Parenting a lefty

[lirio]

I am also left handed and I agree with what everyone said about doing some things left handed and some things right handed. When teaching your child you should let them try both hands and see which feels more natural. That's what I had to do when trying a new sport for the first time.

I write left handed. I can eat with both hands. I use scissors and the mouse with my right hand. Brush teeth with my left. Bat left but throw right. It's all mixed up.

I have a funny story about teaching being left handed though, so once I was teaching my class how to paint with a special brush that you have to hold a certain way. And the kids said "what?! we have to do that with our left hand?!" So now I always say I am left handed so I use my left hand. But if you are right handed, use your right hand! I think you could just teach your child with your right hand and they could follow with their left.

[Deebs]

We think both kids are lefties. With DD, she still seems to be quite a bit ambidextrous, so I actually try not to hand her anything, but let her pick up items in whatever hand seems natural. So far, she prefers to write with her left, but isn't really great with either hand (she's 3). I was able to get a grip to help place her fingers correctly for writing at the teacher's store, as well as lefty scissors. DS is still under 2, but I'll be shocked if he uses his right hand - so far he prefers his left for everything! I try really hard to NOT think about teaching them to do things the way I do them (I'm a righty), as I basically just end up confused!

Really, you should just let your daughter develop as she normally would. The brain is kind of wired to do what it will with handedness so going against that may just cause frustrations.

[Urowife]

I'm a lefty and I just wanted to second/third that many lefties are not true lefties and will do some things with their right hand. I write with my left hand, but do many other things right-handed, like play sports and use scissors. Other things, I actually can't list off the top of my head because I have to actually do the thing to see which hand I use. There are other things I can use both hands for, like sewing. I just use whichever hand is more convenient. And, oddly enough, I can only hold my DD with my left hand/arm. If I try right-handed, it feels really awkward!

When I was in kindergarten, my teacher gave me left-handed scissors, and I kept trying to use them with my right hand, and wondered why I had so much trouble cutting things. It took everyone awhile to realize that I needed right-handed scissors and would be just fine using them with my right hand.

If it turns out your daughter can only cut lefty, I'd suggest bringing a pair of lefty scissors to classrooms or other places she might do an art project.

As for the computer mouse or touch pad, could you try teaching her to use her left hand and use the buttons as they are (set for a right-handed person)?

This thread is giving me a lot to think about! I hadn't really thought about how, as a lefty, I might inadvertently teach my son to do things backwards.