Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Encouraging right handedness in toddler

337 replies

Pearlsaplenty · 25/11/2013 08:13

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?

OP posts:
NewToAllThis11 · 25/11/2013 09:15

I agree with pp and I find it strange the way some people are talking about being left handed as a problem. I'm a leftie and it has never caused me any problems, apart from occasionally not being able to use certain scissors or tin openers - hardly an issue! I used to have some left handed scissors which I kept in my pencil case at school.
And I find the assumption that left handed people have poor handwriting or write 'backwards' irritating because it's not true.
My dad is a leftie too and I hope my baby DS is too. I remember reading something that said LH people are often more creative, and better at tennis!

Original poster
Pearlsaplenty · 25/11/2013 09:15

So do you pass things/kick and throw to their preferred side? Try to do it half and half? Or do you not think about it at all?

OP posts:
SteamWisher · 25/11/2013 09:15

I try to sit opposite him so I can pass to his right side, which comes naturally to me. I just plan to do this in advance

^this is the odd bit.

Why not have stuff on the table and let him pick it up. Why are you even thinking "oh I better sit opposite so I can pass that way"

How bizarre.

SteamWisher · 25/11/2013 09:16

I don't think about it at all. I just hand stuff over if ds asks, kick a ball which ever which way etc etc.

YeGodsDidTheDrWhoThemeTune · 25/11/2013 09:17

Pearls at 2yo, your DS could be going through a phase of trying to mimic your handedness by mirroring what you do! It's quite common, and a sign of showing an interest in the world around him. As others have said, it's too early to tell his handedness, but whatever he turns out to be, accept him for who he is.

pudseypie · 25/11/2013 09:17

Just don't think about it! hold or pass things to the centre and let your ds do what comes naturally.

I have a 2 yr old ds and can't say I've ever thought about how to pass him anything! And unfortunately he looks like he's right handed... Confused

RandallFloyd · 25/11/2013 09:18

I have honestly never thought about it.
Why would I? He's 2.

kelper · 25/11/2013 09:19

Can't believe I'm reading this! I'm a leftie, very very left sided infact, and I was slightly concerned I'd find teaching ds things hard if he was right handed, but I'd never have tried to change him! Fortunately he is left handed, but not exclusively.
I'm the only leftie in my family, but my parents never tried to change me.
Let him be a leftie, all the cool people are :)

Marrow · 25/11/2013 09:20

Well you now know that YABU. As a left hander at school I found handwriting difficult as teacher

PickleSarnie · 25/11/2013 09:21

Utterly bonkers. What if he doesn't even want to learn the guitar?!

I've never suffered as a result of being left handed. Other than no one had the patience to teach me to knit but I mever really wanted to anyway so was glad of the excuse not to

wigglesrock · 25/11/2013 09:21

My husband is right handed but plays all sports & I use the term plays very loosely with his left hand. Everything he holds like a bat, racquet, club all goes into his left hand.

I think at some point one of our kids favoured their left hand at around 2ish but I didn't even notice Blush . It was my Mum mentioned it to me, but just in a general interest kind of way. They are all right handed now.

Original poster
Pearlsaplenty · 25/11/2013 09:22

Why not have stuff on the table and let him pick it up. Why are you even thinking "oh I better sit opposite so I can pass that way

This is because he is 2 and I'm trying to interact with him/teach him how to use craft materials. If I just put them in front he would use them incorrectly or just use one thing. So I pass him different colour pencils, different play dough cutters, different stickers/picture to glue. When he is more experienced at doing craft of course I will just put them all in front of him. Is this really unusual?!

And I pass them to his right side because I was trying to encourage him to use his right hand, mistakenly.

OP posts:
Marrow · 25/11/2013 09:22

Oops posted too soon. Teachers would keep trying to get me to hold my pen in a way that felt unnatural to me.
As an adult the only problem I have found is that I simply cannot learn how to crochet ! Despite many hours trying to learn I simply cannot do it. I think I need to find a left handed teacher.

Sirzy · 25/11/2013 09:23

I don't think about it at all, no matter what DS would take it with his left hand the vast majority of the time because he is left handed. I have never felt the need to attempt to change that or encourage anything else.

I really can't see your problem with having a left handed child.

Ifcatshadthumbs · 25/11/2013 09:23

I have never ever thought about how I pass things to my children, how strange! Until ds was 4 we had no idea if he was left or right handed as he would rarely hold a pencil and didn't show preference in any other way. Never occurred to me to influence it.

Lighten up OP, you are way over thinking!

3bunnies · 25/11/2013 09:24

At 2 we were fairly sure ds was right handed as dh commented that he was sad there wasn't going to be another leftie in the family. Filling in preschool forms again fairly certain. Now at 4 he picks up a pen and tries to write with either hand. Posted on here a week ago asking when children showed a firm preference and some people said theirs hadn't until 5/6. Don't try to persuade him either way, just let him develop. Just hold a pen out in the middle and let him take it. When kicking a ball kick to both sides - I could kick to goal with either side and it always confused the goalie. Dh finds it is an advantage with tennis etc as most people are used to playing right handed people (as is he) so when they encounter a left handed person it completely throws their game. He also plays guitar with no problems.

Let him enjoy being 2 and just see what he becomes.

awaynboilyurheid · 25/11/2013 09:24

I am one of those very right handed people so I noticed my eldest daughter was left handed straight away but would never have done anything to change it why would I? my husband had had all the try sitting on your left hand and writing with your right hand at school and he is terrible at writing as he is naturally left handed so its crazy to try to encourage anything, really I would relax about it my daughter is clever artistic and again feels part of a exclusive club! my husband and her can spot lefties , be proud of your son after all Obama is a leftie

Sirzy · 25/11/2013 09:24

If I just put them in front he would use them incorrectly or just use one thing

But that is how children learn, by exploring different things and experimenting with how they are used. If needed put less things out but let him figure it for himself. If you want to 'help' him then it is better to sit and do your own picture or whatever so he can see it being modelled.

raisah · 25/11/2013 09:24

I am left handed as is my dad, my brother & my dc and we've not experienced any problems at all. What you are suggesting is to go against the inherent nature of your child and impose a way of living which will be completely alien. It is not as simple as holding a spoon with a right hand instead of the left, the brain has to use a different side to be a right hander as well as relearning how to do things. How would you lije it if you were made to be left handed?

Ifcatshadthumbs · 25/11/2013 09:25

Oh for goodness sakes I've just seen your last post. Leave the poor boy alone, let him use materials how he wants it's how he will learn! Your going to end up with a poor boy who can't think for himself. Let him discover for himself.

Binkyridesagain · 25/11/2013 09:25

Pearls, why not just let him explore and discover things for himself, its part of growing up. Put the stuff in front of him, if he uses things incorrectly its fine, its how he will learn, if he uses the same cutter or colour all the time, its fine. If he uses his left hand its fine. the world will not end if he does things different to you.

Writerwannabe83 · 25/11/2013 09:26

This is absolutely insane. Your poor child already being raised to think that what is natural for him is wrong in his mother's eyes and he is being encouraged forced to be different to how he is Hmm

I'm left handed, as is my sister and so are both my parents. We all survived! There are bigger things to worry about in the world than if there are any left handed scissors to hand.....

When my mom was at school they tried to force her to use her right hand, it's awful. That was about 50 years ago though, a practice that everyone in today's world assumed had long since died out - but obviously not......

I'm honestly shocked.

Nanny0gg · 25/11/2013 09:26

Don't pass him stuff, or if you must, just hold it out in a general direction and he will choose which hand he wants to use.

Or just put a couple of things in front of him and let him choose.

Amy106 · 25/11/2013 09:27

I will always be glad that my right handed mother never did anything but encourage us in our left handness. And that was a very long time ago. To think that in this day and age " encouraging right handness" in a child is even a consideration is frankly very surprising to me. Being left handed is great!Smile

GiraffesAndButterflies · 25/11/2013 09:27

OP this may help you stop worrying: 100 famous lefties