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Primary education

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Original poster

Both hands!!!

20 replies

wiccawitch · 09/10/2018 17:51

Hiya
Today I was told by the class TA who has discussed it with the teacher that my son can write/colour/do any task with either hand equally well
He often plays a game before he starts working to decide what hand to use today!
We had noticed this at home but thought nothing off it

It is ok at his age 5 and a half not to have a dominant hand?
Will it effect his ability to do class work?
Is it even a thing?

Thank you

OP posts:
YeTalkShiteHen · 09/10/2018 17:52

My MIL was ambidextrous (that’s what it’s called).

It’s no problem, in fact it’s a bonus in many ways!

SpoonBlender · 09/10/2018 17:57

It's a bonus.

Thank your lucky stars (and his) that it's not 30 years ago, when idiot primary teachers were still doing the "RIGHT IS RIGHT!" stuff and disciplining lefties/bi for using their SINISTER HANDS

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 09/10/2018 17:58

Its called being ambidextrous and I am amazed you have never heard of it. It's not unheard of for children to use both hands equally and they often settle on using just 1 hand dominantly. He may still use both as he gets older, or settle on one either way its not worth worrying about and it shouldn't be a problem when he is learning unless he uses this skill to amaze his classmates when he should be working. Grin

Aprilislonggone · 09/10/2018 17:59

My ds could too. School asked if I agreed they could encourage him to use one hand more.
Was over 20 years ago though.
My friend's dm was brought up in a convent and she was caned if she used her left hand. Sad

user789653241 · 09/10/2018 18:23

My ds used to be like that. But gradually he started using more of right hand and now pretty much right handed. But he can still use left hand quite well for certain things. We didn't say/do anything. I don't know if teachers did/said anything at school, since it never came up as an issue.

TheSteakBakeOfAwesome · 09/10/2018 18:42

My grandad was ambidextrous - came in as a massive bloody advantage when he had a stroke and lost much of the use of one side of his body as he could still write well with his other hand!

EvaPerron · 09/10/2018 18:56

It's not really an advantage to be ambidextrous (I looked into it as ds was headed that way) because they need to use the same hand consistently in order to strengthen the muscles. My ds used both hands an equal amount until almost six, but he's a leftie now.... they can be a bit later to develop dominance.

Yura · 09/10/2018 20:00

I am ambidextrous. As i got older i used hands for different tasks. i write right, because its easier with a fountain pen. i use the mouse with my left, brcause i can write atcthe same time. i iron with my left, brush my teeth with my right, and so on

SuburbanRhonda · 09/10/2018 20:03

I use scissors and anything with a pincer movement with my left hand, play pool and guitar the wrong way round, and fold my arms funny.

But I write with my right Smile

Yokohamajojo · 10/10/2018 10:01

I write with my left and if I played football I probably would be left footed but do everything else with my right hand so scissors, eating, tennis etc I am right handed.

My youngest is the same but more leftie than me

For me it's not been a hindrance, I can do mascara with both hands Smile the only thing was smudging the writing in school as I dragged my hand over

Original poster
wiccawitch · 14/10/2018 12:02

Thankyou everyone
I’m a bit surprised as the teacher now wants to speak to the school SENCO about it as she’s never come across it before ( been teaching over 30yrs)
Are they making it an issue? My son finds it fun!

OP posts:
Foxyloxy1plus1 · 14/10/2018 13:43

I cannot imagine why it should be an issue and certainly not one that needs a referral to the SENCo. (I was one).

No one ever suggested that I should be forced to write with anything other then my left hand and I’m much much older than 30. I write with my left hand and if you’re taught properly and angle the paper correctly, there’s no need to hook or smudge. I kick a ball left footed and catch left handed. I knit and crochet right handed, but sew left handed.

I would most certainly not make an issue of it and don’t allow the school to either. He’ll either start to become more dominant with one hand, or carry on using both equally, which could be very useful.

Witchend · 14/10/2018 14:56

I was the same until I was about 7 or 8, and then I started using my right hand more often than not. I can still write fine with my left, but not as quickly. Dm reckoned I'd have been left handed in a left hand world.

However I was considered to be very late to choose. There are certain things (peeling potatoes for example) I find quite difficult because I never can decide whether it's easier to do it left-handed or right-handed. Sounds odd, doesn't it? Neither feels quite right to me. Other things (like writing) feel fine either way, and other things I choose to usually do with one hand (tennis I play right handed, opening a bottle I do left handed) although I can swap if necessary.

There is a link between dyslexia and ambidexterity. I think a fairly strong one. I have some signs myself, although I was never tested for it. I would wonder whether this is actually what they're keeping an eye on.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 14/10/2018 15:21

I aways thought I was right-handed until I was learning Arabic when I found that my handwriting improved immensely when using my left hand for Arabic script. I reckon that I chose right-handedness quite young because the world is better suited to right-handers, but I actually could have gone either way as a child. I can write reasonably well with my left hand but obviously I'm not as practised as I am with my right hand plus it goes the wrong way, just like Arabic went the wrong way with my right hand. I've always used either hand for most things, although I'm right handed for knitting and crochet and do find it a little tricky to help my Mum with her crochet because she does it left handed.

I think your DS will choose the one that suits him best, probably his right, and just stick with that for writing. I'm not sure why school would think it's a problem though.

junebirthdaygirl · 14/10/2018 18:18

My ds was like that and at 5 teacher encouraged him to pick one. He settled for right but does everything else with his left. Handy when he broke his arm once. But he has horrendous handwriting and lacks skills with his hands eg tying laces. He hated lego and any other fiddly things.

xyzandabc · 14/10/2018 18:24

My friend had her son's end of yr 1 (age 6) report mentioning that he's was left handed. He'd been at the school since nursery aged 3. She queried this, as he is right handed, thinking they had made a mistake.

No, no mistake. For writing he used his right hand at home but his left hand at school. He thought he was hilariously tricking both his parents and teachers!

user789653241 · 14/10/2018 20:48

Witchend, that's interesting. My ds wasn't dyslexic, he was/is hyperlexic. Wonder if there is some link to certain part of brain regarding this.

user789653241 · 15/10/2018 08:37

Interesting article. Thanks, mrz.

PurpleAndTurquoise · 17/10/2018 23:12

My dyslexic son used both hands. Eventually the teacher just encouraged him to use his right hand for writing but I am not sure that was the right thing as at home he tended to use left more for everything.
He is nearly a teenager now and writes with his right but uses left for things like throwing, Lego, board games and eating.

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