As the Summer season is peaking, Autumn and school may be far from your mind. While we love to know you're relaxing in the sun, we beg you not to make the mistake of waiting 'til the last minute to prepare your child for school. One subject we're especially interested in: shoe tying (of course!).

While nearly no elementary schools teach your child to tie their shoes anymore, some districts are now requiring that children must learn to tie those laces before they start school. Kindergarten Handbooks and school district materials now often state that a child must be able to "dress without assistance", which requires the skills to button buttons, snap snaps, zip zippers, and tie shoes.

States like Wisconsin now carry Kindergarten Screening Programs in which children are required to meet a minimum of requirements, most of which involve fine-motor skills. If you're worried your future Kindergartner won't be ready in time, have no fear! One, Two, Tie My Shoe can improve your child's fine-motor skills and teach him or her to tie their shoes in minutes. Order the kit for your child and watch them learn!

In addition, as an aid to our valued moms, dads, and kiddos, check this Kindergarten Readiness list below to be sure you're geared up for the wild adventure of Kindergarten.

Kindergarten readiness skills expected of a 5 year old:

• Speaks clearly in complete sentences of 5-8 words.
• Communicates ideas and personal needs.
• Ask questions in complete sentences.
• Is able to listen to directions.
• Is able to use concept and labeling words; e.g. in between, next to, middle, shorter, longer, less, more, empty, full, big, smaller, etc...
• Follows 3-step directions in order.

Example:
1. Brush your teeth
2. Wash your face
3. Comb your hair

• Has acquired responsibility skills; e.g. puts away shoes, hangs coat (hooks help), puts away toys.
• Completely dresses independently.
• Has a firm grip on a pencil or crayon.
• Can print his/her name starting with a capital letter, followed by lower case.
• Identifies letters in their name out of order.

April 9, 2009

One, Two, Tie My Shoe
Mendy Hassen

Dear Friends,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you personally for donating your footwear to help us reach out to hurting people throughout the world. It is only because of compassionate people such as those within One, Two, Tie My Shoe that we are able to expand our mission and realize our goals, which has always been to simply help those in need. Your ongoing support, both with the gift of your "soles" and also the gift of your generosity, enables Soles4Souls not only to gather shoes but also to deliver them around the world to children and families in dire need. Please continue to donate your new and gently worn shoes. And also, please consider helping us move your shoes arounf the world by adding your financial support to this great mission.

We are truly blessed to have friends at One, Two, Tie My Shoe and find it humbling and heartwarming that you would entrust your valuable resources to us. You should be proud that your company is actively involved with humanitarian causes and we invite you to keep our mission in mind, should the opportunity arise to continue to donate to our cause.

Thank you again for you involvement and please don't hesitate to contact us at anytime, for any reason.

Kindest Personal Regards,

Wayne Elsey
Founder and CEO

Since feet are the foundations of our bodies, we would like to share a few tips on how to find the perfect fit for your child, in order to create a safer, healthier, stress-free environment. Below are a few things to consider when making your trip to the shoe store:

• Use the sizing tools at the store to determine your child's foot length and width. If you don't know how to use the tool to its fullest potential, ask a store associate.
• Do not be tempted to buy shoes too big for your child's foot so they can wear them longer. Children who do not wear the right size shoe growing up are more likely to have walking issues and foot pain in the future. Saving a buck now could cost you larger medical bills in the future.
• Choose a firm yet flexible sole, so your child has support with movement.
• To prevent skinned knees and twisted ankles, soles with a tread-like pattern are more likely to gain traction on slippery surfaces.
• You should be able to make a thumb-impression at the toe of your child's shoe about an inch or a half inch deep.
• Watch your child walk in the shoes. Their heel should not slide out and their gait should look natural.
• If your child is trying on boots above the ankle, it is exceedingly important to ask them if their heels come up further than normal. A child is at a much higher risk of tripping or twisting an ankle in boots that are too big.
• Avoid shoes with raised heels if you can. Your daughter may look cute and sassy, but she is also more likely to trip and will not receive the healthiest support she can for her growing feet.
• If you can't choose, by all means, let your child make the final pick! There's no use in purchasing a pair your child won't enjoy and be proud to wear.

Photo by sean dreilinger.

On March 7th, One, Two, Tie My Shoe had a great day recently with parents, teachers and children at the Katy, Texas Parent Conference & Resource Fair for children with special needs. The Conference and Fair included classes for the attendees as well as exhibits and demonstrations by all sorts of relevant service and product providers.

We met so many wonderful people and showed them how One, Two, Tie My Shoe works so well for children with special needs, from youngsters to teenagers. With One, Two, Tie My Shoe, these children can now learn to tie their shoes – and tying their shoes on their own gives them a sense of accomplishment and relieves the frustration often experienced by parents, teachers and the children themselves.

We appreciate the invitation to be a part of this wonderful day with so many special people. We were inspired by the many awesome children and their dedicated parents, teachers and caregivers.

Please help us to help others-

• If you know of other conferences where we might help, please let us know.
• If you know of children we might help, please let us know or send them our way.
• And if you know of children that have already benefited from One, Two, Tie My Shoe, please send us your stories. They make our day!

We are excited to announce our national partnership with Moxie Moms! Now, Moxie Moms across the nation will be able to purchase One, Two, Tie My Shoe at a 15% discount!

While this is great publicity for us, we are extremely pleased to know that more moms and children will benefit from a great product that works.

Moxie Moms is a group of moms with local chapters across the nation that get together for events like playdates, movies, and more, and often enjoy great discounts for products relevant to motherhood (could One, Two, Tie My Shoe fit in any better?!). There is a local chapter in Katy, but since you can order One, Two, Tie My Shoe from anywhere, we decided to go for it big-time.

We would like to thank all of the Moxie Moms for looking into our product and supporting our cause!

In other news, we are looking into an affiliation with and donation to Sole4Souls, an amazing shoe charity that does lots for people across the world, as well as domestically. They do work for Native American reservations, disadvantaged children's camps and much more. Check back for more news on them soon!