Tying, Zipping, Buttoning: Taking Care of My Own Clothes
Did you know most kids can learn to tie their own shoes by practicing just the SAME small move about 20 times? It is not magic. It is not something only grown-ups can do. Your fingers just need practice, like learning to hop on one foot or catch a ball. Today we practice three jobs your fingers can learn: buttoning, zipping, and tying -- so YOU get to be the boss of your own clothes.
What You'll Learn
- How to button a button, one hole at a time - How to zip a zipper without it getting stuck - The first two steps of tying a shoe (we build up to the full bow!) - Why practicing on a coat that is NOT on your body first makes it easier
Buttons: One Hole at a Time
A button has two parts: the round button and the little slit called a buttonhole. Here is the trick -- push the button through the hole edge-first, like it is diving into a pool, not flat like a coin. Pinch the button between your pointer finger and thumb, poke the edge into the hole, then use your OTHER hand to pull the fabric through from the other side. Start with the button closest to your chin and work down. If buttons feel tricky, that is totally normal -- even grown-ups fumble big winter coat buttons sometimes!
Zippers: Line It Up First
Zippers get stuck when the two bottom teeth are not lined up before you pull. Before zipping, look down at the very bottom of the zipper -- there should be one little piece called the 'insertion pin' that needs to slide into the little box on the other side, like a key going into a lock. Once you hear or feel a tiny click, THEN grab the zipper pull tab and slide it all the way up in one smooth motion. Pulling before that click is the number one reason zippers jam.
Shoe Tying: Building the First Two Steps
Full bow-tying is a big job with lots of steps, so today we just practice steps 1 and 2. Step 1: cross your two laces to make an X, like crossing your arms. Step 2: take the lace that is now on top, tuck it UNDER the X and pull both sides snug -- that is one single knot, and it should feel tight against your shoe. Practice just these two steps 5 times in a row before we ever add the bunny-ear loops. Going slow on the first steps makes the whole bow easier later.
Buttoning, zipping, and tying are all easier to practice on a jacket laying flat on a table or on your lap, BEFORE trying it while wearing the jacket. When the jacket is flat, you can see both of your hands and both sides of the button or zipper clearly. Once it feels easy flat, try it while wearing it!
What is the very first thing you should do before pulling a zipper's slider up?
In the first two steps of shoe tying practiced in this lesson, what do you do right after crossing the laces into an X?
Match the clothing task to its first step.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
Clothes Challenge Practice Card
With a grown-up, practice each skill 3 times on a jacket or shoe that is NOT being worn: button 3 buttons in a row, zip a zipper up and down 3 times, and cross-and-tuck your laces 3 times. Have your grown-up put a checkmark on paper each time you finish one, for 9 checkmarks total. Deliverable: your practice card with 9 checkmarks, brought back to share.
Every single grown-up you know once needed help with buttons and zippers and shoelaces too -- nobody is born knowing it. Every practice try, even the wobbly ones, is building the exact same finger memory that turns into 'I did it myself!'
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