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Original poster

Left handed child

69 replies

tabletops123 · 07/02/2022 14:21

Hi all
My 5 year old has been using her left hand as her dominate hand for about a year now eg cutting, writing etc

I've bought her some left handed scissors which she says feel much more comfortable. I'm right handed and so is everyone I know. Are there any lefties out there or parents of lefties that can give me any general tips or good buys for my daughter as I understand most things are made with right handed people in mind.

Thanks

OP posts:
newtb · 07/02/2022 18:36

I'm a leftie and thé only other IS a great grandfather, noone else. One thing I've found out is that according to a lot of thyroid books, it massively increases the risk of an auto-immune disorder.

trumpisagit · 07/02/2022 18:37

I have 2 lh children.
They prefer right handed scizzors and use the mouse with their right hand.
Their writing is OK, and I don't think it makes much difference to their life.
The world is right handed and they have mostly adapted to that.

CatDogMonkeyPOW · 07/02/2022 18:38

I'm left handed as is DS9. Never needed any special equipment.

Interesting to read that so many mirror write. I can write in mirror with my left hand and write forwards with my right hand at the same time Grin

Only tip I would say is to teach her to tilt her paper when writing. So rather than have the paper face her straight on, tilt it at an angle with the top right corner closer to her so she's effectively writing down the page along the line. Less smudging and so much more comfortable.

rugbychick1 · 07/02/2022 19:09

I'm left handed (50) and only had left handed nibs for the fountain pens we had to use at primary school. I just adapted to what equipment was around. Turning the paper as previously suggested is a good one. But I wouldn't go to overboard with specialist equipment unless they're prepared to lug it all around with them.

My right handed mother (I'm the only left handed person in. Y family) still can't bear to watch me use scissors or a knife.

I sometimes have to get right handed DP to show right handed DD how to do something as she doesn't get how to do what I'm showing her.

I'm not saying at all you'd do this OP, but never get them to switch hands and force them to be right handed. A lot of left handers would agree.

Original poster
tabletops123 · 07/02/2022 21:23

Wow great thanks - the paper tilting I think will definitely help. She does quite often write from left to right so the dot idea is something I will introduce. Thanks I appreciate it

OP posts:
tpmumtobe · 07/02/2022 21:59

Leftie in my 40s here . My Mum bought me all sorts of lefthanded clobber when I was young (scissors, backwards rulers etc) I've not stuck with any of it. Mum was careful not to let me develop a hook when writing (tips on tilting the page are good) and I was first in my class to graduate to a fountain pen, but I promptly smudged it all across the page and had to go back to biro!
My biggest issues as an adult are cutting roast meat (my Mum was encouraged to get me eating right handed, and to this day I end up stabbing with my knife and pulling with my fork!) also b*$t#rd can openers, (they are my nemesis) and cash machines (the card slot is not designed with us in mind!).
Watch out if she gets into racket sports, I found them very demoralising because you tend to hit things the 'wrong' way - eg I was always immediately caught out in rounders because I hit it straight to 1st base Confused
And make sure you give her a chance to try a musical instrument - roughly 4/5 of my amateur orchestra are left handed, we're a creative bunch us lefties Grin

Goldandguns · 07/02/2022 22:07

Leftie here. I never had anything adapted for me all through school and actually loathe left handed scissors because they seem to cut a cm away from where I intend to cut. For neat, smudge proof handwriting I would suggest getting her to tilt the header of her paper/book at 2/3 o clock so her arm can rest on the paper the same as it would for someone right handed. Sitting at a similar angle also helps. My handwriting is actually a lot neater than most right handed people I know Grin
Otherwise it's easy enough to adapt - I crochet as a right handed person would and didn't realise until I saw a leftie crocheting, but now I find it impossible to do it the same way as them!

singingirl · 07/02/2022 22:20

One of our children is left handed and I’m right handed. She can get by with right handed scissors but loves using left handed ones really! She also uses non smudgy pens which helps her a lot. The weirdest thing I had to teach her was when she was small and I was teaching her to butter bread - I could not get my head around the knife being upside down and going away from me 😂. She got it though and taught me! So your child will learn to adapt and get by. My daughter is really proud of being left handed now and a bit different to her siblings so all good. ☺️☺️

user1471543683 · 07/02/2022 22:21

Leftie, mid forties and I agree left handed scissors are awful. I prefer normal ones. Sitting on the left hand side at high school to stop elbows bumping. Other than that I've managed just fine.

Knittingnanny2 · 07/02/2022 22:28

Yes! I forgot to say avoid the hooked hand position.
Yes! We are creative and musical. I play the violin, knit and crochet like a right handed person though.
The left handed scissors in my classrooms were always highly coveted. I think it was because they were only to be used by a chosen few! I often had to dissuade righthanders from using the pretty red left handed scissors!

TheSmallAssassin · 07/02/2022 22:42

I didnt realise until a few years ago why I'm so rubbish at cutting bread, but it's only serrated knives that are "handed" as far as I know, I am fine with straight edged knives. I've never used left handed scissors, just put up with the discomfort. I did get my guitar strung the other way up though. Modern tin openers are so much better than the old metal ones! Also, I use a Y shaped peeler.

GlitteringFeeling · 07/02/2022 23:41

I’m a leftie and had never twigged the pencil sharpener issue until this post! My nemesis is a pastry fork (the ones with a ‘blade’ edge and fork as they don’t work when held in the left hand). I use cutlery as a right hander, hold a rounders/cricket bat as a left hander, play golf as a right hander… so all over the place really!

I struggled to cut with right handed scissors, so I would suggest at least getting some left handed ones and see what DC prefer as they grow up. I still use left handed scissors for cutting fabric for sewing, and it’s far neater etc than when I try with right handed ones.

Tilting the paper is good advice too - I never developed a ‘hook’ and my handwriting is nice (so I’ve been told!), so I think being aware of tips and tricks early on in the handwriting learning process can definitely help.

Retisestress · 07/02/2022 23:50

I am left handed ,am in my 50s . I use scissors with my right hand .My handwriting is awful though !! Other than that am absolutely fine.

Retisestress · 07/02/2022 23:57

Also as a lefty inc husband…my children had to learn how to tie their laces on their own !! All three are right handed and worked it out for themselves.

ToastieSnowy · 07/02/2022 23:58

The maped swan neck pens are great. You can also get left handed rulers and pencils with left handed grooves in them.

She will also need to learn to ride her bike the opposite way to you, so push off from the other leg.

OptimisticSix · 08/02/2022 00:02

I have a left handed daughter and she has beautiful handwriting. I bought her all the left handed stuff and she never used it, at school she just wanted to use the same stuff as her friends so adapted -scissors, sharpener etc...

Oddly also having a left handed mum, although I wrote with my right hand I use a computer mouse in my left from copying her.

LilyRed · 08/02/2022 00:15

@tabletops123

you might find useful stuff for your daughter here Smile

www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/index.html - my father used to order from here many years ago.
and here
www.leftshoponline.co.uk/

Some of my family are lefties - mostly males with the occasional girl (one of mine) and because my father taught me to do various things when I was growing up, I am ambidextrous to a small point Those left-handed tin openers look just the thing - I had never realised I was using them as a left-hander!

badg3r · 08/02/2022 00:16

I'm left handed, never smudged pens, never wrote at a funny angle, can't use left handed scissors 😂 just keep an eye on her and if something looks uncomfortable you can look for alternatives. For me left handed hockey sticks were really handy.

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 08/02/2022 00:25

I mostly adapted eg. I use a normal mouse but in my left hand (so reverse the fingers used on the buttons). I found a left handed ruler and scissors helpful at school. It took me a long time to find a tin opener, veg peeler and bottle opener that worked for me. So much so, the veg peeler was the only household item I claimed when I split from my first boyfriend Grin

BlondeWidow · 08/02/2022 00:45

@newtb

I'm a leftie and thé only other IS a great grandfather, noone else. One thing I've found out is that according to a lot of thyroid books, it massively increases the risk of an auto-immune disorder.
A whaaat?!
Bouledeneige · 08/02/2022 01:14

In my family 4 out of 6 of us are left handed and scissors was the only thing that ever caused occasional problems.

The one thing that I would say is how annoying it is when right handed people say it's harder for left handed people to write - because it's harder work to push rather than pull a pen. It's bullshit. And 3 of us have lovely writing.

Floralnomad · 08/02/2022 01:22

My dad was a leftie and he had lovely handwriting . I started as a leftie , then swapped to writing right handed in infant school but am pretty ambidextrous for things like sports , rounders / cricket / tennis I can play at a reasonable level left or right handed . The auto immune thing mentioned is interesting as I have at least 4 autoimmune diseases .

TeenPlusCat · 08/02/2022 07:17

Also, on average left handers are better at maths. Around 50% of my maths lecturers at university were left handed.

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 08/02/2022 07:41

In terms of 'leftie' skills I am rubbish at most creative things - art, music, languages, crochet/knitting, maths (as mentioned above) I quite like my handwriting though...

Swimmum1206 · 08/02/2022 09:33

DS16 is left handed. His handwriting is appalling! When he was younger and learning to write we bought him left handed pens, which really helped. When he was really young, we bought him the pencil grips to help teach him how to use a pencil properly. Even now there are only certain pens he can use as so many smudge for him.

Also, there are only certain can openers and potato peelers he can use.