School Supplies for Left-Handed Kids... I have a few questions =)

[Allison]

Another lefty, who also happened to give birth to 2 lefties. I'm not understanding the need for all the "special" left-handed equipment.

The only thing I ever found irritating was trying to write while the paper was in a 3-ring binder. Just take the paper out while you're writing and put it back in when you're finished. As for left-handed scissors, unless you're willing to spend quite a bit, they aren't worth it.

FWIW, I've never had a problem using a handheld pencil sharpener. In fact, I almost always prefer a handheld to an electric sharpener.

Another lefty with 2 lefties who have never had special supplies. What makes a pencil sharpener difficult? I have obviously never noticed.

 

[jam217]

I'm a lefty, and I never used special school supplies. In college, if the room only had the right handed desks, I'd use two -- one to sit in and then another on my left to write on.

 

[traymoney]

i love fiskars scissors. they have some that just have round holes so they work for left or right. i had to have my own scissors... i hate right handed ones. they make my hands hurt. I did find that squeezing the right handed scissors together made them cut better for me... but that's why my hands hurt.

Thanks for doing this! I just figured out a few years ago the reason I have problems locking and unlocking doors (no really--I have to try multiple times) is because I'm left handed. )

 

[Cindy B]

Both my hubby and I are left handed. We survived school with no specific supplies.

Really save your money!

The things later in life that would be ideal would be cooking supplies (Pyrex glass measuring cups-- are NOT for left handers)

 

[Madison'smommy]

This is interesting to me.. My DD is a lefty as is my husband.... I have never bought anything different for her, and she has never said that she has a problem. In like preschool she was "having trouble" cutting. The end result was like it should be, but she had "trouble" figuring out how to hold the (right handed) scissors. I did not go buy left handed scissors.. she just figured it out.

 

[mrseace711]

i love fiskars scissors. they have some that just have round holes so they work for left or right. i had to have my own scissors... i hate right handed ones. they make my hands hurt. I did find that squeezing the right handed scissors together made them cut better for me... but that's why my hands hurt.

Thanks for doing this! I just figured out a few years ago the reason I have problems locking and unlocking doors (no really--I have to try multiple times) is because I'm left handed. )

I am seeing small things she has trouble with and locking and unlocking doors is one of them =)


And to the comments about the pencil sharpener, I do not know what the issue is maybe its the way she holds it? Im right handed so I do not understand left-hand issues.


Non Smear pens! Good idea!! I was looking at left handed pens but for 1 its like $15!! DD10 likes pens the best. Thanks for all the tips!

 

[mrseace711]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51v2ppawwpY&feature=relmfu

thought this was interesting it brings up pencil sharpeners

 

[LJSquishy]

I have already posted once (not understanding the whole pencil sharpener trouble, they are not "right handed"), but I don't get having trouble with opening doors, either. lol I use either hand to unlock a door with a key.

Just let left-handed kids adapt on their own, give them some time. They will be fine.

 

[LJSquishy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51v2ppawwpY&feature=relmfu

thought this was interesting it brings up pencil sharpeners

Okay, I watched that video with an open mind and everything in that video is absolutely rediculous and unneccesary. It's a joke! Seriously, your child just needs to adapt. There will be MANY times where she won't have her "special supplies" throughout her life and will have to know how to make ordinary items work. Wow...the whole pencil sharpener thing just doesn't make sense. I can use a sharpener in either hand, just learn to turn your hand both toward you and away from you depending on what hand you are holding it in. Really. I'm not trying to be rude, but come on.

 

[mjkacmom]

My lefty is 16, and I never bought her special lefty items. She's fine doing everything righty, including using scissors and not smearing pen.

 

[crashbb]

The only thing I can think of for pencil sharpeners are the ones that attach to the wall, where you stick the pencil in one end and turn a crank on the other end. Like these ones (though I guess they can just sit on your desk too):

http://www.amazon.com/X-Acto-Table-Wall-Mount-Pencil-Sharpener/dp/B00006IEDY

I don't see those used much though - the little ones you hold in your hand shouldn't matter in terms of left or right handed.

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

I'm a lefty, and I never used special school supplies. In college, if the room only had the right handed desks, I'd use two -- one to sit in and then another on my left to write on.

I always twisted in the seat and sat kind of sideways.

As a teacher and a left handed person, I have seen some people are very left handed. They have trouble doing anything with their right hands. But many are more like myself and can do things with both hands. I write, eat and sew left handed, but have always used a computer mouse with my right hand, play sports with my right hand (throw, bowling) and my right arm is my stronger arm. It seems that my left had is for small motor skills and my right is for large motor skills.

 

[MinnieJay]

Downtown Disney has a little kiosk full of items for left handed people

 

[Allison]

I always twisted in the seat and sat kind of sideways.

As a teacher and a left handed person, I have seen some people are very left handed. They have trouble doing anything with their right hands. But many are more like myself and can do things with both hands. I write, eat and sew left handed, but have always used a computer mouse with my right hand, play sports with my right hand (throw, bowling) and my right arm is my stronger arm. It seems that my left had is for small motor skills and my right is for large motor skills.

I did the twisting in the seat thing too. Guess that was why. I love being able to write with my left hand while using my right hand for the mouse and calculator.

 

[mrseace711]

Downtown Disney has a little kiosk full of items for left handed people

OH we will have to check that out!

=) and to those who have easily adapted to the right handed world I hope that both DD10 and DS6 (who still uses both hands) continue to adapt as well as all of you have

 

[Celidh]

I am left handed and hate how my hand rests on the wire of a spiral notebook, I like the ones that have the wire at the top.

http://www.officemax.com/office-supplies/notebooks-pads/spiral-notebooks/product-prod2850030

I am also left handed, as is my younger son. I use a steno type notepad at work and even with the spiral at the top, it is still annoying. I turn it upside down so the spiral is at the bottom and use it that way.

I also use fine tip pens as I find medium pens don't dry very fast and smudge too easily as to the roller ball ones or whatever they call them.

Thing is, a lefty will find in life that there are tonnes of things that are designed for right handed people (most likely since righties make up the majority of the population) from knives and kitchen ware, hair supplies (barrets with danglies hanging of them) to working in a store with a cash register. Right handed people don't notice these things because they work for them. Honestly, even though you want things to be easy for your child and I can see doing small things to help but as others have said, your child will make it without special supplies.

So, if it is small and easy, I would go ahead and do it but unless your child is one of the few who are VERY left handed and has trouble doing anything right handed, they will manage fine. It's the small things that make life easier and your child will figure many of them out as we all have, like pens that dry faster before they smudge and turning note books over so the spiral isn't in the way. I write with my paper almost sideways so I don't end up with that hooked arm thing going on. It is way easier. I used to make my checkmarks the "normal" way until I was a teen and I figured out it was easier to make it "backwards" go figure! LOL AS time goes on, it will mean trial and error finding things that work better, like carrot peelers but it all works out.

Give your child a big hug and remind him/her (I can't remember which) that lefties are the only people who are in the right mind!!!

 

[mrseace711]

I am also left handed, as is my younger son. I use a steno type notepad at work and even with the spiral at the top, it is still annoying. I turn it upside down so the spiral is at the bottom and use it that way.

I also use fine tip pens as I find medium pens don't dry very fast and smudge too easily as to the roller ball ones or whatever they call them.

Thing is, a lefty will find in life that there are tonnes of things that are designed for right handed people (most likely since righties make up the majority of the population) from knives and kitchen ware, hair supplies (barrets with danglies hanging of them) to working in a store with a cash register. Right handed people don't notice these things because they work for them. Honestly, even though you want things to be easy for your child and I can see doing small things to help but as others have said, your child will make it without special supplies.

So, if it is small and easy, I would go ahead and do it but unless your child is one of the few who are VERY left handed and has trouble doing anything right handed, they will manage fine. It's the small things that make life easier and your child will figure many of them out as we all have, like pens that dry faster before they smudge and turning note books over so the spiral isn't in the way. I write with my paper almost sideways so I don't end up with that hooked arm thing going on. It is way easier. I used to make my checkmarks the "normal" way until I was a teen and I figured out it was easier to make it "backwards" go figure! LOL AS time goes on, it will mean trial and error finding things that work better, like carrot peelers but it all works out.

Give your child a big hug and remind him/her (I can't remember which) that lefties are the only people who are in the right mind!!!

Okay scissors & pens is what I am looking for =] I think we are going to then stick with regular notebooks and I will show them how to flip them over or loose leaf paper with a clipboard =]..Lots of great tips here!

 

[cornflake]

Most of us managed in school and etc. without the special stuff - doesn't mean it's not nice to have.

I didn't have left-handed scissors for a long time and had a calloused welt on my finger from using right-handed ones. It wasn't horrifying but doesn't mean someone can't get their left-handed kid scissors that are comfortable off the bat.

It does depend on how left-handed you are - the more pronounced the hook, the more left-dominant, the more annoying stuff can be.

The world is right-handed - to an extent you don't realize if you're right-handed or not very lefty (think about where the gears on the car are, think about what digital cameras look like [this one annoys the ever-living crap out of me, frankly, and is pretty much my primary criteria when camera shopping], think about the way most doors open, etc.). Lefties have learned to live with it and it's not like it's in the forefront daily, but when you can make it easier, why not?

I renovated the kitchen, I put in a left-handed sink because everyone else can deal for once, heh. It's just nice to have stuff where you naturally reach for it, same as it's nice to not have to turn something upside down for it to work or to have a perpetually inked hand because of smeary pens and etc.

 

[ekatiel]

Another lefty here. The only thing I ever had trouble with (and still do sometimes) is loosely-hinged scissors. If the righty scissors are tightly hinged, then I've got no problem, but if they're loose, then when I try to cut, the paper just bends instead of cutting. Most kids' scissors are pretty tightly hinged these days, so no problem there anymore. I used a pencil sharpener today, and I did notice that I have to turn the pencil towards me instead of away from me. I guess I just adapted to that one . I am also not a huge fan of the ink marks on the side of my hand, but I haven't ever figured out how to avoid those! --Katie

 

[kimblebee]

Check and see if you have a Leftorium near you. : D