being left handed.....

[Jadeylou]

We're sure our 3 year old boy is left handed. Holds spoon in his left hand to eat, throws with his left hand, basically everything.... (I think) and have always kind of known this. He starts reception class at school Sept 2009, I'd like him to be able to write his name, at least. His name is begins with a 'C', he can do a 'C', but starts from the bottom to the top. Where I start from the 'top'. Is this because he is 'left' handed? I've spoken to my partner and we're not sure what to do. I wil talk to his playschool. But we don't want to teach him the wrong thing. I was of the opinion that as long as he does a 'C' and it looks like a 'C' does it matter he's doing it different. My partner doesn't want us to get him into bad habits that are then difficult to fix. Also should we be encouraging him to start to use both hands to draw, hoping that he might stat using his right hand. Is anyone out there left handed? and can give me some pointers. I'm starting to waffle, hope you understand what I'm trying to say....

[scaredoflove]

Just leave him be, you don't need to do anything different, he will adapt to his own needs (turning paper, holding pencil etc)

Don't try to get him to use his other hand, it will confuse him. How would you like it if someone told you to use your left hand??

I'm a leftie btw, we are clever people using right handed products

You can help by buying left handed scissors but everything else, just let him explore and work out his own way

As I said I'm a leftie so was exH, we produced 4 right handers, funnily though they all eat leftie and tie shoe laces our way too

[littleolwinedrinkerme]

Ditto what scaredoflove said. Left handed scissors are great - apart from that it is alot of people trying to make money out of being LH. Our DD1 is LH but neither my DH or I am (it is in the family) - took a while to get used to - eg perfect writing but back to front (mirror image) same for numbers etc.. School really support it and her writing is perfect now ('ish!). Don't try and force/change anything.

[stealthsquiggle]

scaredoflove would you care to pop round and teach my Left Handed DS how to tie laces in a way which makes sense to him, then, please ?

To the OP - leave him be. Letter formation is expected to be all over the place and as long as he knows what the end result is supposed to look like that is good enough for now, IMHO. DH and I are right handed but it was clear from a very young age that DS isn't - he did everything first with his left hand. He is 5 now and his writing is very good - funnily enough although he used to throw with his left hand he now plays golf, cricket, etc in a right-handed manner and uses scissors with his right hand (waste of money those left handed scissors were!)

[Elmosgirl]

I'm left handed and start C at the top of the letter. I wouldn't try and get him to use his right hand, he's left handed if thats what comes naturally to him I wouldn't suggest getting him to fight that.

[PortBlacksandResident]

DS2 has just started year 1. In reception they didn't really mind how he wrote so long as you can read it. He's now just starting on his 'how to write' stuff i.e. c, d, a etc. beginning like a caterpillar (from the top). I would definitely let him do his own thing for now - to gain confidence.

BTW - both DS2 and i are left handed (agree re scissors) and he is being taught to write an o starting like a c but we both write it clockwise LOL.

(bet you're drawing an o in the air right now)

[shinyshoes]

My DS1 is left handed. We havn't bought anything different, he uses what we use, although he can't cut his food properly. I blame it on the knife, the serrated bit being the 'wrong' way for him DP calls it laziness

Schools provide left handed scissors

[KezzaG]

I am lefthanded and start my C's from the top, but ds age 4 is right handed and starts his from the bottom. I dont think it is to do with left handedness, more just learning how to write.

The only thing I notice that left handers do differently is turn the page so it is at an angle away from us and write sideways. That sounds wrong, but I mean I write towards myself on the paper rather than left to right in front of myself. If i didnt my hand would go over the writing and smudge it (especially when I was yoing and had to use a fountain pen). This seems quite common from other lefties that I know.

[Wilts]

I am left handed and would say just let him use whatever hand he feels comfortable with.

When I was at infants school I used my cutlery the 'wrong' way and was forced by the dinner ladies to use it the other way, I now just look messy using it.

We didn't have left handed scissors when I was at school ( I am not that old either!)

I think my letter formation is different than everyone else's and I have been accused of writing 'upside down' !

Please don't worry he will be fine and the only thing I have really had trouble with is those stupid twisty key things on tins of corned beef and they come with ring pulls now anyway.

Although I am sure you are not at all worried about his corned beef opening skills

[MaureenMLove]

Tip for learning to tie laces for left or right handed people! Use two different coloured peices of ribbon or string. That way, they can easily see the difference between the loop and the peice they are trying to push through the loop!

I'm a leftie btw, and I eat the 'correct' way, with fork in left and knife in right hand. As someone else said, lefties are far superior to righties, because we can do things left and right handed! (well, she didn't actually say superior!)

[mum2oneloudbaby]

i'm a leftie and do everything apart from write in a right handed way. i think it was because the rest of my family was right handed.

my leftie friend writes sort of upside down with hand twisted above the writing so he is writing from the right like a right handed person and not the left, looks strange to me but works.

let him do it his way and i wouldn't buy any special left handed things he will adapt.

also, look in any university lecture theatre and you will see rows and row of lefties so there may be something in what Maureen says

[IorekByrnison]

Dp and I are both left handed. We both sort of turned out alright.

He'll be fine - don't try to make him do anything different. (My mum is also left handed and was forced to use her right hand when learning to write. As a result her handwriting has never been good.)

[ComeOVeneer]

Don't try to make him use his right hand. My sister was forced to use her right hand although she prefered her left (she is ambidextrous) and it made school horid for her when she was younger. I have 2 lefites as does my sister and all the parents are right handed (my/sister's father isa leftie, as is my FIL and my BIL's father). We have just let them find their own way and let the schools guide them.

[4madboys]

dp and i are both left handed, the only concession i ever has was a pair of left handed scissors, but dp and i both get on fine with right handed stuff, apart from fountain pens.

out of our 4 boys two are right handed, one is left handed the we cant tell with the baby, tho he does such his left thumb

i am sure your dc will be fine just let them get on with it

[whinegums]

Jadey, congratulations on having a lefty! I agree with what everyone else has said in not trying to influence which hand he uses.

If you want to show him how to do anything, you could get him to face you and copy - e.g. he does what you do in a 'mirror image.' Don't worry though, he will get there. I freaked my folks out with my backwards writing for a while, but it sorted itself out.

I can't use LH scissors after years of using RH ones!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

I'm left handed and havbe had absolutely no probs at all - I draw for a living ! I play tennis right handed though. Don't try to change hisnatural hand whatever you do.