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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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Android · 14/01/2009 18:06

I have a 9yr old who is left handed. She loves being left handed as her best friend also is, and it differentiates them from the others!! Also, the school provide left handed scissors etc for those who need them. the only difference I've noticed with her is that her writing is not as neat as it might otherwise be if she were right handed, but apart from that she is just the same as any other kid.

ramonaquimby · 14/01/2009 18:26

another leftie here and haven't ever been impaired by using a rh mouse - we have several set up for students and when I use those computers at school it's terribly awkward for me, and I switch it back, so don't agree with you there fishie.

nellieellie · 16/01/2009 13:13

Not had time to read all the messages so don't know if anyone has made this point but babies do switch apparently - will go through stages on using one hand all the time and then use another. Read this in - I think a Desmond Morris book on child dev. My little boy - now 3 is left handed and only reason I am a bit worried is that left handers are meant to be more clumsy. Certainly was the case for my left handed brother - v accident prone.

Mammina · 16/01/2009 13:34

I find this thread hilarious! People still think that being left handed is a problem/wrong. I am left handed and er, no, I wouldn't say it's held me back!! (not having a go btw just surprised )
I suppose that bec. when I grew up there weren't any special left handed things so you just had to get on with it and use the right. I used to do my ticks back to front, that's the only thing I remember being told off about at school. And in the days of fountain pens it was a bit of a nuisance because your hand did tend to smudge everything you'd written - but who uses fountain pens these days, and it won't be long before people don't write at all!

pudding25 · 16/01/2009 13:51

I am left handed. Lever had a problem doing anything right handed people can do. Never used left handed products (e.g scissors). Can draw as well as anyone else. Crap at music but don't think that has anything to do with being left handed!

LilRedWG · 16/01/2009 14:04

I'm left handed.

I tick backwards (well as far as right handed people are concerned), I use my knife and fork 'backwards' and I have scars on the knuckles of my right hand from struggling to use right handed scissors as a child (I now use left or right handed scissors in appropriate hand). I turn the paper through 90 degrees and write toward myself.

DH and I have separate settings on the PC so that the buttons automatically switch left/right on the mouse.

The cheque book for our joint bank account is left handed, which drives DH crazy, but at least gives him an idea oh how awkward things can be for me.

I'm fairly artistic, but my right handed brother is even more so. I have no musical ability whatsoever.

I don't think it has affected my life at all. It really is not a problem being left handed. Plus there are so many products available now that I really wouldn't worry about a child being left handed.

DD is 2.8 and we're still not sure which way she'll go, but I won't be upset either way

LilRedWG · 16/01/2009 14:10

I do remember being yelled at at school for attempting to playing hockey left handed - I hated the bloody sport and was atrocious at it. The teacher made everyone stop and me dribble (is that the right word?) the ball the length of the pitch right handed. I couldn't do it and was mortified. She yelled even more when I asked for a left handed stick....

midnightexpress · 16/01/2009 14:15

Two really blimmin annoying things about being left-handed:

when you're a student there are loads of those chairs with writing tables - all placed on the rhs of the chair, of course. Sometimes you can move them, but not always

eating in Chinese restaurants at a round table is very annoying if you're sitting next to someone right-handed and eating with chopsticks.

Seriously though, it's really nothing to worry about. Lefties are great. I am rather disappointed that both my children are shaping up to be of the non-sinister variety.

Divejaney · 16/01/2009 22:09

My DS is 5 months and at the moment he has a very strong preference for the left hand. I was wondering how young you can tell. Very interested to hear that many seem to start at 4-5 months.
Neither me nor my husband are left handed but both grandparents and his auntie are - so not too much of a surprise if he is

Mammina · 16/01/2009 23:09

apparently that's rubbish that you can tell so young, can't remember what age they show a real preference but I'm sure I read it's not that young

Egg · 17/01/2009 08:30

squonky I am left handed and have never used anything other than a right handed computer mouse. Was a secretary for 12 years and obviously a bloody good one of course and it never hindered me! I didnt even know you could get left handed mice!

To answer the op the only thing i had left handed as a child was scissors but found them more uncomfortable than normal ones. I have never found being left handed an issue at all. I am not very creative or musical!

stellsie · 17/01/2009 15:25

I am left handed and so are both my children (DD10 and DS 7). I am quite good at art and so is my DD, but not DS particularly! (he rushes around too much to want to bother with drawing etc).

Only downside I can think of is that I smudge what I write but over the years I have managed to get around it - so now no more smudging! Both my children tend to smudge their work too which of course is rather annoying for them, but it hasnt ruined their lives!!

My husband is right handed. But my dad is left handed!

edam · 17/01/2009 15:35

I'm right handed and have forgotten how to use a PC mouse - use a Mac laptop all the time but occasionally work in a Proper Office where I get all confused.

Divineintervention · 17/01/2009 15:38

My ds1 is left handed and his writing (aged 6) is a little behind as nobody bothered to show him, at school, how to form letters his way. I have recently purchased books from brightminds.com all about left handed writing.
There is a theory that left handed people are part of mirror twins, one of which disappears before detection. Which also goes with the genetic theory.

Spoo · 17/01/2009 15:41

My DS is left handed. I spotted him using his left hand very early at 6 months. All the time I have been told that they switch over time but he is now mark making with his left hand and eating with his left hand. He sometimes tries with his 'right' to be like his brother but it is quite obvious he struggles more. He throws a ball left handed. I believe that you can see it early in some children.

Divineintervention · 17/01/2009 15:43

My ds1 was doing everything left handed from finger food onward, he's left footed too. He's pretty good at drawing.

Original poster
GreenOnions · 17/01/2009 16:39

great advice here,

thanks

OP posts:
cat64 · 17/01/2009 17:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

elliott · 18/01/2009 11:37

Oh yes the awful writing tables!

blackrock · 18/01/2009 13:22

I am left handed.

I knit, play golf and do most every day things right handed, as no adaption was made when i grew up.

I cannot use left handed scissors, but can cut perfectly well with right handed ones.

I am not sure all the adaptions are required, but for writing paper and position adjustment are helpful, as is not using a fountain pen to avoid smudging.

I like being a leftie.

On the computer i use a touch mouse and many schools teach children to use these on laptops.

Personally I move the mouse and teach children how to move the mouse if they are looking awkward/not managing/feeling uncomfortable, if not the lefties use a right handed mouse.

Mammina · 18/01/2009 17:21

(a left handed wave of course )

blackrock · 18/01/2009 19:28

Leftie waves returned Migola!!

haagendazs · 18/01/2009 21:55

I live in a LH household now - Dh, DS and I are all left handers, still waiting to see about dd (2yo) and we dont own a pair of LH scissors between us, all can use Rh ones easily. Potato peeler is one which can be used in either hand, no probs with the Wii controller. I use a RH mouse in my LH, dh uses LH setting tho.
Its strange as I grew up as the only LH in my family so its nice to be 'normal' now! Having said that Im happy as a 'South paw' as they say in the US.
Would be interested to find out about the bright minds books on LH handwriting though as ds just started school and his writing is terrible.
This is my first post on here, just defected from another parenting site..... hope to get to know you all well.

LobstersLass · 18/01/2009 22:14

I'm a leftie, but was taught to use RH scissors with no problem at all. So long as you use them in your right hand it's fine.

In fact most things I was taught to do I do right handed with no difficulty at all.

I don't think it's of benefit to buy special equipment or move things from their usual settings as in real life these options may not be open to your little one.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 18/01/2009 22:18

I love being left handed - tis great for badminton. Oddly I'm right footed.

I use the mouse left handed. so does dd even through shes RH. Tis funny at school for her. Scissors and cutlery I use RH. I knit RH. My mum tried to teach me LH but cos she was RH it didnt work so I taught myself as an adult.

The only real difficulty was using a fountain/cartridge pen as a child. One giant smeary mess!