Advice needed from any mums of left handers

[lucy5]

My daughter has always loved nursery, we have never had anyproblems until recently. They are just learning to write and she is already becoming frustrated. She has started saying she doesnt want to go and getting very clingy on leaving. The teachers say she lacks motivation, this is translated from Spanish, so I dont understand it has motivation motivation, shes only 4. They say shes lethargic and uninterested. The only mention of being lefthanded was to do with frustration over using scissors. Do you think this recent behaviour is linked to writing or could it be a stage. Also is it worth me investing in some left handed things e.g scissors and could anyone reccommend somewhere I can do this online. Sorry this is a bit garbled. Any tips for lefthanders would be appreciated as dh and I arent.

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

lucy5, I'm a left hander, and have taught quite a few left handed children in the classroom.

I have to dash and do dinner, but just wanted to say don't worry too much, she will be fine, but her left handedness needs to be recognised and borne in mind by everyone working with her in the nursery and at home.

Left handed scissors are important (doesn't the nursery have some?), plus a pencil grip for anything she does using pens and pencils is helpful.

I've given a couple of links here and here which you should find helpful for advice and resources.

[suedonim]

I've got two l-handed dd's, though dh and I are r-handed. L-hand scissors are pretty useful but otherwise my dd's haven't found it a problem. Dd1 in particular sometimes does mirror writing but it's not a big deal. Hth.

[lucy5]

Thanks all, will look into pencil grip and scissors. Hopefully shes just going through a phase.

[SueW]

I'm left-handed but can't use LH scissors for toffee - obviously not your DD's problem.

TBH, the only time I really find it a problem is being seated in a crowded Chinese restaurant with a right-handed person to my left. Lots of elbow clashing as we both try to use chopsticks

[Gwenick]

The only 'real' problem I havve being LH is not being able to use a desert fork and spoon at the same time - simply HAS to be my left hand or the food goes everywhere.

Never used lefthanded scissors either.

[SueW]

Gwenick I use my knife and fork the 'normal' way i.e. knife in right hand, fork in left, traditional English, I suppose i.e not in way of North America, cutting up food then using fork to eat. But as soon as I get a spoon and fork in my hand, I have no problem having spoon in LH and fork in RH.

I could NEVER use a spoon in my right hand though without most of my food ending up on the table!

[Ellbell]

I'm the same as Gwenick and SueW... use knife and fork the 'conventional' way and use scissors in my right hand, but can't actually write with my right hand. My 4yo dd is right-handed, but my 2yo is still undecided. She alternates spoon and pen between left and right. Will have to see what happens.
Lucy... Are the nursery trying to 'force' (in the nicest possible way, of course) your dd to write in a way that she's not comfortable with? I write with the page at right angles to my body, which isn't ideal (gives me backache after a while) but is the only way I can manage it. Most of my teachers at school let me get on with it, but I did have a few who tried to make me write with my page 'straight' and I really resented that. I have to say, though, that although I was an early and good reader and loved writing stories and such like, I was never the best when it came to handwriting and I still don't fully do 'joined-up' writing.
Don't know if that helps at all. Maybe your dd is just noticing the transition between going to nursery to 'play' and having to do 'serious work' (though I'm sure the difference is very slight at her age)? Sorry not to be any more help.

[lucy5]

Thanks. Im going to chat with the school and see whats going on. I am in Spain and dont know what approach they take. The teachers are very nice but sweeping generalisation here, Spanish teachers do seem to be more traditional than UK ones. The funny thing is with the writing is that my dh and I are struggling too even though we are rh because the letter formation is different. DD came home with a worksheet to practise the letter o and dh and I just couldnt do it. I am a teacher myself and this made me feel awfully inadequate, so there are probably two issues going on here hahaha.

[JaysMum]

A good tip I will pass on....try angling the paper slightly and if you can raise it that also helps....you can buy special raised trays to use...not sure where though!!!

Try using fat chalks and crayons too.

Have a very left handed family here....all left brain dominant!!!!

[mammya]

Hi Lucy, my dd is (mostly) left-handed as well, she's nearly 4 and starting to learn to write, I haven't noticed any frustration on her part. Being right-handed myself I went to the Anything Left-Handed, the shop someone mentioned earlier. They are really helpful and have a lot of more or less useful stuff for left-handers (from mugs to scissors). Here is their website .
It's interesting what you say about the letter formation being different in Spain, I can't get my head round that!

[mammya]

Sorry that's not very clear is it... I went to Anything Left-Handed because as a right-handed person I wasn't sure how best to help my dd, and I thought that would be the best place to find out.

[lucy5]

Thanks all, dd got sent home from nursery with slapped cheek yesterday, so hopefully that explains the clingyness. I looked at the site really interesting, ive never thought about the possible difficulties associated with being left handed. im just going to monitor things, buy some left handed scissors and keep practicsing Spanish o's.