Yesterday and today, the Athlete’s Foot Orion Springfield Central and Ascent offered free show lace tying lessons for children.
The event has been set up to coincide with the QLD school holidays.
The Facebook invitation says:
“This fun and interactive lesson will guide your children through the nine steps of shoe lace tying to assist your child learn an important life skill and at the same time create independence and assist in developing their fine motor skills.”
“Bookings are essential. To register, contact The Athlete’s Foot. Limited spaces available and spots will fill fast.”
While this may seem like a just a simple, one-off (but ingenious) marketing ploy – it’s actually reflecting a much larger change in our society.
A study from AVG revealed more kids aged 2-5 can play with a smartphone application (19 percent) than tie his or her shoelaces (9 percent).
Not only that, but more small children can open a web browser (25 percent) than swim unaided (20 percent).
Spokesperson for the company and AVG CEO, J.R. Smith. explained,
“Technology has changed what it means to be a parent raising children today – these children are growing up in an environment that would be unrecognizable to their parents. The smart-phone and the computer are increasingly taking the place of the TV as an education and entertainment tool for children”.
With our children being presented with access to a complicated and potentially dangerous tool like the internet at such a young age, it seems that attention and priority on what is considered a vital skill are being restructured within the family home.
This makes sense, considering 85% of parents have used a screen or smart device as a digital babysitter.
Speaking to News.com.au, Athletes Foot Orion Springfield Central store manager Ben Davis explained that not knowing how to tie your shoes can leave children feeling self-conscious and lacking a sense of critical independence.
Which leaves the question – in this busy modern age, whose responsibility is teaching these sort of side-lined life skills? Should the parents still have to step up or should we be outsourcing to the community?
Help, wherever it is available is always a great option -after all, it takes a village.
