s technique, you begin by tying one knot, then tie another knot, but leave a small loop. Next, you take one lace and pull it through the loop to the opposite side and do the same with the other lace. Finally, you pull your laces tight and you’re ready to go.
Rylan got the hang of technique so easily his mom decided to share her method on social media. Since then, her Facebook Live video has been viewed more than seven million times, while her YouTube video has more than 500,000 hits.
Johnson said she’s been overwhelmed by the response from parents and adults who sometimes struggle with the task. She said one woman messaged her to say she always needed assistance after she lost nine fingers in an accident. Now, the woman said the technique has helped her regain her independence.
As for Rylan, now a shoe-tying expert, he’s just happy to share his mom’s trick.
“I feel helpful for the people around in this world,” he told CTV Alberta.
- With a report from CTV Alberta
