getting child to use right hand

Jeryth

I'm a leftie, proud of it, and very interested in the subject. I am left handed, left eared, and left footed, and left eyed. Apparently it doesn't necessarily follow that left handers are leftie in everything. (Bruce Willis is a leftie, so is Angelina Jolie - I watch for lefties in films). I grew up in a right handed family, so the things I was taught, like cleaning teeth and crochet, I do right handed. I play the guitar right handed too, can't understand why people want to change the strings around. I use scissors right handedly; why shouldn't I? The ONLY things of which I would like to own a LH version are a corkscrew, a ruler/tape measure, and personalised pens or pencils. I DO get annoyed at the RH bias of the world, but I'm not a militant leftie, unable or unwilling to do things the RH way. Although, having said that, I normally carry bags of shopping and stuff in my right hand so my left is free, which is completely at odds with my military drill, which requires one to carry items on the left side so that it is possible to salute an officer when necessary. I have found dancing in groups difficult, because I tend to pirouette in the opposite way to most others. Oh yeah, just remembered, I use a dessert spoon in my LH but have developed an Ice Cream callous, so might swap back. I believe that there are leftie tendencies, like the musicalilty and artistry, and I think we are more adaptive because we have to be, which is my explanation for why a lot of lefties can read or write backwards/mirror image.

On another note, ice skaters. There is a competitor in ice skating who spins the opposite way to everybody else, and it looks weird. But I would like somebody to tell me how an iceskater can spin like they do and not get dizzy. Dancers "spot", but I haven't seen iceskaters do anything like that.

valiant23

aren't some very famous and talented people left-handed?
does anyone know of any examples?

NED FLANDERS and his Springfield Leftorium. He sells left-handed paint-brushes.

....

On another note, ice skaters. There is a competitor in ice skating who spins the opposite way to everybody else, and it looks weird. But I would like somebody to tell me how an iceskater can spin like they do and not get dizzy. Dancers "spot", but I haven't seen iceskaters do anything like that.

perhaps they're from the southern hemisphere and its only natural for them to do that. Like water down a plug-hole.

Savvy_Sue

i don't know how to tie shoelaces the proper way but can make a bow out of bunny ears. i once bought a book 'tie a bow ben bunny' because i thought maybe i could learn from a childrens book and then help my son to learn, but they did the bunny ears method in that book - doh!

And what's wrong with the bunny ears method of tying shoelaces, I'd like to know? It's a perfectly proper way of doing things.

I was taught the complicated way, but I now use the easy way, and think I may have forgotten the old way. I've taught all my kids the easy way too - not that they ever undo their shoelaces in the first place. What is the point of making life harder than it already is? You don't get a better result, do you?

Oh, and my middle one is a LHer in a family of RHers. His handwriting is no worse than mine.

Lancashire_Lass_3

Just a quick note as I have found this topic very interesting. I am a Health Visitor and also left handed. It never fails to amaze me during some assessments with children how some parents are quite stressed at their child displaying a left handed preference (even funnier when they spot me writing!!! he he!). I feel no need to pass on any further pearls of wisdom, but will leave a note to say that I never had any pressure from family re being left handed and get along quite nicely. Also my daughter is left handed , happy and healthy! ;D

jellyhead

i only met one teacher who was upset by my being left handed, my family certainly didn't think it was a big deal despite me being the first in the family i think.

school wanted my son to hurry up and choose which hand to use though, he was in reception, 5 and still couldn't really hold a pen or dress/feed himself properly. they didn't seem to care which hand he chose, only that not having a preference seemed to make him clumsier and more confused. he finds easy-grip scissors easier than left or right handed ones. hubby is ambidextrous but writes with his right hand and isn't at all clumsy.

i learned to do quite a lot the right-handed way because i didn't know any left handers and strangely i was the only one in my class at school. i think my inability to tie shoelaces the complicated way is more to do with my being easily confused and having poor spacial awareness rather than being caused by left-handedness. i find sports, map reading and directions difficult too, i think it's just something to do with me rather than anything to do with handedness. i didn't know right from left until i was at uni and there was a fashion for sharing bootlaces (a bit like friendship bracelets). we would share laces for our dr martens and i gradually learned that the boot with the purple lace was my left foot. a mental picture of my boots at uni always helps me with knowing left from right nowadays. i'm making myself sound really gonky aren't i ... it didn't stop me getting a degree lol!

as for the bunny rabbit method of tying shoes, my dyslexic aunt taught it to me when i was small. she wasn't much older than me and she's since learned the other method. i have honestly never met another person who uses this method and people comment on my using it all the time. i realise it can't be that unique because ben bunny uses it, i just don't know anyone else who does. my son's not ready to tie laces yet but is slowly starting to manage buttons. he's shopped around and has realised you can still get velcro or slip on shoes in adult sizes lol!

Jeryth

Bargainbunny - I too get directional Left and Right mixed up; I will say or go right when the truth is left. And how about learning T'ai Chi from someone standing in front of you? I can ONLY mirror what that person does, e.g. if she raised her left hand, I would raise my right. I also wondered about when I use the sign language alphabet; I tend to point to my LH fingers for the vowels. I was always understood, tho.

jellyhead

i can't do sign language :-[ i've tried learning but i'm rubbish, lol!

gromituk

chipz, to be honest I was rather shocked by your first posting - that in this day and age someone should try to force their child into doing something against their nature when it causes no harm to anyone. So I am so glad that the others on this thread have persuaded you to let him find his own way - we should celebrate diversity, rather than condemn it.

The same applies to being gay. Some of the proud parents and parents-to-be on this board will have sons and daughters who do not turn out to be heterosexual. Yes, it will be a shock - even in this day and age there is a lot of very nasty prejudice around. The worst thing you can do is condemn or try to change their sexuality. And the second worst thing you can do (which is what my mother did) is blame yourself. It is just another thread in life's rich tapestry, and, given your understanding, will make your child neither inferior nor less happy and fulfilled than any other.

Matthew, a gay leftie.

Frances_O

I definately wouldn't try and change it if it was my child, but it's not, so it's really your choice.....! I'm not sure whether you're born left or right handed, but if a child is showing tendencies to being left handed, then that's obviously what they find easiest and most comfortable.
And like other people in the thread have said, I've heard that left-handed people tend to be very intelligent.... definately all the people I knew at school who were left-handed were.....!
xx

Lancashire_Lass_3

Yes I would certainly agree with that being a leftie! he he he! ;D