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Put on Your Own Shoes Day

Family · Fun · December 6

A family day about small children learning to put on their own shoes, and the patience it takes from the grown-ups waiting by the door.

Put on Your Own Shoes Day falls on Sunday, December 6, 2026. That is 40 days away.

Putting on your own shoes is one of the first jobs a small child gets to own. It looks simple from above. Down at floor level it involves a left foot, a right foot, a heel that folds over, and a strap that will not cooperate.

Most children start with slip-ons or hook-and-loop straps, then move to laces once their fingers are ready. Laces bring their own vocabulary. Bunny ears, loops, the swoop and pull. Families tend to have a favorite method, often the one a parent learned and never questioned.

The day itself is mostly about patience. It asks the adults to sit on the step, keep their coat on, and let the slow version happen. Shoes on the wrong feet count as progress. So does a knot that holds for half a block.

Older kids and grown-ups can take part too. Teaching a younger sibling, retying a double knot properly, or finally learning a lace pattern from a picture book are all small, real wins. Some families mark the occasion by letting the child pick which pair to wear, even if the choice is rain boots on a sunny afternoon.

A child who has just tied a first bow will often stop, look down, and check it twice before standing up.

Ways to celebrate

• Let a child put on their own shoes, however long it takes.
• Teach someone the bunny ears method of tying laces.
• Draw a small dot inside each shoe to mark left and right.
• Let a child choose which shoes to wear today.
• Practice double knots together before heading outside.

Dates

All national days on December 6

Also on December 6

• National Gazpacho Day
• National Microwave Oven Day
• St. Nicholas Day
• National Miners Day
• Mitten Tree Day

Categories: Family daysFun days