by Joyce Slaton posted in Products & Prizes

Learning to lace up and tie shoes is a fine motor feat, and some kids master it later than others -- though most children can tie their own shoes by third grade, there are plenty who can't (or won't) tie their shoes right on through fifth grade, or even later.
Buying a very young child Velcro shoes is a no-brainer, but at a certain age most will rebel and demand shoes that don't look babyish. If shoe-tying is causing a lot of arguments or delays at your house, here are three alternate shoe-securing systems that may help.

1. Hickies: A mom we know recommended these most highly: "My 10yo son CAN tie his shoes, but just won't. Refuses to. We fight about it. His shoes are always sloppy and his teachers complain. Got these for him for Christmas. They're amazing!" Hickies are sort of like zip-ties for your shoes. You slip them through the eyelet (or loop, or whatever -- they work with any kind of lace-up), click them shut, and bam, the shoes are slip-ons. This video shows how they work. (Hickies, $11.99)

2. U-Lace: If your child wants laces that look just like classic shoelaces -- but prettier -- U-Lace is a good option. They're basically short pieces of shoelace, with a plastic-coated aglet on each end. You put the aglet through one shoe eyelet, then through another, and pull so that the aglets keep the lace from coming out again. You can lace up the shoes in all sorts of patterns to make them as tight or loose as you l...