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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

CALLING ALL LEFT HANDERS, ADVICE NEEDED PLEASE

143 replies

GreenOnions · 13/01/2009 22:13

questions, questions...

how soon can you tell if your child is going to be left handed?

dd is 6 months and today i had a 'lightbulb' moment,

she holds/grabs toys with her left hand,

eats her rusk with her left hand,

chews her left fingers,

sucks her left thumb,

offers her left hand to hold,

lays on her left side,

holds her bottle with her left hand,

none of which bothers me,

but after reading some online research on left handedness should i be worried in any way?

if you are left handed, did you/do you feel it hindered you in any way?

do you consider yourself worse off/better off/no different than if you where right handed?

are you more creative/imaginative/musical or is all that rubbish?

thanks

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SweetestThing · 13/01/2009 22:15

DH and I are both left handed, both our DCs right handed. I like being left handed. Sometimes it's a bit tricky using things that are designed for right handed people, but on the whole it's just a minor inconvenience. I don't think I'm more creative or musical than anyone else and DH is positively un-musical!!

QueenEagle · 13/01/2009 22:16

ds 4 showed left handed tendencies from about the same age. He is not very definitely a leftie. He started school last week and the teacher is aware and it just isn't a problem. The only thing I have bought for him is a pair of left handled scissors.

I don't think there will be a problem, schools are geared up for lefties - letter formation sheets came out to all new pupils with the welcome pack.

Your lo could change yet....

BoffinMum · 13/01/2009 22:18

You just need to buy some special scissors for her to do her little craft things with until she is about 8. Apart from that lefties are surprisingly normal!!

fryalot · 13/01/2009 22:19

ds (3) is a definite leftie. There was never any doubt. We had a similar lightbulb moment to yours when he was really little and we kept watching to see if he would switch to his right, but he never did.

Sometimes when copying his sister, he will use his right hand, but he's so awkward with it, he soon changes back to his left.

He struggles to use conventional scissors, but he's just started nursery and they have loads of left handed scissors and I struggle to help him with writing/drawing because I have to put my left hand over his to guide him, and, not being left handed myself, it feels awkward for us both.

There's a good web site for lefties, I'll have a think about what it's called...

TheFallenMadonna · 13/01/2009 22:19

It really doesn't bother me at all.

Not sure all the creative blah stuff is rubbish as such, but it isn't helpful to assume that a child will be a particular way based on handedness. There's no hard and fast rule.

My tip would be to encourage her to be able to use standard items like RH scissors as well as special LH ones. Because they are more widely available and I imagine it would be a PITA to have to hold out for the LH stuff in some situations.

WillyWonka · 13/01/2009 22:19

I'm a leftie and I love it!! Yes, I'm more creative - was a fine art student - and have a very active imagination so fulfil all the stereotypes (except the one where you write with your hand sort of hooked over the top the page, I just turn the sheet of paper around slightly).

Only real problem I have ever encountered was trying to use italic ink pens at junior school because nibs are cut on the bias which only suits right-handers. I've been sadly disappointed that none of my children so far show any signs of joining me though I may try for one more to see...

fryalot · 13/01/2009 22:20

oh yeah, anythinglefthanded.com

ChasingSquirrels · 13/01/2009 22:21

everyone says scissors, but my mum taught my (noticably left handed from as soon as he 1st reached out for things) ds1 to cut with normal scissors very early (2 iirc). He is a really good cutter and has never had any problems.

Wheelybug · 13/01/2009 22:21

I'm a leftie and think its great. I was v. disappointed when dd showed obvious right handed tendencies.

I seem to be very left handed in that i cna't really do much in a right handed way unlike a lot of left handed people. I don't think its hindered me in any way at all - I am quite musical and sort of creative although not in a typical arty way (can't draw/paint to save my life).

It does seem to be hereditary although my Dad is a leftie and my neice is (although neither of her parents are).

fryalot · 13/01/2009 22:21

oooh, while we've got some left handers on the thread, do you mind if I ask a question?

Dp has set a mouse on the computer to work for ds's left-handedness but I argued that he shouldn't, because ds won't be able to use a left handed mouse at school, and he'll need to learn to use a conventional one. Who's right?

frogs · 13/01/2009 22:21

My dd2 has just turned 5 and uses ordinary scissors without a problem. She does tend to write in quite idiosyncratic combinations of forwards and backwards though. But apparently that's normal and not a problem, according to the teacher.

Wheelybug · 13/01/2009 22:22

Actually despite not being able to do much right-handedly, I manage with normal scissors. That said, it might just be because no one has ever bought me left handed scissors.

ChasingSquirrels · 13/01/2009 22:23

mouse - my left-handed ds1 just uses my (right-handed) mouse with no problems, been using it since he was 2.

ThingOne · 13/01/2009 22:23

Apparently some children still switch in reception. I told my DS1's reception teacher in advance he was left-handed and he acted as if I was telling him I "thought" he was left-handed so he explained that sometimes it's not clear.

In my DS1's case it was very clear. I can't remember when I notice but it was well before one.

Nothing wrong with being left handed but it's handy if you encourage lots of use of right hand as well, as they live in a right-handed world. Don't begin to stop her using her left hand.

It shouldn't cause any issues for some time. DS1 managed fine with toddler scissors but once he got onto "proper" scissors he needed left handed ones. His school provides these and he knows which they are.

My children both have good fine motor skills and have done from an early age, so I've not had to help him much.

As he learns to write we need to watch carefully and see what help he'll need. There are lots of aids to help children angle the page for writing.

At home I have difficulty teaching him how to do things like crack eggs! I've taught him how to use the mouse right handed as that's what he'll have to deal with.

But no major worries.

Wheelybug · 13/01/2009 22:23

Squonk - you're probably right in that situation where he'll be sharing mice with others. Although at work I did change my mouse to left handed (use a laptop now without one so not an issue).

WillyWonka · 13/01/2009 22:24

After years of using right handed scissors, I actually find it easier because it's what I've grown used to. That said, I take great delight when dh picks up my lh scissors by mistake and starts cursing as it give me a chance to play the "welcome to my world" card!

MarlaSinger · 13/01/2009 22:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SweetestThing · 13/01/2009 22:24

No allowances made for me when I was growing up (parents righties, 4 brothers all righties!) except for using a spoon as parents got fed up with me slopping soup all around the kitchen

As a result, I can do a lot of things right handed that DH can't do. Play all raquet sports right handed etc.

Tbh, using a mouse right handed has never been a big problem for me, but that could be because I can use my right hand quite well.

fryalot · 13/01/2009 22:25

thanks for mouse advice, all (sorry to hijack your thread, GO. Hope you don't mind, twas a leftie question...)

MarlaSinger · 13/01/2009 22:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fishie · 13/01/2009 22:25

squonk it is my BIG THING. left handed people MUST use mouse lh or their ability to compute will be really impaired.

i am lh and use the mouse lh, all the other lhers i know use mouse rh and they sort of waggle it about and say "oh i can't do computer" embarrassedly. it is really really important.

ChasingSquirrels · 13/01/2009 22:26

lol at 3 crayons.
I think some (most?) aren't clear until a bit later, but some are so blatently obviously L or R. Although I have heard of those than then swap.
My ds1 reached out with his left, grabbed with his left, if given things to his right put them into his left, and just continued to be more and more pronounced in this as he grew.

ninedragons · 13/01/2009 22:27

Just putting this in my threads I'm on.

I think DD is left-handed. She's now 11 months but from about four or five months I noticed the same things as you did.

Apparently you can't tell if a baby is left-handed, but I would bet my house she is. It's not hereditary, is it? Neither DH nor I has any lefties in our families.

fryalot · 13/01/2009 22:27

ooh, fishie! So do I insist at school that they change the mouse to LH, or do I send him in with his own?

ThingOne · 13/01/2009 22:28

My DH is also a leftie and he uses his mouse right handed. He has asked me to point out that he also uses the wii controller RH but can use it in both .

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