Parenting a lefty

[Cumberland]

My 3yo DD is left handed, we are just realizing. I am wondering if anyone has any experience with the best way to teach a lefty or parent a lefty.

The other day she wanted to play computer games since for the first time her sister wasnt around to dominate the mouse- I was showing her how to use the mouse with her right hand without realizing. I wonder what else I have shown her the wrong way?

[GrayMatterWife]

I wonder what else I have shown her the wrong way?

From one southpaw's mom to another:

--Writing (both which hand to hold the pen with AND which way to slight "tip" the paper as you write so that you don't slant or strain your wrist--most righties slant the paper slight to the left)
--Brushing teeth (if it's done with the nondominant hand, brush handle is hard to control)
--Tying shoes (it affects how you loop)
--Batting
--Kicking in soccer from a standing position (which foot is your plant foot)
--Painting
--Cutting (scissors can be a real nightmare)
--Stirring (brownie mix, for example, when you've got a kitchen helper)

oh, yeah...and WATCHES! Remember, lefties wear them on their right wrist, usually, so they don't scratch up their watch as they write!

Just a few thoughts... Good luck!

[mommax3]

My youngest is left-handed. It was tricky teaching him to write, but he has done pretty well with it. I had never thought about the mouse.....I honestly don't know what he does about that. The writing thing and seating arrangements at the table (so he doesn't elbow everyone) have been our biggies.

ETA: Abigail has some really good thoughts.....some that I had forgotten about (soccer, shooting a basketball, scissors) and some I never considered and some kind soul/teacher must have helped him with. It sucks to be the youngest child!

[madeintaiwan]

Hmmm.. I never thought of it being any different. A (second child) is left handed and I've never really given any thought about it. She'll be 5 in December. She goes to town with those KUMON cut and paste books. Her fine and gross motor skills surpass those of her older brother's at ANY given age. He is right handed but has been taught to bat and golf left handed. Now, I'm wondering if I've been doing things wrong...

[ladymoreta]

From an IT person's point of view... You can switch the mouse buttons by going into Control Panel and checking the box for "Switch primary and secondary buttons". Some lefties I've worked with do this so when they put the mouse over on the left side of their keyboard, they're using their index finger for the primary clicking. You just have to remember to uncheck the box after they're finished, or the next person will be really confused!

[alison]

I'm a lefty. I mouse with my right hand, and do some other things with my right hand (or right side) as well. I play golf and tennis with my right hand.

So, for me, it's mostly writing, cutting (with scissors and knives) with my left hand. For many lefties, I know, we aren't true lefties, because for whatever reason (schools not always having lefty supplies), there are some things that you just get used to doing with your right hand. I think it's best to see what your child prefers and just roll with the punches. In large part, we're adaptable!!

[moonlight]

I'm also a lefty.

If your child joins baseball/softball don't forget they get a left handed glove!

[madeintaiwan]

If your child joins baseball/softball don't forget they get a left handed glove!

Yeah, DD has one of those!

[Pollyanna]

So funny, I thought this was going to be a completely different topic. :LOL:

[JaneDoe]

I'm a lefty and my ds is a lefty, but dd isn't. I never really thought about teaching the two differently.

I agree with Alison that many lefties aren't completely left handed. So, I wouldn't necessarily assume that if she writes left handed she will do everything else left handed. For instance, I write, eat and bat a ball left handed. However, I use scissors, throw a ball (never could use a lefty mitt) and dribble a soccer and basket ball right handed.

I had a hard time learning my left from my right as a kid. It wasn't until I started driving a car that I could quickly know left from right. I think it was because I never had a dominate side.

[DCJenn]

I'll ask my mom the woman who has made us all (righties) accommodate her left-handedness her entire life.

She mouses on the left and has left handed scissors and has finally found notebooks w/ the spiral on the right side of the page.

She was honestly disappointed that none of us have ended up as lefties. (in her family the brown-haired, brown-eyed, skinny ones are lefties and the blond-haired, blue-eyed chubby ones are righties. (and seriously there's no medium regular normal looking people- it's one or the other) (my mother weighs MAYBE 100 pounds soaking wet.)

Back when she was in school the teachers tried to make her a rightie, and my grandfather (one of the aforementioned lefties) went in and blasted the teacher. Wasn't a problem after that!

Jenn

[alison]

I agree with Alison that many lefties aren't completely left handed. So, I wouldn't necessarily assume that if she writes left handed she will do everything else left handed. .

EXACTLY! You've explained this much better than I did.
When I first took tennis lessons as a child, I was shown how to hold the grip with my left hand. No one could figure out why I wasn't able to make any contact with the ball whatsoever.

[moonlight]

I'd suggest that you be very observant of your child (not that you haven’t already!!). You’ll learn how dominate she/he is with the left hand.

I was a very dominate left handed child. My parents noticed very early on (I'm guessing 12 months old) that I was a lefty because I was sucking my left thumb and always reaching for things with my left hand. I use a computer mouse with my right hand, but other than that everything else I must do left handed. It works out great as a married person. All my things are on the left side of the bathroom sink and DH gets the right side.

ive never gave this any thought at all, current my child uses both her hands... i dont want to force anything on her but i do see how that could cause some problems. i suck at using my left hand... i wouldnt even know where to begin on trying to help her

My 5.5yo daughter is left-handed. We got her grandfather and a family friend to provide help/advice with writing and placement of paper etc.

We did get left scissors. Fiskars kid scissors are allegedly ambidextrous but actual lefty scissors were a lot better.

The main thing that I still mess up is handing things to her - I tend to give them to her right hand (e.g., the spoon when mixing cookie dough) and then she has to pass it to her other hand. A little awkward when passing two things.