Children who can use a mouse but can't tie shoelaces

[catswhiskers]

Did anyone read the report in the Daily Mail last Friday about this?

I know most youngsters under 5 can't tie their own shoelaces but I tended to agree with the report, in that we are relying too much on computer technology.

First para says "More young children know how to operate a computer mouse than ride a bike as technology tightens its grip on the nation's youth, researchers warn.

And, while 7 out of 10 youngsters aged between 2 and 5 are comfortable playing on-line games, less than 2 in 10 could swim unaided.

It added: "23% between 2 and 5 years can make a call on a mobile phone and navigate between websites with ease.

Two thirds know how to turn a computer on and 73% said they could work a mouse.


When it comes to real life, the picture was different.

Just 48% knew their home address and only a third were able to write their first and last names.

This is one of the reasons I don't let my minded children on the computer for long (maybe once every couple of months) and that's the 4 year I look after.


It also says the physical activity that every child needs is becoming foreign territory.

[Mrs Pootle]

It's a scarey world we live in. I really limit computer/ds/wii etc use and much prefer the children (mine & mindees) to play board games or run around outside.

[solly]

I have a 2 yr old 1 day a week and he cant say any words just makes sounds (I think this is because he has 5 older siblings that do everything for him) but give him a mobile or an i pad (they have one at home) he can navigate this and find the game he wants to play. :eek:

[onceinabluemoon]

I don't let the little ones use my computer or my ipad.

Instead I offer a much more old fashioned type of care where we read books, play with open ended resources/toys, make things and spend a lot of time running about outside.

Parents seem to like it...

The kids love it! :)

[ajs]

or then you get the other end of the spectrum my mindee can't sit still for more then 10 seconds and has no table manners what soever but can name all of the 7 continents

her parents put pressure on her to learn the wrong things but at least she hasn't got a mobile phone or access to a laptop

[Rubybubbles]

yes I can believe it!

I am a bad example, I love the computer (ekk sunday morning look at me) dd currently on her ds, but dad and son out playing golf:thumbsup:

I don't let any mindies use the computer, TV time is very limited! We play alot of board games, dressing up, and outside play! Like onceinabluemoon, parents love it! I think in a way, the fact they are so busy at the childminders (as I am sure your all like me:D ) they think it is okay to let their 3 yr old watch TV all weekend:rolleyes:

[FussyElmo]

In one way I agree but in another its not a fair comparsion. Playing on a computer is fun tying shoelaces certainly isn't. Most of children shoes nowadays come with velcro etc not laces so there is no reason to teach them how to but computers are very much part of most peoples day to day life.

[Vickster]

I think computer skills are essential though. My son can swim 25 metres and has been able to from age 4, knows his address and can write all of our names and read, he can also navigate a computer and an iphone BUT he cant tie shoe laces and has shown no interest. I have a shoe lace board and have asked to show him, but he does not want to. He is 5.

[sillysausage]

To my mind the report is just plain daft. They are not comparing like for like skills at all. Operating a computer mouse is all about controlling movements in a side to side or forwards/backwards, whereas tying shoelaces is very complex, over/under, through, getting the tension right etc. The fine motor skills associated with a computer mouse are learnt/acquired much earlier than those for tying shoelaces.
As far as swimming or riding bikes, lets face it, however many years you go back you would have found very few (relatively) under 5's that could do either unaided, so why are they suggesting 2 and 3 year olds should be able to do this now? Same goes for writing their name.

I do think that children need more opportunity for play, especially outdoor play, but computers and other technology are part of our everyday technology and it is therefore not surprising that children are learning such skills from an early age.

I am sure that if we went back in time children would be seen to be using and learning about the technology then available, just like now. (does that make sense?)

[Lincsminder]

There is a lot more to it than that. All of my children can use the computer and other forms of ICT they are a part of daily life, yet non can swim. The reason for this is I have 4 children but am only allowed to take 2 swimming at a time so I can't do it on my own and lessons are too expensive. What annoys me is those on benefits get reduced priced swimming lessons for their kids so instead of £40 a course its £10 so all their kids get to swim. Oh and the school only does 1 term of swimming in Year 3,4,5 and 6 and they usualy focus their time on the swimmers and the likes of my children just have to splash around in the shallow end.

[singingcactus]

Shoes for little kids are pretty much always velcro, so how would they be able to learn to tie them by the age of 2-5? There are limited places now where it is possible to ride bikes, although nearly every young child I know can ride a bike, and they can all balance on 2 wheel micro scooters. Swimming pools are now few and far between, our last 2 house we have had to drive at least 25 minutes to get to a pool and the timings are very awkward, straight after school for 45 minutes is no good when it takes 25 minutes to even get there! On top of that it costs a fortune to go swimming these days (£10 a lesson where we are now) and ratios make it hard for parents to get their kids into a pool outside of lessons.
Maybe the paper needs to start slamming government policy rather than blaming 2 year olds for not being able to write their own name and address!
Sorry but it's a lazy piece that has been written to inspire indignation amongst the masses, it's a popular topic that is irrelevant and impossible to argue against because it uses such ridiculous examples.

[venus89]

I came on here to argue (:blush: ) but it seems I've been beaten to it!

I agree. It's stupid. I honestly don't think my 8 year old can tie shoelaces. I don't think he's ever owned a pair of shoes with laces in his life. Tehy're hard to come by. When my 10 yo dd was little I really wanted buckle shoes for her because I thought it was a good skill to learn. But they were so hard to get! Ds can tie a knot, several types of knot in fact, and I can't think when he'll need to tie a bow?

As for computers, like others we don't use them here with Childminded children, thought my children have DSs and we have a wii and a PC. I think that they need computer skills these days, they use computers from an early age from schools (and my two first used a computer at preschool, rather than home) and they'll use them throughout their lives. How often will they be required to tie a shoelace? 'I'm sorry sir, you cannot have this job because you can't tie shoelaces even though you're a whiz on the computer'.

My children can all ride bikes and do as often as possible. I don't think they could ride unaided by the age of 5 though.

Isn't it about balance? A bit of education, a bit of fun, learning skills which will be important to them but also just enjoying being young?

[Minstrel]

I agree also!

My Ds is 7 and can tie a neck tie but still can't quite get the hang of shoe laces yet- he doesn't own any shoes with them so we will work on that when we need to.

[catlyn]

Its also in the Daily Mail....a newpaper well known for sensationalising events....I agree with singingcactus... I think its been written to provoke rather than inform

[The Juggler]

my ds learned to tie laces (I made a lace card) when he was 7. dd learned at same time at 5. DS although he knows how still really struggles and hate laces now at age 11. Unfortunately it's harder to get velcro trainers for 11 year olds and footie boots etc all come with laces - he wont do any sport which involves shoes with laces and is a huge problem for us.

I think it's all tied in with his learning difficulties though (he has trouble with clocks, sequencing etc).

Anyway that was off the point a bit. I think that it's important to teach these skills but I don't think it will necessarily make it easier to do (ds is a case in point). I like to make sure children have the opportunity to learn to tie laces, tell the time. I also do let them use the computer as I feel it's important in this day and age but I limit the amount of time they spend on it big time.

I think all these skills have a place in todays world.

[rickysmiths]

I agree with Sillysausage about the article.

My dd learned to tie shoe laces when she was 5 because she had a choice of two pairs of school shoes that fitted in the shoe shop and she prefered the lace ups. We were very clear that if she had them she would have to learn to tie the laces because the teacher wouldn't have time to do them all the time and she did learn and choose lace ups fo the rest of her school career, saying they fitted better! My ds learned early as well because of football boots and tennis shoes etc. I have varois things to help teach mindees to tie laces and bows.

They both learned their address and phone number as soon as I could get them to :laughing: I do encourage mindees to learn theirs as well as long as parents are happy.

I rarely allow the mindees use the computer, they use it at pre-school/school and at home there is no need for me to do this with them as well, I do have interactive drawing boards and speech spots etc.

My two didn't learn to ride a bike until 6yrs ago when they were 11 and 9 because we had lived in a first floor flat. They did have scooters though.

They were both in the water at 6mth, I'm a bit of a water baby myself. From the age of 10yrs I lived in a city that had a canal and a river running through it, Bath. As school children in the city we all learned to swim, I could anyway at this age and we were taught basic personal survival and life saving skills. I felt these were important skills and we were lucky to live near a pool where there was a swimming club that taught these skills and untill four years ago they both went there every week. I have also taken mindees swimming in the past. It is difficult if you don't live close to one though but at least all year 5/6 Primary children have to go swimming as part od the NC so if parents can't get to a pool.

My two went to a Local gym until they were about 6 and I used to take mindees as well.

I'm like Onceinabluemoon. We go in the garden even in the cold weather, go to the local park and for walks plus walk for the school run.

We play board games card games do craft stuff cook and paly with the mass of other stuff I have. There is little time left for Computers!

[grindal]

I remember a big fuss back in the 70s when people started using digital watches rather than analogue ones. There was a big outcry that children would end up unable to tell the time from a traditional clock. However, to my knowledge all of my peers and myself managed to learn to use digital and analogue clocks for time telling.

My children are 3 and 4. The older one can write his name, ride a bike with stabilisers, is doing well learning to read at school and is at them moment sat playing Ben 10 games on the computer with his little brother. They can also both swim - infact we have just returned from their swimming lessons.

[Ripeberry]

Well my DH is well into his 40s, repairs and reprogrammes computers but can't tie his shoelaces...still:eek: :rolleyes:

[catswhiskers]

I think a lot of the expectations of the study are way too high i.e. concerning tying shoelaces but agree that a lot of young kids are too ICT obsessed.

I was a bit shocked when my sister-in-law bought her son (who wasn't even 3 at the time) a Nintendo DS Lite complete with lots of games.

[Bridey]

I have found that the only way to teach a child to tie their own laces has been to buy them school shoes with laces, instead of velco, and force the issue. The aren't going to learn from lacing boards - why should they if they can't see any point to it?

My son did struggle as his fine motor skills weren't the best but he got there in the end!

[Mollymop]

Would you believe that my 11 year old son has a school project for ICT - he has to design and make his very own website and post it through the school website on a programme called Moodle :panic: - He even has to upload multimedia onto his website!! It takes 6 hours to complete!!:panic:
It's sad that ICT has taken over the world but in this day and age it is important that children learn how to use a computer as much as tying shoe laces so it seems

[Alibali]

My ds is 9 yo and cannot tie shoelaces, he has small feet, size 11 so has always had velcro shoes for ease at school.

That said he can tie his tie, could read and write before starting school and was riding a 2 wheel bike at 3 yo, he is also computer literate, and im sure if I actually bought him lace up shoes he'd soon learn how to do it:laughing:

[Pipsqueak]

ICT is the world we live in isn;t it though.

Like most things - all things in moderation - however society today is progressing at the rate of knots in all things ICT - its rather scary. Trying to explain to my eldest that only the really brainy kids were allowed in teh computer room at school - those who excelled at maths and science. We never had a home pc till I was 15 (it was an Amstrad C464) and my first mobile was when I was 23. Took him a while to pick his jaw up of the floor - more so when I said no-one 'taught' me to use a pc and internet - I had to self learn when I was around 30.

Tying shoe laces though is not really a comparable skill and really is it the kids fault. So many shoes are elasticated, velco or slip ons.

All of mine though could tie laces by the time they were 5 - they wanted the trendy trainers with laces..... therefore they had to learn to do laces. My youngest (age 6) goes round the class with the teacher doing up peoples shoe laces - funnily enough he isn't great at ICT - he copes well enough with it but not overly interested. My two eldest can do a tie as well.

It all comes down to what we teach them doesn't it through provision.