Left Handed --- Consider switching to right for writing?

[boscopup]

Is it a Smooth Touch opener or something like it?

 

 

No, mine is pretty old, though apparently they still carry the same one:

 

http://www.sunbeam.com/ProductDetail.aspx?section=kitchen&pid=559

 

So yes, the lever opens from the right, but it'd be easy enough to use either hand to hold the can while the other hand closes the lever onto it. Then you let go and just press the button with either hand.

 

It's a bit tricky to get the can in the right spot, regardless of handedness, so I imagine my oldest (RH) would have issues using it at this point, but he's only 7. :tongue_smilie:

[ClassicalTwins]

I have twins, one left/one right. The lefty's handwriting is MUCH better than the righty's. The lefty plays guitar left handed. The first guitar teacher tried to switch him and that just wasn't working (my lefty is much more strong willed too)

 

Neither my husband nor I are left handed, we've just learned to work with him to do it.

[RootAnn]

My #4 child is currently a "switch-hitter" in tee-ball. He throws & bats with his right or left depending on what feels correct at the time. We have no issue with it & figure he'll decide one way or another eventually.

 

My older sister was forced by my mother to be right handed. (Mom would slap her hand repeatedly - making her drop what she picked up or force her left hand to be sore so she would use her right for writing.) My mother was convinced left-handedness was from the devil. Her favorite grandchild turned out to be left-handed. Said grandchild was no longer favored. (Moral of the story: Not all grandmothers are nice. Evil is still around.)

 

It looks like the OP is rethinking her original idea. Yeah!

 

:auto:

[Laura Corin]

I wouldn't. Having a lefty really hasn't been hard. I think it's much better to go with the natural physical aptitude of the student.

 

Laura

[Violet Crown]

Another dominant lefty, begging you not to do this.

 

Regarding "hooking": like writing with your left hand, it isn't necessarily a matter of having been trained to write the right way. I hook over, despite being taught with great forcefulness never to do it. My second-grade language arts teacher decided she would "cure" me of it for good, and my mom couldn't figure out why my grade had dropped to a C in my best subject until I confessed I was being made to write in a way I simply couldn't. She raised holy hell at the principal's office and I was permitted to go back to my perfectly neat and quick hooked-over handwriting.

 

Dh has a severe hook--his arm curves over his entire page--and he's a right-hander. Dear MIL taught second-grade, and it was an endless source of embarrassment to her that her first-born could not be made to write the "right" way.

 

Anyhow, if anything people should be encouraging their righties to work on their left. Think of baseball! And fencing! My girls' coach is always very excited when he gets a lefty to work with.

[Koerarmoca]

My older brother is a lefty they used to tie his hand behind his back to try to force him to use his right hand. Truly makes me sick to think about it.

 

I have a lefty and it has posed no problems what so ever semi sloppy handwriting but that is a non-issue IMO. Also she needs a little more elbow room so she isn't bumping into a righty. You can buy a binder and bind books opposite for them and you can even order notebooks with the spiral on the opposite side. I never did any of that though. She just adapted.

[clarkacademy]

Well before I force my child to do something knowing his brain is wired differently, I would think to myself, could I do that? I am right handed period could I force myself to do everything with my left? Most likely no. I also wouldn't want to make a small child feel as if they can't do something right. We are suppose to build our kids self esteem not trash it.

[twoxcell]

No, No , and absolutely NO:blink:! Please do not force your child to write with his/her right hand if they are left handed. My dh is a lefty and I have 1 lefty, and I would never force them to do things right handed. There are certain things that need to be done right(i.e. computer mouse), but writing is not one of them.

[Mommy22alyns]

really? I mean, REALLY!? I thought in this day and age that was understood to be rather cruel.

 

Is this a joke?

 

 

:iagree: They are what they are.

[zenjenn]

There are certain things that need to be done right(i.e. computer mouse), but writing is not one of them.

 

There are ambidextrous and lefty computer mice (mouses?) are available, but if possible learning to use a right-handed mouse is probably worth doing because there are computer labs, libraries, etc, that might have right-handed ones.

 

That said, there are some highly left-dominant individuals who might benefit from a lefty mouse for daily use. I'm a lefty who uses a mouse on the right with no problems, but my much-more left dominant daughter used a righty mouse on the right initially, but ultimately I got her an ambidextrous mouse and she chooses to use it on the left and is much more proficient with its use on the left.

 

Again, folks, lets not disparage the OP as or dismiss this post as a joke. I think it is a fair question to ask on a classical education forum, even though allowing left-handedness is pretty universally accepted as one of the modern modifications to education that has been changed for the better.

[nmoira]

 

At the same time it is useful to develop one's other hand and writing and eating are good practice for that, plus those two activities have significant advantages to using the right-hand.

:confused: By this logic, I should encourage my right-handed children to use their left hands for eating and writing.

[gevs4him]

Before I would change what hand he uses I would check to see which eye is dominate. Our ds is right eye dominate and writes with his left hand - this has caused many delays. If we would have known before he started handwriting we would have encouraged him to use his right hand. We caught it to late in the game.

[Barb_]

No. Just no. Not really adding anything unique, but I'm a lefty with three lefty children chiming in. Don't do it.

 

Barb

[Paige]

My son was ambidextrous but left leaning in K. His teacher couldn't stand him switching hands all day and, without my knowledge or consent, forced him to use his right hand only in class. It caused some real problems. I would never give a child any advice as to what hand to pick- even a kid who uses both hands needs to figure it out his or herself.

 

I'm a lefty too, fwiw.

[mycalling]

That's so cool your daughter is a lefty. I'm a lefty, the only child of a lefty...yet, after 7 children NONE of my children (maybe baby:confused:I hold out hope) is a lefty.

 

The idea to switch her just sounds odd to me. This isn't, "She won't eat vegetables, should I force her?"

[PenKase]

I've always felt proud and special to be left-handed. I never felt handicapped by it, rather, I felt empowered. Both my dc are right-handed but it'd be perfectly good if they were lefties. We come into this earth just as we should. Who am I to mess with that?

[MeganW]

My son was ambidextrous but left leaning in K. His teacher couldn't stand him switching hands all day and, without my knowledge or consent, forced him to use his right hand only in class. It caused some real problems. I would never give a child any advice as to what hand to pick- even a kid who uses both hands needs to figure it out his or herself.

 

I'm a lefty too, fwiw.

 

I had two kids who truly used whatever hand happened to be closest to the crayon/pencil when they went to pick it up. Because they were only getting half the practice with each hand, they were starting to get discouraged that "everyone else" could color in the lines, write their names, etc., so with the OT's blessing, we picked for them so they could start focusing on refining their fine motor skills.

 

My mom says I was a leftie and she made me go right, and it has been just fine! My handwriting is legible when I care, but atrocious when I'm not making an effort. Seeing how my kids are, I suspect that I was more like they are - just not very dominant on either side as opposed to truly a leftie. The cool thing is that while my handwriting may not be perfect, I have such an advantage with everything else. I have TWO hands that I can use, whereas everyone else seems to only be able to use one!

 

I'm glad that my mom picked the right, and that's what we chose for my kids, just for convenience. I don't know if you call that "forcing", but if so, we did it.

[Jamee]

. She also has a dramatic speech about how left handed people are discriminated against because of what side coffee mugs are printed on. ;)

 

. :)

 

I don't care so much about the coffee mugs, but measuring cups drive me absolutely crazy! It's one of the few things I really need to get for a lefty.

[mcconnellboys]

From a lefty: all left-handed people are ambidextrous to some degree. In fact, many scientists don't call us "left-handed" any longer, but "non-right dominant," LOL, or something like that....

 

I do tons of things right-handed. But every lefty is going to be slightly different in that regard, according to how their particular brain works. It's just not a good idea to try to change what they are wired to do....

[raceNzanesmom]

It's not really handedness as much as brainedness.

 

I agree. I'd never force one hand over the other.

[Alphabetika]

Hmmmm......I'm a lefty, and I can't imagine that either of your first two reasons would have been convincing enough to force me to write with my right hand. In fact, I would have thought they were ridiculous. It's true that there are some actions I can now do with both hands (such as stirring and many kitchen tasks) and some I even do right-handed, such as eating. But writing? Too important of a connection (for me, anyway) between my brain and hand to make it right to switch from my natural hand just for the sake of someone else's convenience.

[jenangelcat]

I'm a leftie and it's never been an issue. I can not think of single occasion where there was a problem. I use right handed products just fine with my left hand.

[Dinsfamily]

From a lefty: all left-handed people are ambidextrous to some degree. In fact, many scientists don't call us "left-handed" any longer, but "non-right dominant," LOL, or something like that....

 

I do tons of things right-handed. But every lefty is going to be slightly different in that regard, according to how their particular brain works. It's just not a good idea to try to change what they are wired to do....

 

I would fall at the end of that spectrum. My right hand has as much coordination as a paper weight :lol: My dh and ds5 are more ambidextrous lefties. It looks like my 2.5yo is going to write with his right hand but golf and bat with his left. He's also right-footed. He'd be an interesting case.

[radiobrain]

Well, I hope that after most of these responses, the OP has changed her mind. :D

 

Being a leftie can be a pain, or an advantage depending on the situation. But it is not up to a parent.

 

"The hook" is something different entirely.

[mycalling]

I've always felt proud and special to be left-handed.

:iagree:Same here!

I'm a leftie and it's never been an issue. I can not think of single occasion where there was a problem. I use right handed products just fine with my left hand.

:iagree:

From a lefty: all left-handed people are ambidextrous to some degree. In fact, many scientists don't call us "left-handed" any longer, but "non-right dominant," LOL, or something like that....

I disagree. I cannot use my right side for anything solo but using the computer's mouse. I can't kick with my right or swing a bat with my right. My parents would have been morons and failures had they tried to switch me. There is nothing ambidextrous about me.:tongue_smilie:

 

Hearing right-handed people talk of switching us lefties, honestly to me, makes them sound prejudicial and ignorant.

[Kuovonne]

nm

Edited July 4, 2011 by Kuovonne

[cfn10]

OP here.

 

If there was a way to close this thread on page 2 I gladly would have.

 

I asked the question to learn. I have read about writing left-handed and wanted to know more. A forum dedicated to civil discourse and support of homeschooling moms is a place where I can learn from others.

 

Once again thank you to the many who posted helpful responses.

[Rhapsody]

No, no, never, never, never would I do so. I am a lefty. The teachers at the school where I went for K-1st tried everything, including punishment, to make me write with my right hand. It didn't work, and I changed schools. I think rather than trying to change nature, it would be better to assist her in the adjustments that we lefties must make to live in a right-handed world. She may need special scissors, etc. I learned how to adapt using the "normal" tools.

 

:iagree: I am discovering that I may have a lefty (5.5 yo son), so I understand the temptation to "force" his right handedness, BUT I am letting HIM decide, even if that makes MY life a little more challenging. I am willing to work a little harder to get the lefty school supplies, if that is going to make my son's life easier. And, I would never want to be responsible for developmental delays! My opinion = It is NOT worth the risk!

 

But I do understand your struggle. It was an adjustment for me at first too.

[9763653]

My five year-old daughter is an obvious lefty, something that was apparent almost from birth. She never bumps into people at the dinner table, and has wonderful hand writing for a five year old. When writing on a blank sheet, her letters do slank backwards, but that is averted by using lined paper. She has no trouble using right-handed scissors either.

 

I hope you change your mind, there is plenty of research showing the negative effects of forcing lefties to write with their right hands.

[AngelBee]

OP here.

 

If there was a way to close this thread on page 2 I gladly would have.

 

I asked the question to learn. I have read about writing left-handed and wanted to know more. A forum dedicated to civil discourse and support of homeschooling moms is a place where I can learn from others.

 

Once again thank you to the many who posted helpful responses.

 

:grouphug:

[texasmama]

If I recall correctly, a greater percentage of U.S. presidents have been left-handed than one would expect given the percentage of lefties in the general population.

 

I married a leftie. My kids are all righties. Go figure.

[texasmama]

From a lefty: all left-handed people are ambidextrous to some degree. In fact, many scientists don't call us "left-handed" any longer, but "non-right dominant," LOL, or something like that....

 

I do tons of things right-handed. But every lefty is going to be slightly different in that regard, according to how their particular brain works. It's just not a good idea to try to change what they are wired to do....

 

My husband is a mixed dominance kind of guy. He writes left handed but does many other activities with his right hand.

 

I am right handed, but my left hand is much better/stronger at opening jars. That is my left hand's special skill.:D

Edited July 21, 2011 by texasmama

[RahRah]

:iagree:

My FIL still talks about being hit at school by the teacher whenever he used his left hand.

 

DH and I are both right handed. Our son is left handed. It has never, ever been an huge issue.

I do buy left handed scissors and I buy notebooks that are bound across the top instead of side or we use loose paper. I would never force a child to change their dominant hand based on availability of school supplies!

DS golfs and we did buy left handed clubs for him. He also plays guitar, but right handed.

DS doesn't 'hook' when he writes. We actually didn't teach him how to write/print, as he is extremely visual (like many creative left handed people) and picked it up on his own when he was around 3 years old.

 

:iagree:

 

My mother tells the stories of her hand being struck with a ruler while going to grammar school in the 40s....even the pain didn't stop her from being a lefty....and she has beautiful writing - reading it, you'd never know she was a lefty.

[WishboneDawn]

....and she has beautiful writing - reading it, you'd never know she was a lefty.

 

I laughed when I read this. :) I think it's funny that we lefties are sort of expected to have worse handwriting.

[boscopup]

I laughed when I read this. :) I think it's funny that we lefties are sort of expected to have worse handwriting.

 

:lol:

 

My brother and I are right handed, and my sister is left handed. We all equally have horrid handwriting. We blame it on my (right handed) dad. His handwriting is also horrid. :tongue_smilie:

 

My mom's handwriting is beautiful. You would think it would have rubbed off on us, since she was home with us all day? But no, we got my dad's handwriting. I don't think being left or right handed has anything to do with whether your handwriting will look nice. There are *plenty* of right handed people with bad handwriting. :)

 

Btw, my neighbor has an interesting script... It slants to the left, and her capital "F" faces left? Is that a lefty script of some sort? Or did she just make it up? Just looking at the writing, it's obvious that she's a lefty. I found it interesting. Her writing is beautiful. I just haven't seen that particular script before.

[Matryoshka]

My mother tells the stories of her hand being struck with a ruler while going to grammar school in the 40s....even the pain didn't stop her from being a lefty....and she has beautiful writing - reading it, you'd never know she was a lefty.

 

Heh... my best friend is a lefty, and she has beautiful handwriting. My dh, otoh, is also a lefty and often can't read what he wrote. But I think that's just him, not his hand. :D My lefty dd has the worst handwriting of my three kids, but I think that's her father's genes, not which hand she's using. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm somewhat ambidextrous, and I can write more neatly than my dh with my left hand, even though it's not my dominant one. :lol:

[Matryoshka]

I am right handed, but my left hand is much better/stronger at opening jars. That is my left hand's special skill.:D

 

Hey, me too! :D

[mommaduck]

I'm a lefty. I do use my right hand for certain things (scissors). I hated that my stepdad said I wasn't a "real lefty" because of my ambidexterity was pretty high.

 

Let your child take the lead. I can't tell you how difficult it is to be one thing and be forced to do another. I've tried writing right handed and it's rather painful to be honest (and I mean that in a physical sense).

 

I have multiple handwriting and signatures. Some of which I've been told is quite nice. DH is a righty and his writing is atrocious (but I think that's also a guy thing).

Edited July 21, 2011 by mommaduck

[mommaduck]

OP here.

 

If there was a way to close this thread on page 2 I gladly would have.

 

I asked the question to learn. I have read about writing left-handed and wanted to know more. A forum dedicated to civil discourse and support of homeschooling moms is a place where I can learn from others.

 

Once again thank you to the many who posted helpful responses.

 

I don't think anyone was mad at you, just astounded that what we've written isn't so common knowledge yet that such a question/thinking actually came up. I really thought that most people knew the history of the cruelty towards left handed people (aka, tying hands behind backs, smacking hands, etc in trying to force right handedness) and understood that it was brain wiring that was not "wrong", just "different" (and that that difference is actually a POSITIVE thing).

 

You'll find that the WTM mamas (and papas) can and do have civil discourse. But we are also very opinionated and discussions can get heated. Everyone learns a lot here and sometimes we learn to see the other side of things. Other times we have to come back and apologise to one another for our brashness though. Such are the failings of our strengths.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

really? I mean, REALLY!? I thought in this day and age that was understood to be rather cruel.

 

Is this a joke?

 

:iagree: This idea is so wrong IMHO. I am left handed and have done very well for the past 50 years thank you very much.

 

My uncle was forced to change to right handedness in the 1940s and it was not a good experience:( This is archaic thinking IMO.

[HLDoll]

really? I mean, REALLY!? I thought in this day and age that was understood to be rather cruel.

 

Is this a joke?

 

:iagree:My husband and I, all the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in our family are righties. But somehow, my husband and I ended up with 3 lefties. I wouldn't dream of forcing them to change their natural inclinations to conform to a righty world when the adaptations they need to make are relatively minor. I have to remind them fairly often to keep the proper slant on their papers when writing to avoid hooking, but I have to remind my right handed son to slant his paper as well. At family dinners, we regularly squeeze lots of people around the table, including my lefty kids and my brother's new lefty bride, without any issues or consideration for special placement. You're really overthinking this, to the possible detriment of your child.

[WishboneDawn]

OP here.

 

If there was a way to close this thread on page 2 I gladly would have.

 

I asked the question to learn. I have read about writing left-handed and wanted to know more. A forum dedicated to civil discourse and support of homeschooling moms is a place where I can learn from others.

 

Once again thank you to the many who posted helpful responses.

 

People should read the thread before further commenting of the cruelty of making us lefties into righties or disapproving of the OPs question. She's been through the wringer already. If the discussion morphs into something else, fine but it would be nice if we could let the OP off the hook!