Odd Question for Lefties...

[mjkacmom]

Hi Laura - hope you enjoyed your cruise - we're leaving for WDW on Friday!!! Anyway, about Lefties - dd11 is 100% lefty with writing, and the biggest problem is that she gets pen smudges all over her hand, and it's difficult for her to use marker on posterboard without smearing it. She does all sports righty. Ds9 and ds4 are righties (ds9 was marginal), but do all sports lefty. Dd6 and 4 are my total lefties. I agree with other posters that say to let him decide what things he does lefty, and what things he does righty - I know many lefties who do other things righty.

 

[Pin Wizard]

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...

Congratulations on your lefty! I remember noticing my son taking things with his left hand when he was a baby/toddler. I was hoping he'd be a lefty! (Like his mom and dad.) Just give him a choice by being neutural. Place something down in front of him...crayon, pencil, etc. Let him go for it and see which side he uses. But if he's already drawing with his left, sounds like he's a lefty for the most part!

In a past life when I was in hairdressing school, I initially told the teacher I was left handed. She gave me a left handed pair of scissors. I couldn't cut a thing, and it was so uncomfortable. She switched and gave me a right handed pair. Perfect! I would have felt sorry for anyone getting a haircut with me cutting lefty.

 

[mum4jenn]

How old is your son? Lots of kids start off drawing and doing other things with their left hands when they are pretty young and it really does not mean that they will be lefties. I was pretty sure that my dd would be a lefty because for the longest time she did lots of thi gs with her left. I think she was close to being 4 before she really started using her right hand to draw and write the majority of the time. I think at first they are just trying to get some kind of coordination going then once they are comfortable they will start choosing which hand to use.

 

[JunieJay]

I'm a leftie old enough to remember when they tried to make lefties be righties, at least the mean nuns in Catholic school. I learned to do a lot with my right hand, everything but write. I agree with those who say those left handed scissors are for the birds. I had a heck of a time teaching my youngest child, the only rightie in our family, how to tie his shoes and eventually had to turn it over to a teacher. It just looked weird to me and my husband. I imagine my mother had the same problem with me and a few of my leftie siblings.

 

[Regina]

Out of the 5 of us, only the middle DD is a righty. We call her the family oddball.

DD is very creative and has a degree in the arts. DS can't draw a stick figure.

I turn pages to the left when I write anything. Where I vote, you first sign in. The page has a signature line facing the voter and another one facing the clerk. I do my tilt to the left thing and I'm literally in a wrestling match with the clerk who's thinking I'm trying to turn it around and sign on the wrong line. I won.

I still hate spiral notebooks and having to deal with that stupid wire.

 

[87Heel]

We were pretty sure that DD (now 9) was going to be a lefty. She used her left all the time as a toddler/preschooler. She started switching to right just before kindergarten (no force, just noticed one day that she was using her right more often). In sports, she couldn't figure out which side felt right (and we had coaches who worked with her trying both ways). We (and our OT friend who works with kids and handwriting) think she doesn't have a strong dominant hand. For some sports, this is not so great. But when she started piano lessons at age 7, we discovered that this was a good thing! I know when I tried to learn, I always felt like I understood the right hand and tried to "work in" the left. DD seems to work through both hands together.

 

[Mkrop]

I have two lefty sons of two righty parents, talk about confusing.

DS10 has been predominantly left his whole life, in fact teachers commented on how left he was at such a young age. He writes left and throws left but bats right and golfs right. His handwriting is actually really nice, a retired nun at his school helped him . He had the hardest time learning to tie his shoes. I bought him abook and that helped but he still doesnt tie them tight enough. He is FOREVER getting pen, marker and pencil marks all over him and his clothing (if anyone has a suggestion for getting those stains out of cuffs of school uniforms would love to hear it, yes I have tried bleach). Anyway the thing that cracks me up is that you all keep saying these lefties are creative, DS10 does not have a creative bone in his body, he is facts man! His art work struggles big time, his cutting looks awful and when he draws something freehand I have to ask what it is, that is not good in 4th grade.

Now DS4 has a condition called hypotnia or low muscle tone in his trunk and this has affected both gross and fine motor skills so for the longest time he would not pick a hand, it was hard on the OT that works with him to work on things when his brain couldnt decide. Well over the summer it seems he has become a lefty too and now that we have a hand dominance he is progressing in so many areas.

Good luck.

 

[figment52]

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!!!

1) I am "over the hill" and to this day I still can't use those scissors!. I can cut with a knife with either hand though, unless it is a loaf of bread. I cut that backwards to everyone else

2) Not so much with letters (that I remember) but I make my check marks with the the tail to the left - I can still hear the instructions : "make a small line down and then flick the pen(cil) back towards your hand." Everyone knew when I reviewed work

Serioulsy - just let him go but watch. If something is too ackward suggest he try the other hand. If letter are wrong talk him throught it.

Lots of great people are lefties.

 

[figment52]

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

I thought I was the only one - now I know there is a t least one more that does it this way

Also eating can be a pain sometimes. If the person at the table to your left is right handed you are constantly knocking elbows! Unless you run to the table and pick the one of two spots you can sit at. I hate round tables for this reason. Al least know most people I go out with just stop as we approach a table ans ask where I can sit before they pick a spot.

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!

That was me until I learned "righty tighty, lefty loosie". I was well into adulthood and sometimes I still have too repeat it as I put the screwdriver in my hand

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.

I don't feel so alone anymore.

 

[Laurabearz]

I find it interesting that left hand scissors failed to work for most lefties...

I can write well enough with my left hand, so I think while reviewing the letters with my boy I will use my left hand...

THanks again for the insites.

 

[rgf207]

Hmm. I've had to adapt to a lot as a leftie

Scissors. I can't use the leftie ones
Writing: Smudges everywhere. I try to buy pens that dont smudge
Baseball: Try finding a left handed catchers mitt.
Guitar: Leftie guitars are hard to find. Same thing goes for guitar hero Video Games

 

[connorlevismom]

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.

I have no idea what happened to me. I am a lefty with the exception of 10 keying, and the mouse. I cannot draw a stick figure to save my life and my creativity is nill.

I agree with what everyone else says about the notebooks and scissors. Teach your child to run fast because there is usually one desk in the class that is left handed. At least that is how it was when I was a kid.

Kristine

 

[sandy6879]

Another lefty here - and I also hate the left handed scissors. Those things never worked for me.

It was funny, I read someone's post that they felt more comfortable in their left hand and had to work with their right - I had never thought of it that way before but it's completely accurate.

Ink stains and smudging - I wish I could find a solution to that. Typing on a keyboard takes care of that nicely but til the high school/college years, be prepared for the smudging. I had permanent pen mark down the side of my hand whenever school was in session.

I also tend to think that I think of things in a different way. I hear that a lot from people when I offer perspective - it could be figuring things out as a kid in a different way and that carried over to adulthood. . .LOL DD11 is having a rough time as I try to explain things to her with homework - I'm not so sure she can follow my train of thought. . .

I don't remember left handed comments when I was young - I get them more now than I ever did then. Just let it be - kids naturally figure out ways to compensate when they need to.

 

[ckay87]

My DS is a leftie and is an artsy guy. Not a lot of issues. Anytime he tries a new sport, it is an adventure until he figures out which side works best for him. But I think lefties tend to be more versatile while righties....we're useless without our right sides!

He just gets mad at me because I am always handing him things to his right side....drinks, silverware, etc.

 

[Nancy]

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.

My DD is a train wreck, she is a total clutz and she is a lefty. She's hurt, sprained or broke more bones than any kids I know.

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.

I agree, let them figure it out. When DD #2 was little and I handed her something she always grabbed with the left hand, she ate with the left and when she started to color it was always leftie. So I let her go with it. She does do some things right handed too (like the computer mouse and throwing a ball). When she started nursery school I made a huge point of telling them that she is leaning towards the left and I do not want them to try and force right handedness on her. Only once did I catch one of the teachers trying to get her to write with her right hand.

Her kindergarten teacher was the best. This teacher actually took classes in how to teach left handed children how to do things, because she had struggled over the years with not knowing how to show them how to do something. (simple things like forming letters correctly, holding scissors, etc). I think that made a big difference in my DD and I was very happy she had her for a teacher.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I find it interesting that left hand scissors failed to work for most lefties...

I think the reason left hand scissors don't work for alot of lefties is that by the time they get a pair they have already adjusted to using right handed scissors.

I bought a pair once when I was older, out of school,
but I couldn't use them at all, probably because I had already adapted to the right handed kind.

 

[GatorGal]

Since the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, Lefties are the only people in their right mind!!

My advice is to stay away from leftie scissors, try to get him to use scissors in his right hand. That's the way I learned and am thankful.

Check his cowlick, it should go counter-clockwise if he's a leftie.

Two things in soceity that work better for lefties: Toll booths and pencil sharpeners (the "old fashioned" hand crank ones that is)

I love being a leftie. I work in finance and one job, just after I started, someone commented, "not another leftie!", there were 6 lefties in the finance department including me.

Don't worry about purposely trying to teach him how do things with his left hand, he'll learn to watch you and adjust.

But please, oh please, get him his own baseball mit! My brother is a leftie and we only had one glove growing up. The school never had any so I was constantly hurting my fingers trying to catch the ball bare handed.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

My DD (4) is a lefty. She already can print her name and does it with her left hand, so I guess that makes her a lefty.

When some of my older relatives seen my DD favoring her left hand over her right, you would have thought it was the worst thing that could happen.

"You better get her to use her right hand. " Why?

Why this phobia with left handers?

 

[eh24fan]

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.

My DS is a lefty and at the age of 7 is still trying to figure out the shoe tying thing...I need to try what you did! I'm not a lefty and I've been doing the right handed way I guess. He does play baseball oddly....he can bat left or right and can't figure out which is better yet. I told him to just make both of them the best so he can mess with pitchers when he is older. He uses a left handers glove though. He writes left handed but I think he eats with his right. He's sorta ambi I guess.

 

[connorlevismom]

My DD (4) is a lefty. She already can print her name and does it with her left hand, so I guess that makes her a lefty.

When some of my older relatives seen my DD favoring her left hand over her right, you would have thought it was the worst thing that could happen.

"You better get her to use her right hand. " Why?

Why this phobia with left handers?

LOL I agree! Here is a conversation I had with my MIL about it.

MIL: Is Connor going to be left-handed?

ME: WEll, it looks that way to me. He does most everything with his left hand.

MIL: Well, just do the best you can with it.

WHAT? Does being left-handed make him handicapped or something? And the kicker, she knows that I'M left-handed!

Kristine