getting child to use right hand

Savvy_Sue

My youngest has recently berated me for not teaching him the 'proper' way to tie shoelaces but I think it is entirely academic since he never unties the bally things in the first place! :mad:

BTW, my 'failure' has nothing to do with his handedness and everything to do with his unwillingness to tackle any task at which he does not immediately succeed ...

Anyway, buying his latest pair of shoes I did a demo in Clarks and he picked it up in no time, aged 12. No idea what the assistants thought!

rchddap1

My sister is left handed and I distinctly remember sunday lunch times. She would sit there and juggle her knife and fork for about 10 mintues before starting her meal. And she was about 7-10 years old at the time...I think. When she was a baby my parents automatically started treating her right handed, as they had done with me without realising. Once they realised she was left handed things became easier and generally they left her to sort herself out. That is, dump a spoon etc... in front of her so that she could choose which hand she wanted.

Today she has a lovely 10 - 11 month old little boy and hasn't lost anything by being left handed. I think that its better for the child for them to work it out themselves rather than being forced to use one particular hand. Afterall, both hands at the end of the day are capable of doing the same job.

spidystrider

Two out of three of my kids are left-handed, no one else in my family is that I know of. My oldest son's handwriting was bad to begin with, but not anymore and my daughter has lovely handwriting. They do both have problems with scissors but I have bought them both left-handed scissors, so that's sorted. I would say that they are both less co-ordinated than their right-handed brother.

oceanic

So many politically correct posts - MIND BOGGLING
and one person especially needs to get of their high horse (since life is never as simple as it seems so what might seem correct might not be in time with more knowledge beign discovered)

My advice if people bother to read through 8 pages, is just to train the kid to use both hands if possible. It's always a good thing to be able to do everything.

And there are benifits to being right handed, since you exercise the left side of the brain (which is the more logical language mathematics science reality everyday part of the brain). So you get a more brainier kid probably.

Thirdly there are cultural things that have to be noted with regards to left and right hands that people should be aware of. Washing and dirty tasks should really be assigned to one hand whilst eating and other more higher tasks to the other hand. Whichever you choose to use for whichever tasks. (Though it should be noted that we live in a right handed world, and therefore the left hand is usualy given the position of doing the lesser tasks)

Fourthly there must be something about being a righty that gives us an advantage, since why else would we be so dominant in the population. Probably like i said it is the extra exercise of mental discipline found in left side of the brain due to using the right side of the body more. Also some studies show lefties tend to me more emotionally unstable due to the right side of the brain being the centre of emotion. They tend to find it hard to detach themselves and think clearly. But then again studies are always controversial.

NB - For those who don't know the brain is cross-wired, so the left side of brain controls the right side of the body and vice-versa.

PS - I heard children swap use of hands a lot as they grow up in the first several years.

Lastly what's with this belief of lefty kids being smarter at school. Course they're not, intelligence varies greatly depending on the individual and is hard to define. It also involves a broad spectrum of abililtes. So don't think that letting your kid be a lefty will make him smarter, becuase most likley it won't. It might make him more artisitic since he'll use his right side of the brain more, but that at the same time it means he'll use his left side of the brain less. Which controls the more important functions maths, language and science, whilst right side of brain controls images, imagination, emotions and so on, art versus science, science wins hands down as more important in my book.

But forcing him to never use his left side is probably a bad idea, but forcing him to use both hands efficiently is a good idea in my opinion. So i say reenforce his use of his right hand. Teach him to use both and show him the difference, he'll be better for it.

One final point, its quite hard to define a leftie since a lot of people are inbetweeners. They tend to swap depending on the task.

Murtle

Having read the posts with intrigue - I thought I post a link to a site that sells left handed pens. I have no association with the site, other then I bought my left handed OH one for Christmas and it has been admired by the numerous left handed people he works with.

http://www.kjbeckett.com/acatalog/yoropen.html

Apparently the pen has been special designed for left handed people, and OH found it really comfortable to hold and has started to help stop him bending his wrist round the top of the pen.

I hope this might help, some left handed peole that struggle with writing - from a right handed person, with appalling hand writing - I should have been a doctor!!!!

Following on from the poster who mentioned the brain being wired to opposite sides

Left Brain - thinking process

Logical
Sequential
Rational
Analytical
Objective
Looks at parts

Right Brain - thinking process

Random
Intuitive
Holistic
Synthesizing
Subjective
Looks at wholes

This I understand is often why lefties are more artistic.....


ps here is a link to a UK website - I remember seeing the US version earlier
http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/index.html

Glad

***note from board guide***

oceanic - this discussion has not been commented on for 9 weeks and over it's 2 pages has probably been discussed enough,
Murtle - thanks for the links

[Deleted User]

As a natural born leftie - who's best friend all through primary school was also a natural born leftie I feel well able to comment on what really is the pointlessness of trying to MAKE a person do something that is just not natural. Handedness is decided by nature - not by people.

My friend was forced to use her right hand by her parents, and even though she reverted to using her left at school, her writing suffered terribly, as did her confidence. This had repercussions on many other aspects of her school years. She eventually refused to take part in things like rounders and certain other sports because she knew her parents would be watching and expecting her to hit with her right hand. During a cookery lesson she suffered a deep cut where the knife slipped - and yes - she was using her right hand.

For anyone wanting change the 'handedness' of their child - you CANNOT.

Left handers will always be left handers - and whilst you can learn to use the other hand - unless you are truly ambidextrous - it will never be the same as using the natural hand.

If anyone wants to know how difficult this must be - just trying using your opposite hand for EVERYTHING, not just writing - and then see how you feel.

In fact see how long you can keep it up.

xxbutterflygirlxx

I'm left handed, was never treated any differently because of it and it has never caused any problems. I've never had special scissors or anything, in fact I'm pretty certain I couldn't use them if I tried. I really don't understand why some people see it as a kind of disability.

billieboy_2

I'm intrigued by this. Both my husband and I are left-handed. Our two daughters are right-handed. My husband is very artistic. I'm not. One daughter is very artistic. The other is not. My husband is good at maths. I'm not. I'm good at English. My husband is not. One daughter is good at English. The other is not. One is good at maths. The other is not. In other words, there are no hard and fast rules. We have friends where the parents are both right-handed and the chidlren are both left-handed. Just let them be what they will be. Another friend is a left-handed dentist. Wonder what problems he has with his instruments?!

Pinky9

I am quite surprised that this should bother you, I am left-handed and 2 of my children are too, and the other 4 are right-handed. It has never stopped them from doing anything. There are so many products available now for left-handers and I have never had a problem teaching any of them how to tie shoelaces, knit, or indeed, to use most right-handed equipment.

My grandfather was forced to use his right hand at school and found it a real struggle. He was rapped over the knuckles every time he tried to use his left. Surely it is not right to return to these victorian attitudes. Everyone is an individual and should be allowed to develop their own individualities which make them the person they are.

Please think hard before taking such a radical decision, a child is such a precious gift.