Apr 15, 2021 Dear doctor, Maybe other parents are having this problem, and it sounds strange to ask. We have a 4-year-old who cannot tie his shoes. He goes to his older sister or to one of us to have them tied. We wonder if he has some kind of problem with seeing and doing things. He seems perfectly fine otherwise and is a great kid. â Worried Dear worried, Smart kid. He has others doing things for him, but refusing to help him is not an option. The answer is to teach him how to tie his shoes, or anything else which requires the fine motor skill. By the way, this is not a uncommon problem at his age and eventually would be a skill he would likely master.