Odd Question for Lefties...

[Laurabearz]

I think my boy is a lefty...

Anything I should Know?

Is there a different way he should write letters??

I know it's a silly question... but I lack any knowledge base on this...

Thanks!

 

[Pop Daddy]

we see the world differently

 

[TruBlu]

Two issues I had as a kid....
1) I could never use those stupid left handed scissors. Let him try both and see which he likes better.

2) When my teacher taught us to write letters she would describe it from a right handed perspective. I would follow her instructions exactly, so I made my letters backwards! They actually thought I was dyslexic before they figured it out!!!

 

[DISUNC]

My Mom is a lefty.....anytime she went to smack me...I never saw it comin!

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

He may tilt the paper a bit to the right. I start all my spiral notebooks from the back, writing on the left side, as opposed to the right. This way my hand and wrist don't have the rings or the spirals as an obstacle. Have him start using a mouse with his right hand, if you can.

He must be a little genius... (all lefties are!)

 

[ZuZugal]

My oldest DS is a lefty. He is actually an "ambi" in my opinion because he writes with his right hand (and cuts) but plays all sports as a lefty. One thing I do know, he is the most balanced of my kids, meaning he never falls, trips, etc. He is very coordinated, and in my mind it has something to do with being a lefty.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

I agree about the left-handed scissors. It took the teachers and my parents a couple of grades before they could figure out the reason I couldn't cut with scissors is because they kept insisting I use the lefty ones. They finally had me try "regular" ones and I had no issues after that.

I also can do everything with both my left and right hand except write and draw. So when a PE teacher asked once if anyone was left-handed and I raised my hand, he had me try to bat left-handed in our woofle ball competition and it completely messed me up. I was taught how to do that right-handed and was pretty good doing it that way. Left-handed batting stance felt sooo unnatural to me.

The only thing I have an issue with is binders and spiral bound notebooks. The spiral in the notebooks and the 3 rings in the binders are on the wrong side for me since it hits my wrist when I write which can be very irritating. (I slant my wrist at an odd angle when I write though which seems to be a characteristic of a lot of lefties). I should mention they do make spiral notebooks for lefties now but I've only seen those at my college's bookstore and I personally am used to using a regular notebook and didn't feel the need to pay extra for one...but they do make those.

Other than that, I have no issues with being left-handed.

 

[babytrees]

Let them figure out what they want to do left handed and what they have to do right handed.

Be prepared for the "funny" way we write....while righties seem to all write the same way I've never seen two lefties that write anywhere like each other.

When they say the scissors won't cut for them...they probably don't fit right on their hands so they won't cut for them. Even as an adult I can't find many scissors that fit "right" on my hands.

Because most people are righties they teach things like tying your shoes for righties....it may take the lefty a little longer to figure it out but we do. One of my best friends sat across from me so I could mirror her movements when learning to crochet as a grown up...that's the first person who had the patience (and know how) to teach me. I am looking forward to FINALLY learning how to sew from another lefty.

Some other things....we hold our mugs differently...when drinking out of the same lidded drink as you righties it looks funny.

One last thing...my mom teased me as a kid....and even though she was just teasing it hurt.

Our youngest was truly ambidexterous until her nasty kindergarten teacher made her choose and forced rightiness on her. Please let your son choose.

 

[Sleeping~Beauty]

I am a total lefty. Your son is so lucky. We're an artistic and creative bunch.

Scissors used to be a nightmare for me, too. So were those desks made for right-handed people where you slide in and the desk is attached to the chair.

Also, writing can wind up smeared if using certain type pens or markers.

 

[tngramma]

I am not a leftie but my DS and DGD are. The one thing I had a lot of trouble teaching my son was how to tie his shoes. At church one day a lady heard me complaing and explained I needed to sit him in front of me instead of on my lap or beside me. She was so sure he would be able to tie his shoes when we returned to church that night if I would try this method. After 2 tries he was tying his shoes. Used the same mirroring trick on DGD.

 

[Laurabearz]

Thanks for the responces.. It's still up in the air, but I am pretty sure he is indeed a lefty. He spent an hour today drawing pictures with his left hand...

 

[klmall]

DH and I are both lefties and DS is NOT!

My Mom had a heck of a time teaching me to tie my shoes (this was way before velcro!) and as a Scouter and camper I've find that almost all my knots look like they've been tied backwards. I was at least 8 or so before I ever held a pair of scissors that felt good in my hand. But I've gotten used to it.

It's hard to give advice for little ones but in general:

1 - Don't steer him or put things in one hand or the other. DH and I really tried to make DS a lefty

2 - As he grows older in school, some things may bother him as some have said but some might not. I hate spiral notebooks; DH couldn't care less. I dislike those little study desks that are made for righties.

3 - Actually, he may never realize that some things are harder for him than others. I was in my 20s before I knew that not all ladles were hard to pour from or that desk setups were designed for the majority.

4 - My DH has always been more ambidextrous (pitching etc right handed) than I am but over the years I learned to play the guitar right-handed (to make learning finger placement easier) and to use a computer mouse right handed. I even do fairly complex photo editing only using my right hand. So I would encourage you to allow him to place the mouse wherever and/or switch hands as desired.

The only real problem I have being a lefty is sitting at a tight table next to a righty!

 

[WaltD4Me]

I'm a total lefty...although I can use a mouse left or right handed. Other than that everything is left.

One of the big things about being a lefty is when a righty is trying to teach you something. My boyfriend had an awful time teaching me to golf and my mom is a lefty and recently started taking crochet lessons...the teacher said it's hard to teach someone "backwards."

I also get made fun of sometimes because I make my check marks backwards. Like when I am checking off a list, my checks go left, with the smaller side to the right and the longer side on the left. It sounds weird, but for some reason people notice this all the time.

Also eating can be a pain sometimes. If the person at the table to your left is right handed you are constantly knocking elbows!

I adjusted to spiral notebooks, but I turn them totally sideways to write in them. I do it on all paper, it has to be totally sideways so the lines are going vertical instead of horizontal.

I sometimes have a hard time with lightbulbs and screws too, I want to turn them the opposite way they are supposed to go!

Other than that, I love being left handed! We are a fun and creative bunch! Your son will be fine. Just don't try to "make" him a righty, it'll never feel totally natural to him.

 

[Laurabearz]

I would never ever make him a righty.. or a lefty for that matter... But he is at that age (4) and learning to write... so at some point a choice needs to be made, and I leaning towards lefty

Dh wants him to pitch left and bat right or was it pitch right and bat left....

 

[babytrees]

I would never ever make him a righty.. or a lefty for that matter... But he is at that age (4) and learning to write... so at some point a choice needs to be made, and I leaning towards lefty

Dh wants him to pitch left and bat right or was it pitch right and bat left....

lol....I bat both lefty and righty....serve volleyball rightie but spike left, pitching is either way.

You will notice that with a leftie we are usually a bit more creative....gotta think outside the righties box!!

 

[suzannews]

DH and I are both left handed and DD is not!

I still have trouble using scissors, they have to be the kind with the red plastic on the handle or I can't get them to cut. As a kid, my hand would always smear the pencil across the paper. Way back when in 3rd grade, I was the only left handed person when we learned how to write in cursive. The only difference was I tilted the paper towards the left instead of the right. There used to be a left handed store at a local flea market but I haven't been there in a long time.

When someone at work says to me (in a bad way), oh you are left handed, I always say, no I am correct handed and proud of it!

 

[barkley]

you can get spiral notebooks on-line for lefties. i suggest buying the 'seconds' cuz they are much cheaper (and the cover is just marred-no problem with the paper).

i also bought ds a picture chart on how to teach a leftie to tie shoes.

 

[Mnementh]

Hey, Bears! I'm a lefty and I also had a lot of scissors problems (still do, actually). In terms of writing problems, though, the only problem I ever had was the annoying problem of getting pencil on the side of my hand from putting it over top of what I had just written, but that's unavoidable for a lefty, so not really a big deal. Well, that and my handwriting used to be exceptionally sloppy, but I don't think that really had anything to do with me being a lefty.

 

[becjlek]

Get the spiril notebooks that have the spiril at the top. Also, when I was in third grade learning to write cursive, I followed what the teacher said about slanting the paper but I reversed it because I am a leftie. All my letters slanted backwards, like a reverse italic. I flunked penmanship because of that and no one could figure out what I was doing wrong.

 

[HARASW]

My DH and DD are lefties. I definitely see a more creative side to them. My DD who is 18, still has a problem with scissors. There are many web sites out there who cater to lefties. I don't believe that there is anything special that you need to do. Your son will adapt to everything on his own. Don't try to change his lefty ways (as I was advised to do by some relatives as soon as it was obvious that my DD was a lefty).