Encouraging right handedness in toddler

[Pearlsaplenty]

My 2 year has been showing a preference to using his left hand so I have been encouraging him to use his right hand by passing him thing to his right hand, kicking balls to his right side etc. I know it is very bad to force right handedness and I would never do that.

I would prefer him to be right handed as I know it is easier for general everyday living and also I have family members/friends who have said that it is more difficult to be a left handed when it comes to music eg learning guitars upside down if there is no left handed one to use.

Would I be unreasonable to ask his nursery to also encourage this?

As there are lots of left handers on this thread, can anyone tell me if I should buy special toddler scissors for DS? They look like they would work either way, but I'm not sure.

Personally I have never used left handed scissors and have coped fine with right handed ones - but then I don't know any different!

I do find can openers quite inconvenient though - that's the only thing I can think of. Not something you need to be worrying about for a toddler though!

soloman
I have left handed scissors but prefer "normal" ones

Goodness, for once I hope this was a wind up thread, because surely no one is this ignorant?

Thanks pretty and talkin. He can't use the normal ones at all, but I think that's his general lack of motor control!

This is so a wind up!

Look at the OP's name before you clutch those pearls!

My gran had this done to her in the 30s!!

This is so ridiculous. Why make a child's development harder for them, and ultimately have them think that their instinctive decision to use the left hand is wrong

What a shocking thread!

DS (2.8) is left handed and when it became obvious; I got quite excited! I think it's special and certainly make an effort to remember to put things in his stronger hand, set the table right for him. He looks confused if I don't!

Hmmm..how odd that this is a discussion on The Wright Stuff (well on their Facebook page anyway, I didn't see todays programme).

Im a proud leftie..just like my lovely late grandad.
Im gutted (well a bit sad) that none of my ds are.
Ive been told I wear my watch on the 'wrong' wrist and my cutlery is round the wrong way!
I can open tins and use normal scissors.

Ive never played the guitar or piano.

I wish you could speak to my friend who had her left hand tied behind her back for most of his school life. She is right handed now but not comfortably so and her writing is appalling.

My 5yo dd1 was left handed from about 12 weeks old. I can't imagine trying to make her anything else. I come from a shedload of left handers so I'm pretty ambidextrous. It is no hassle at all.

I'm left handed and had no trouble playing hockey, cutting paper or playing flute, violin, guitar etc. I think as a left hander you do naturally learn to adapt and actually I find doing things right handed a darn sight easier than most right handed people find doing things with their left hand! Hope that makes sense. Plus - left handed people are far far more likely to be a genius- FACT.

Seriously? You are bonkers and being mean. Forcing someone not be the way they are is very very cruel.

I'm truly amazed that in 2013 being left handed is a disadvantage.
I'm left handed and in my 40's now. Even when I was a child it was mentioned as a "oh that's a bit unusual" kind of way, never as a problem.
Older people my grandparents age would mention horror stories about being forced to use their right hand.

OP, you do sound controlling and a bit obsessed.

My ds is left handed . He is most definitely left handed when it comes to writing and cutting out. But when he plays tennis he just swaps the racquet from left to right ( rather than playing backhand ) Genius ! It's good to be a little bit unique - oh , and he can only play the guitar the right handed way ?!

Good Heavens! What will I do with my son? Left handed and Downs Syndrome....doubly thwarted...fortunately, he is a very competent learner and decides for himself how and with what he would like to play.

I'm sure it's a wind up. I'm not, my case is genuine....but I offer some much needed perspective to OP.

YABVU. Seriously? I clicked on this thinking you would be expressing shock that someone else had said to do this. I can't believe anyone would waste their time doing something so ridiculous. This would never even occur to me. I'm hoping it's a wind up or a reverse AIBU

What a load of fucking bollocks. Loving seeing people getting outraged over this. OP, you know you are being unreasonable but you are not cruel nor stuck in the 50s. If you're reading this, don't worry, there are a few sane posters left on MN.

Oh don't be so silly op.

You understand that handedness isn't exactly the same for everybody don't you? As in the level of dependency on the dominant hand?

I am lift handed, I write with it, brush my teeth,smoke a cigarette with. I am right footed and if I had to would punch someone with my right hand. I can use a racket or a bat in either hand. I use scissors in my right hand. I can write on a notepad and use a computer mouse at the same time.

It is not and has never been an impairment. Leave him be.

If he was right-handed, would you pass things to his left hand just so he could experience it? I've read some stupid stuff on here in the past, but you are right at the top of my list.

As an aside I am rather proud of the left-handedness of my 2 boys (DS3 has yet to decide - writes with his left and plays tennis with his right!) as it appears to be the only bloody thing that they have inherited from me!

Also played the violin just fine.

My brother, who is right handed plays the guitar left handed.

So you never can tell.

I was corrected as a child, and have been struggling ever since - I am right handed but every fibre of my being tells me unconsciously that I need to be left-handed. Now I have finally started to revert - I can't with my writing because it has been too long but things like eating, teeth etc all left-handed. It irritates the hell out of me!

From the day I used a computer mouse, I just grabbed it left-handed without even thinking - and that's how it has beenfrom Day 1. Such a relief not to be frigged around with by do-gooders who think it was doing me a favour. aggghhhhhh!!!

Sorry OP, YADDDDDDBU and setting up frustration for your DC.

schmaltzing

15% of the worlds population are left handed apparently.

Much more common in men than women.

That'll be why people look at my as though I'm an animal in a zoo when they realise I'm left handed "ooooh you're left handed are you?" Said whilst I am writing so many times that if I'd had a pound for each I'd be rather wealthy. Even people I've mentioned being left handed too already!