fit to be tied

I haven’t taught Philip how to tie a knot.

I buy him shoes with Velcro because I’m settling for the easy way out. I’m not suggesting that Philip can’t learn this skill, I just don’t know how to instruct him.

So I let him teach himself.

Are you familiar with his love of balloons? No? Check out this and this. What about his affinity for dangling objects? I suggest you look at the photos here.

When he asks for string for a balloon, he wraps it around the stem until it is secure. I haven’t taught him how to tie the string on. Wrapping his is go-to strategy for connecting string to various objects: toy cars, markers, craft projects, etc.

Until last night.

Last night, I heard a thunk followed by a whimper. Hoping to avoid a full-blown wail, I hightailed it to Philip’s bedroom. I found him in his closet standing on his toy chest. He had assembled a mobile of clothes hangers, one brown boot lace and string. His first attempt to hang  the mobile from the clothes rod had failed, hence the thunk.

By the time I entered, he was on his second attempt.

“Do you want Mommy to help?” I asked.

He didn’t even look at me. He was focused on the problem at hand. He realized the weight of the mobile required the string to be more secure. He wrapped the string around rod again, but this time he made a loop and then pulled the end of the string through it until it was tight.

He tied the string. On his own. And he taught himself how to do it.