Monday, November 14, 2011

First you make the grass….

I worked in a daycare during my second year in college. I had young 4 year olds in the afternoon from 2 until 6.

I taught them to TIE THEIR SHOES.  First you make the grass, then you make the tree, the rabbit runs around the tree, jumps through the hole, and comes out with his two ears.

I am sure there are lots of versions or little stories to help the kids learn to TIE THEIR SHOES.

And that WAS 20 plus years ago….

because let me tell you – NO ONE CARES if kids today EVER learn to tie their shoes.

I KNOW this because I went shoe shopping with Bubba today.  He has to have new tennis shoes, that LACE, not velcro, close for his braces that should be in by the beginning of next week.

Ask me how easy it was to find a pair….

Payless – the very nice guy there told me they no longer make lace up tennis shoes in the “little sizes”.

Stride Rite – NOPE.  They had a pair of cute shoes that look more “hiking” than tennis shoe.  I  bought them in case I didn’t’ find anything else  but they were RIDICOUSLY expensive. 

Walmart – Oh HELLLLLL NO.  That would have been to easy. 

TARGET – not a single pair, not ONE without velcro.

So we went to SHOE IN.  The rumor is the guy that works there is a mastermind in finding shoes AFO’s and SMO’s – well it’s true.  I told him what I needed – he said I have the perfect shoe.

And it wasn’t a terribly ugly tennis shoe.  No Spiderman or StarWars CRAP all over it..

Just a nice BLUE running shoe type SHOE. 

AND IT HAS LACES!!!

But they didn’t have his size.

That would have been too easy.

So we ordered them. 

And they cost way less than the ones from Stride Right, that I’ll be taking back‘

Not too bad, huh?

 

And back to the thing about velcro?  REALLY – don’t cha think it might be a good idea for a kid to learn to tie his/her shoes BEFORE they go to 4th grade!

GESSHHHHH.

2 comments:

Jessi said...

I know! It's so difficult. We've found some Pumas that we love... I keep buying the next size up in case they stop making them!

Thea said...

New Balance are the best!! Once we discovered them, Logan actually got to have a choice...something we take for granted. They come in extra wide, and...they're the only shoes designed for the insert to come out, which gives you a deeper space for the brace to fit in. There are a couple of online vendors we've found with good deals (Joe's New Balance is one of them, and I'll try and remember the other). Also, we have New Balance stores that are independently owned, and they have always given us 40% off a second pair when we've had to buy two different pairs (once Logan went to wearing an AFO on just one side). Hugs, Thea