books for left handed babies

[Janeway]

ds strongly favours his left hand, but most the books for babies have the 'action' on the right hand page, or are oriented to be easier for the right hand to operate. Poor ds loves books and tries really hard to open the doors to find Spot, but it's difficult when approaching it from the other side - when he's 'reading' on his own (he's only 12 months)he turns the book upside down to make it left handed.

Has anyone come across any good baby books that are for left handed children? Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Have you seen this website Anything Lefthanded , Janeway? On a quick browse, I couldn't see anything suitable but they might be able to help you find a supplier if you email them. If you send for a catalogue it's printed for L-handers which makes a R-hander like me see how awkward L-handers find some things!

I have two lefthanders and tbh, they learned pretty quickly how to deal with things like books. One of them uses cutlery R-handed while the other prefers her L-hand. L-handed scissors are essential but as your ds is only one, he won't be needing them just yet! HTH.

Left-handed scissors not essential for this southpaw. In fact, on the odd occasion I've tried with them, I've failed miserably.

Ah well, I stand corrected then, l-hand scissors aren't essential! Do you mean you can use scissors with your R-hand, SueW, or that you can use R-handed ones in your L-hand? When my dd's use r-handed ones the blades seem to slip past each other and sort of munch up the paper and especially fabric. Dd1 can use r-handed ones at a pinch but prefers l-hand ones.

Do you have special knives for preparing food? Anything Lefthanded sells knives with the cutting edge on the other side but I don't know if they are worth buying? Probably not, if one can cope with r-hand ones!

I've always used right-handed scissors in my right hand. And I eat woth cutlery in the usual place setting.

But - I do sometimes find that I'm finding cutting difficult e.g. when trying to carve a roast or cut a slice of bread and I'll have to mess around trying it first one way and then the other.

I think it's because my instinct is prob to cut with my left hand but I've been taught to use cutlery the right-handed way.

Janeway,

Our dd too has a left handed tendency, most pronounced when eating with a spoon. I think you will find that as your son gets a little older his improved strength and coordination will make the book issue disappear - we have never found it a particular problem with dd who is 18 months, although come to think of it she has destroyed more books than ds at the same age so perhaps she has to use more force, less accurately. However in the meantime, most of the Maisy action books have flaps and levers on both sides of the page and we have some Treehouse/Book People Flap and action books (Puppy's Friends, Hide and Seek ) which have parts that swing and open on either side.

hth

LizS

Janeway I'm a left hander and so is my son. I wouldn't bother trying to find special books as you are bound to pay a premium and IME the doors, tabs etc never stay on very long anyway. The fact is that this is a right handed world and your DS will need to learn to manage in such a world. While things such as left handed scissors etc make life easier I think something as fundamental as books won't make much difference in the long run. Also DD has a habit of reading books upsidedown and she is right handed. I don't think they do it to make it easier, just because the pictures make as much sense to them this way up as any other at this stage.

Katherine, I'm interested that both you and your son are left handed - I thought it usually skipped generations so was assuming ds would be a right hander (me and DH both left handed)
The extent of handedness does seem to vary hugely though - me and dh both use right handed scissors in our right hand, and play sport (badly!) right handed. Idon't do much except eat, write and sew left handed.
My ds often holds books upside down - I assumed he jsut hadn't 'got it' yet! He spoons with either hand at the moment, and tbh I hadn't really notice what he was doing with flaps in books!

thanks everyone

Katherine - I understand what you mean about learning to cope in a right handed world - I'd just wanted to encourage what comes naturally as much as have him face life's realities - I honestly don't fancy paying a premium - just wondered if there was any that occured 'naturally'.

LIZ8 - ds does manage to open the doors with his right hand (and occasionally with his left) but thanks for the tip on the Maisie Mouse books - I'll look out for them.

On the genetics of handedness - there's no one in our family who's left handed - but I'm left footed at football

Thanks again

My dh is left handed (and left-footed - a rare combination, or so he tells me!), and my 2 yr old son certainly seems to also be left handed.

Genetics-wise, I think that it is a recessive gene so has to be in both sides of the family to be passed on. My grandad was left-handed so that is where my genes come from. On my husband's side, one of his brothers is also l-h, and both of his brother's kids are also l-handed.

I know what you mean about the scissors, SueW. My mum once bought my dh some l-handed scissors, & he can't use them at all!

Apparently, the degree to which a person is left-handed is due to the combination of whether they are left-handed, l-eyed, l-footed and l-eared! Both dd's are pretty determined l-handers (no family history of it on my or DH's side, except for one half-nephew) while Ds2 bats at cricket l-handed. Ds1 used to draw and write with both hands until he was about 5, when he decided to be R-handed.