Flip flops and Mary Janes

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away I had to learn how to tie my shoes.  I was around five years old, I guess.  We lived in an apartment in the Bronx and my mother had spent all morning trying to get me to tie my shoes.  I couldn't do it.  No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't tie my shoes!  The way I remember it, I gave up and in a fit of frustration my mother stormed out of the apartment.  What really happened - my mother left me to my temper tantrum, went next door to ask our neighbors something, and came back within five minutes.  As my mother told her version of the story, I asked her why it was so important for me to learn how to tie my shoes.  Her response, "They wouldn't let you go to Kindergarten at St. Mary's if you couldn't tie your shoes!"

In my classroom, I am asked at least once a day to tie someone's shoe.  I think to myself, why don't these parents buy their kids velcro shoes like I did for my kids!  My class is full of flip flops, Cars shaped Crocs, sandals, sneakers and Mary Janes with velcro.  Not only do our children not have to learn how to tie shoes, they don't even have to learn how to use a buckle!  By St. Mary's criteria, only one or two of my students would have been admitted to Kindergarten this year.

And I must confess, I covet the pair of sparkly, pink Mary Janes with velcro straps one little girl wears in my class (just don't tell Sister S. from St. Mary's).