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Original poster

Left handed toddler - where to buy scissors and tips please!

24 replies

blueberrysorbet · 31/01/2010 18:36

I am not sure if this is the right thread- my ds is left handed and I have just noticed in his pre nursery (he has just started) the scissors are all right handed! where is the best place for left handed stuff for kids and any tips for now and future?

thanks!

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orienteerer · 31/01/2010 18:39

here

orienteerer · 31/01/2010 18:40

To be honest I'd wait, at that age they often use either hand.

Original poster
blueberrysorbet · 31/01/2010 18:46

thanks- he is always been obviously a lefty from waving a spoon about at 7 months, always drawing and painting with his left hand, kicking (!) footballs left footed. etc etc etc. i always give him a choice and never interfere but he mixes food, plays and eats lefty...with me and alone (me watching secretly

OP posts:
CantSupinate · 01/02/2010 18:59

I was convinced that DS2 was rt-handed until he was 3.5yo, and then....
He is now (5.5yo) overwhelmingly left-handed for writing, but he uses scissors rt handed and usually eats rt handed.

TBH, it's a rt-handed world so learning to have good dexterity with the subordinate hand is probably best strategy; DH is left-handed but only uses rt-hand for scissors or computer mouse, for instance.

purpleturtle · 01/02/2010 19:02

We have a pair of left-handed scissors - I think they were from ELC. I think a friend had purchased them in error and passed them on for DS1 who, like yours, never used his right hand for anything.

Batteryhuman · 01/02/2010 19:03

I agree with CantSupinate (good name!). Its a right handed world and best to just get onwith right handed scissors and eating right "conventionally". Writing however is different

overmydeadbody · 01/02/2010 19:07

the nursery will have left handed scissors, they just aren't out unless they need to be. Ask them.

You don;t need anything else 'special'

choufleur · 01/02/2010 19:09

ELC do them

ReadingTeaLeaves · 01/02/2010 22:27

I'm a left hander and didn't have the option of LH scissors when I was a kid so had to use RH ones. It hasn't ever given me any problems and means that I can pick up any pair of scissors and use them (in fact I find LH scissors very strange to use) rather than having to find 'special' ones to use, which would be weird and inconvenient as an adult.

If my DS turns out to be L handed I will definitely encourage him to do the same. Makes life much much simpler IMHO.

Most L handers I know (including me) use RH for lots of things (I learned all sports RHanded as teachers didn't know how to teach me in any other way - although may explain why I'm rubbish at racquet sports!). I think it is this ability to be so flexible that makes us so intelligent... !!!

TheYearOfTheCat · 01/02/2010 22:39

I'm left-handed too, and agree with readingtealeaves. I wouldn't suggest lh scissors, as it would be better to learn how to use rh ones.

BTW, apparently something like 60% of American presidents have been lefthanded! I reckon it has to do with learning to be adaptable in a RH world!

PiratePrincess · 01/02/2010 22:55

My DS has lh scissors, pens and colouring pencils and he says they are so much easier to use than rh ones.

clemette · 01/02/2010 23:25

DD (almost 5) is left handed but happily uses right-handed scissors. So far, she has needed no specific input with anything, even with writing and holding her pen.

RockbirdandHerSpork · 01/02/2010 23:36

I'm left handed as are the greater proportion of both our families and now, very obviously DD. Apart from the scissors which are a pain in the bum I don't agree that you should just get used to right handedness. Why should you be taught raquet sports, eating etc righthanded? Smacks of having your left hand tied down to me, I thought the world had moved on from that.

Original poster
blueberrysorbet · 03/02/2010 20:24

thanks- i asked at nursery and they don;t have any lh scissors so I am going to get some - ds can use/ not use!

cantsupinate, not sure i agree- i think lh should have tools to help if they exist, not just get on with it. surely lh aren;t that rare?

OP posts:
Barbeasty · 11/02/2010 06:23

I'm left handed, as are both my brothers. I use scissors with my left hand- but most "grown-up" scissors seem to work for me as well as my right handed DH. It won't set him back for life if your son uses left handed scissors- and is probably better than struggling to use his right hand when it's really not "right" for him.

I only needed specific pens when using a fountain pen- and even then it's more about not sharing nibs or they'll break.

The biggest problem we all had was writing in a straight line across the page, because we couldn't see what we had just written as the hand was in the way (that and smudging the ink...)

Peanut05 · 12/02/2010 22:09

DD1 has been left-handed from day one. She has lh scissors (tesco) at home but will use rh scissors at school.
I don't necessarily agree with 'getting on with it', if the stuff is out there and it helps, then use it. However if you can manage with rh stuff then great! My mum has a lh cheque book - marvelous invention!
As an aside, I'm ambidextrous which can be rather amusing and generally freaks people out a bit!

chewitt · 12/02/2010 22:20

WHSmiths

lisa1968 · 17/02/2010 10:01

try a company called 'Everything left handed'.Use as many resources as you can to make life easier for them-I look after a LH boy and bought LH scissors etc to help him and he really came on.

fishie · 17/02/2010 10:05

all the lh-ers i know were taught rh mousing and they are shit at computing. scissors will be ok as will rulers but really not mouse.

toomanyprojects · 17/02/2010 18:30

Funnily enough fishie I was going to say the opposite about using a mouse - it's very useful to be able to use a mouse with your right hand while making notes with your left hand.

fishie · 17/02/2010 18:54

i can use mouse and do most things both hands but do prefer left for any sort of fine work, using a mouse, sewing, drawing that sort of thing.

SweetApril · 18/02/2010 13:15

I'm left-handed and, like others here, had to manage at school with right-handed scissors and being taught to do certain things right-handed. Yes, I learned to do it and maybe that's useful as an adult but as a child it did make things harder and I remember being quite miserable at times always taking longer to cut things out or sew on a button or plane a piece of wood or whatever. And I was def hampered in lots of sports for the same reason. It always made me feel like I wasn't as able or as "clever" as the other children. So if resources are available then I would not hesitate to make use of them. Sounds odd but you could maybe have right and left-handed scissors for your DS to use at home so that he can use both without being under pressure from his peers and in case in does turn out to be right-handed after all!

Eddas · 18/02/2010 13:23

My dd is left handed, when she was little she'd use either hand and still does(she's still little only 5.8) she has always struggled with scissors. Never really occured to me that it would be an issue as my Dad and sis are lefties and always used the same things as me, mum and bro. But I bought her some left handed scissors and I was shocked at how much easier cutting became for her! It wasn't her fault but the scissors

I got hers from ebay. They cost about £1.25, definately worth it, bless her

SpicedGerkin · 18/02/2010 13:26

My DS is very left hand, yet he hates left handed scissors, he's always had access to them, just shows how different we all are.

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