Learning to look after yourself is an essential life skill and the first step to independence. At secondary school age these skills including dressing skills, kitchen skills and managing your money. Dressing skills include tying your shoe laces and tying your school tie. Kitchen skills include making a drink, making a snack or preparing a meal. Managing your money includes understanding money, budgeting and saving.
ShoelacesLearning to tie shoelaces is hard. Learning to tie laces before you need to wear shoes that need to be tied is a good idea.
Tips for young people:
This video has some hints and tips and shows you different ways to tie your laces.
Find our step by step guides below:
As you move through school you might need to wear a school tie. You might just need a tie in school photographs or special occasions when you are at Primary School. Lots of secondary schools have a tie as part of the uniform and you might need to wear a school tie every day. It helps to be able to tie a tie by yourself so that changing for P.E. is not an issue.
Use the videos below to learn how to tie your tie.
Use clip on or elastic ties. 
You might need some help with this strategy. Get someone to tie your tie as normal. Cut apart the back of the tie which would be under the collar. Sew Velcro onto both sides next to where you cut, like in the picture. Now you can use the Velcro fastening to put it on or take it off.
Information for young people.
Hints and tips on developing independence with money. Understanding money, budgeting and saving are important life skills.