Calling left handers....

[aloha]

Ds (three and a half and a bit dyspraxic) is looking more and more as if he is left-handed, which is fine (apparently geniuses are more likely to be lefties!), but as I'm right handed and so is dh I'm not sure if this might present problems for him, esp as he is a clumsy klutz to start with
So what things would help a left-handed child in your opinion? Special scissors? Knives? Any tricks to make his life easier?
Thanks!

[MissChief]

I'd say reassure her lots (esp when it comes to writing which will probably take longer)and yes, definitely get the lh scissors. I've got opposite sit - I'm left-handed and often ds tries to copy me even though he's definitely right-handed, makes him clumsy sometimes.

[motherinferior]

Oddly enough, a large number of my boyfriends (and my father, thank you Dr Freud) have been left handed. There is a left-handers shop somewhere in central London, which sells cunning wheezes like scissors, but actually the only moans my dad ever made on this subject were about how you hold a pen when you're writing - you do have to be taught a specific hold otherwise you smudge the ink, and about the pita of phones - so a cordless gets round that one.

Special tin openers too IRCC.

[MissChief]

meant to say, if you really want all the kit (which I've still never bothered with) there's a lefthanded shop in london who do mailorder for tin openers, kids stuff etc. don't know the address but sure you could google.

[suzywong]

I think it's on Brewer Street

[HandbagAddiction]

As a left-hander myself, I'd almost be inclined to encourage a bit of ambidextrousnous (sp?) if you get my meaning!! I'm not saying you shouldn't encourage the use of the left hand, but I also wouldn't discourage the use of the right. Personally I have no special left handed items in my house and just use which ever hand feels more comfortable depending on the task and the 'thing' I have to use to do it. I now also play a lot of sports right handed too - although predominantly those where two hands are required rather than one, e.g. golf or hockey

Writing the is only thing I would potentially intervene on - if you watch them carefully, there are a lot of left handed people with very strange looking writing styles. My parents always just got me to twist my pad of paper round so that it was on a slant leaving my wrist straight rather than bent over at 45 degrees which is how quite a few people write. Sounds odd, but it worked for me!!

I am soooo not a genius though!!

[motherinferior]

\link{http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/here you are, tin openers and many other lovely things for the sinister among you}

[suzywong]

Soho that is

[motherinferior]

bum

[otto]

I'm not left-handed, but I do know that there used to be a shop selling left-handed stuff in Beak Street. Don't know if it's still there

[LIZS]

dd is left handed (very dominant since before she was 18 months). She uses left handed scissors at playgroup but we haven't made much effort otherwise. She does have a tendency to write from the right and will do activities in comics for example from the right hand side across to left. I've tried to hold off teaching her to write, hold pencil etc cos I'm afraid I'll show her incorrectly and we are both right handed.

One thing which has become clear with ds (almost 7, also with motor issues ) is that hand dominance didn't naturally emerge but he is right handed.

[amylou81]

I'm left handed and the only thing I ever needed through school was a pair of left handed scissors. I also had a left handed fountain pen (not that it ever had much use. I agree that as an adult a tin opener is essential as I havent got one and am completely stuck if my other half isnt around!!

[suzywong]

Beak Street, knew it began with a B

God I miss Soho

[elliott]

well me and my dh are both geniuses- er, make that both left handed - and we don't have any left handed gadgets at all. We both use right handed scissors. I eat left handed but he eats right handed.
There is a huge range among left handers as to how comfortable they feel learning things the right handed way - it is probably easier to try to learn as much as possible right handed (instruments, sport etc) but just to be aware of the possibility of trying out the alternative to see if its easier.

I think at this stage you don't need to do anything particular, just follow his lead really. Prbably main issue arising in near future will be learning to write and develop a comfortable pencil grip - he won't be able to copy you (but then my ds1 can't copy me either!). Having said that I don't remember having any problems learning to write or draw.
I think ds2 is almost certainly going to be left handed (intersesting it has become apparent much sooner than for ds1) so poor ds1 will be the only rightie in the family!

[elliott]

crumbs about 20 posts while I was typing - apologies if I've repeated stuff!

[amylou81]

Forgot to mention there used to be a left handed shop in Bristol aswell but not sure if there still is.

[MissChief]

only thing I had was lefthanded veg peeler - can't use it successfully though!
my writing is and always has been untidy and difficult to read- remember teachers giving me a really hard time over this (oh the smudges & tears with a fountain pen!)sure teachers more enlightened now, but definitely think lhanders need much more support with learning to write - not only because opposite hand, but cos hand will cover what you write as you write it, IFYKWIM.

[elliott]

personally I don't think its a very big deal at all and can't really relate to all these left handed gadgets. But perhaps I'm just not very strongly lateralised. I sew with my left hand (rarely!) but that's about all apart from eating and writing. I did use to find cheque books irritating though...

[HandbagAddiction]

You see...the left handed tin opener thing really just passes me by. I've only ever used a right handed one....

[elliott]

re the writing - I agree it is probably better to encourage a style where the hand is not covering the ink - perfectly possible - I do the tilting the paper technique and my writing is perfectly serviceable (well before I did everything on a keyboard it was!)
Will shut up now.

[expatinscotland]

I write and eat left-handed, but do everything else - use scissors, swing a racket, etc.- right-handed, so I'd hold out on special items for left handers until he gets a little older.

As for as southpaws being klutzy, well, I stared ballet lessons at 3 and was never klutzy.

[elliott]

oh, yes those annoying chairs with attached tables! I've never seen a left handed one...

[suedonim]

Dh and I are r-handed but it's been no big deal to have two l-handed dd's. The only thing I bought were left-handed scissors. It's a good idea to get them writing in a comfortable way when they reach that stage. Anything Lefthanded sells books that show you useful methods for that.