getting child to use right hand

BrokeBrokeBroke

I thought I'd heard that left handed people were more likely to be famous/rich/entrepeneurs, in which case I would be chuffed if my son was left handed! He's only 2 and is showing a preference for using his left hand for eating/colouring etc, but we're not sure what he'll turn out to be yet. Drives my mother bonkers as she wants him to use his right. Both myself and my brother used our left hands as babies and parents forced us to use our right hands, Didn't affect me, but my brother (23) can hardly write a sentence. Not sure if it's related or because he's a lazy sod! I personally am going to leave Little Man and see how he gets on. There's much bigger things to worry about I think. Also he may look after his old mum when he's rich and famous!! iI hope!

gravitytolls

they always use the hand thats best for them, so dont worry

mandym

my son's left handed, when he started writing I bought him those triangular pens and pencils to encourage him to hold a pen correctly rather than holding his hand curved round. He learnt to use cutlery the same way as a right handed person would as I couldn't see what difference it would make as both hands were being used anyway.

At first I bought him things like left-handed rulers, can openers, sissors etc but I think left-handed people are a lot more adaptable and we don't bother anymore with left-handed versions as he copes fine with the normal ones.

It wasn't until I read this thread that I even thought about a computer mouse, I've just asked him how he copes with one on the right hand side of the computer and he told me I worry too much! :rolleyes:

chinagirl

I have 3 sons, eldest and middle are both left-handed, and when youngest came along as a right-hander, I almost forced him to be left-handed, as I was so used to laying the table that way, and giving lollies, toys etc to the left hand. It seems a novelty to have a right-handed child. (My husband and I are both right-handed, the elder sons get it from my father, as he is only person in either our families who is left-handed)

les_2

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DON'T

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Iona_Penny

WOW! As some of the other people have said it is neither necessary or sensible to try and influence the 'handedness' of a child.
I am considered left-handed as that is the hand I write with but I do almost everything else with my right.
I have a son who I would consider to be left-sided ie: he uses left hand for sport but otherwise manages in a right-handed world. He can use scissors as long as they are sharp enough, knife and fork as eveyone just switches to left with his spoon. Some things like tying shoes were just easier to teach sitting opposite him as though you were the reflection.
I also have a strange creature, a child of the female kind who like her Father cannot write with her left hand- oh well I suppose she'll manage!!

barjam_2

2 out of 5 of my kids are left handed my son who is 8 still smudges his work when he is writing whereas my 7 yr old daughter has it down to a fine art but i would never try and change the way they write, my eldest son who is right handed uses his cutlery as if he is left handed and when he was at school they always used to tell him his knife and fork were in the wrong hands they even told him when he was writing that he wrote his 'O's the wrong way round can you believe that!!!!!

parsnips

my son is left handed and i am proud of the fact, left handers are rare so i was over the moon when i discovered he was a lefty, i tell him he is gifted.

catznine

Both my husband and my son are left handed (seems to run in hubbys family) and they have no probs at all except when hubby tries to set table as I then have to swap the knives and forks around :rolleyes: At no time did I try to correct my son and we just let him do what he appeared the most comfortable with and now in fact my son earns his living by writing!

borntoshop

To add my two pennorth, i have twins, a left hander and a right hander. The right hander uses her cutlery as if she was lefthanded. My son cant tie his shoelaces and just tucks them in, i have a feeling this would be the case if he was righthanded!!
His writing is stunning, absolutely beautiful and he couldnt get on with any of the lefthanded stuff, pens, scissors etc. i have let them develop the things they are comfortable doing and my righthanded daughter is the artistic one.