Need to complain to school

Poppy9

Swapping the controls on the mouse, even on a networked computer, is no big deal and you can put the icon on the toolbar to change it quickly.

I would say though that it's something to try at home. I did this with DD when she was very young. I showed her the icon, what to click and she could to it no problem but decided herself that it was okay left as normal so stopped bothering.

In infant school, especially nursery and reception they are not on the computers much so it's not really a issue and as they get older if they want to change it then the school should allow it, just teach the child to speak up and ask the teacher. If it's an issue for the child I can't see a teacher refusing the request.

neverdespairgirl

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

I agree with this. Until I had a LH daughter, I had no idea what a right handed world we live in. Everything, everywhere is geared to right handed (aka left brain dominant) people, starting with the basics of which way is more natural to open a door, to the way we read books.

The last thing isn't a "world" thing. Hebrew, for example, is written from right-to-left (AKA "backwards") and it's not the only language which is.

kiss_me_now9

claire16c wrote: »

My uni was like that too in one hall but it was incredibly old. None of the modern buildings had those type of seats.

Our main lecture hall has them, but you can swivel them so technically by sitting in the inside aisle seat on your own you can swivel out your table into the aisle and take the table next to you for yourself.

i.like.cats

izoomzoom wrote: »

I have an issue at my DD's nursery / school.

I feel that she is being discriminated against because she is left handed and they are not prepared to make adaptations to the environment (changing / providing left handed equipment) and I need to take it further than the teacher.

Do you think I should ask for a meeting or do this as a letter, to the headteacher or head of dept ?????

When you say that you need to take it further than the teacher, does that mean that you've already spoken to your daughter's class teacher? Also how old is your daughter and how long has she been at her nursery school? Is this her first term? Has your daughter mentioned to you how she's getting on and whether she feels that her left-handedness is an issue or not, or have you asked her whether she feels she is having difficulties in regard to things like bumping elbows with the other children or smudged writing or problems using the scissors provided for cutting out? When she started at her school did you speak to her class teacher to inform them of your daughter's left-handedness, and if so, what impression did you take away with you about the teacher's experience of teaching left-handed children - did they offer any of the suggestions put forward in this thread so far (eg. sitting to the left of a right-handed child so as not to bump elbows, quick-drying ink pens, etc); or have any other suggestions about various things that could be done to help your daughter at school and at home?

System

as a 40something leftie all i have to say is thank god you weren't a parent when i was at school , i remember being told daily to hold my cutlery "properly" ,i was made to use Rh scissors etc there was no other option, as a mum of a leftie i have bought her LH items to make her life easier some have been great some not so.
I would not expect school to fund these items ,they provide the basics anything else is for the parents to get.

fluffnutter

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

The last thing isn't a "world" thing. Hebrew, for example, is written from right-to-left (AKA "backwards") and it's not the only language which is.

More languages are written from right to left than the way we do it. If you think about it, it makes sense if you're using a chisel and hammer. Most people are right handed and it's easier to chisel moving to the left than to the right.

That aside, the OP needs to be careful that they're not stigmatising their poor child with all this nonsense about special treatment etc. Left-handedness is not a disability. I suspect there are other left-handed children in the class. Are their parents making this kind of fuss?

ailuro2

I never knew there was a difference in things till I bought my first pair of left handed scissors in my twenties - it does make a difference. It's the only "left handed" thing I have.

I do have to remember when I'm teaching my right handed DD to cook that she will do it the right handed way, so I make sure she has the knife in the correct hand for her - but I don't expect they'll be chopping onions with a sharp knife at nursery, so don't really see what the problem is. Same goes for scissors - the kiddy ones they have in nurseries tend to be useless and it's the staff who end up cutting stuff out beforehand.

fluffnutter

ailuro2 wrote: »

I never knew there was a difference in things till I bought my first pair of left handed scissors in my twenties - it does make a difference. It's the only "left handed" thing I have.

I do have to remember when I'm teaching my right handed DD to cook that she will do it the right handed way, so I make sure she has the knife in the correct hand for her - but I don't expect they'll be chopping onions with a sharp knife at nursery, so don't really see what the problem is. Same goes for scissors - the kiddy ones they have in nurseries tend to be useless and it's the staff who end up cutting stuff out beforehand.

I think you've mentioned the one piece of equipment that left-handed people can benefit from. You simply can't use right-handed scissors with your left hand, and the dexterity needed to use your right-hand for cutting when you're left-handed might be too much for younger kids.

Having said that, my dad manages OK. Mind you, he's rubbish at tying shoe laces!

fluffnutter

I remember someone posing an etiquette question about the way the knife and fork go. She said she was going to a dinner party, she was left-handed and she held her knife in her left hand. She was wondering whether she should phone or write to her host asking whether he'd be so kind as to set her place with the knife and fork the other way round.

Talk about over-reaction! Here's a thought... when you pick your knife and fork up, swap them from left to right, eat your dinner. Simple.

mildred1978

fluffnutter wrote: »

I remember someone posing an etiquette question about the way the knife and fork go. She said she was going to a dinner party, she was left-handed and she held her knife in her left hand. She was wondering whether she should phone or write to her host asking whether he'd be so kind as to set her place with the knife and fork the other way round.

But the fork is normally on the left............???