Left hand or right hand?

[alng]

I can understand why parents "force" their lefty kids to use right hands as this world is dominated by right-handed people. All the products are produced for right-handed people. However, increasingly, we see products produced for lefties.


My dd1 is the only lefty in our family. As first-time parents then, we read about forcing children to use their unnatural hand will dampen their confidence so we decided to let her be. We were not very sure then but we decided to follow our basic instincts (not to force a young child) than to follow the norm. We even told our parents not to "force" her to use right hand or to remind her that she was special.

Now that she has grown up, I have asked her before if being a lefty has brought her problems. She said no and she is happy to be a lefty.

Oh, we never have problems at mealtimes. And she knows where to sit when eats out so that she does not cause inconvenience to others :-).

[hquek]

Yes jenao, I won’t force ds2 to become a righty, not then and not now. My thoughts are more of that he was born this way and I don’t feel it’s a crippling disability. I didnt like that we had to constantly battle with him to make sure he doesnt use left hand. Actually when i was supervising his work, i didnt give 2 hoots about which hand he was using, only DH would. Rather to choose other battles to fight.


DH told me that he was a lefty but was caned into becoming a righty. So DS2 may be lefty becos of genes.

[junrahmat]

jenao:

Would like to seek advice from forummers here. Dd who is a little over 3 is left handed. But since Nursery this year, her teachers hv been getting her to write using right hand. So now when I see her holding a pencil, it is with right hand. But her teachers also told me to train her as her right hand is really weak ie she can't really write. Which is rightly so since she does everything using left (except holding chopsticks with right which was also taught -not consciously to her using right sometime back as i just modelled to her using right) and her right hand is very weak. I tried to switch her to using left hand to write but she is very resistant, saying teacher ask her to write using right.



MTIA

Ds1 is a lefty. When he was in playgroup many many years back, I had to attend his meet teacher parent meeting and his teacher was very concerned and she said that my son couldn't hold his pencil properly to write. I found it strange since he's doing ok at home. :? As I was querying the teacher further, I realised that she had been forcing him to write with his right hand, which he was unable to. After telling the teacher that ds is a lefty, she had no more issues after that day.

Now, ds in sec 2 and in NCC. The problem he's facing now is whenever he has to go for shooting practice, he's again forced to use his right hand; for safety reasons. He will always complain of his right arm aching after every shooting session. :sad:

[concern2]

I remember posting in this forum about the same topic - and I finally found it! Here are what some other parents had said:


http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3403

[junrahmat]

concern2:

I remember posting in this forum about the same topic - and I finally found it! Here are what some other parents had said:


http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3403

Interesting.. :idea: Thanks concern2

[Oppsgal]

jenao:

Hquek, insider and opsgal,


Are you saying that on hindsight, you will get your kid to use left hand to write instead of using right? I find that a lot of lefties are trained to use right hand and its an Asian thing.

I have already train my kid to use right hand to write instead of left... not that I mind my kid using left hand. Reasons like grandparents keep making remarks like we should train the correct way to right with the correct hand.

For things like picking up food to eat, my kid can do so with both hands.

[jenao]

Looks like left hander can write with both right and left hand. I will let her

explore whichever hand she is comfortable with at the moment since she is just
starting out to write. She seems to be using a lot more left but sometimes
right too. Spoken to the teachers and they too agree that she can write with
any hand that she is comfortable with. They will also observe her and let me
know which hand she prefers. She did leave a note to inform me that when they
ask dd which hand is for writing, she pointed to right but when observed, she
uses both left and right!

[concern2]

jenao:

Looks like left hander can write with both right and left hand. I will let her

explore whichever hand she is comfortable with at the moment since she is just
starting out to write. She seems to be using a lot more left but sometimes
right too. Spoken to the teachers and they too agree that she can write with
any hand that she is comfortable with. They will also observe her and let me
know which hand she prefers. She did leave a note to inform me that when they
ask dd which hand is for writing, she pointed to right but when observed, she
uses both left and right!

Jenao, I think being ambidextrous is really cool! :imcool:

[Atan]

I am left handed too. Similar to Jade, I was forced to write with my right hand fm kindergarten but other than writing, almost everything else is with my deominant left hand, such as holding chopsticks, playing games,etc.. There are somethings that I can do with both hands :evil: , such as coloring, drawing lines/technical drawing (with right hand holding d ruler), ironing... I am not sure if this was due to the use of right hand instead of my natural left from young.

[Imami]

cherrygal:

There is a research study that says lefties may not be able to fully develop their brain potential if they are forced to become right-handers. Advice from the researchers was to let them use their natural hands. Lefties are smart and creative pple. Only drawback is they may do the writing strokes differently and they drag their hands when they write.

Yes indeed. By all means introduce the child to use the alternate hand to write/eat etc but don't force.

I was a natural leftie but forced to use my right hand. Somehow, I don't learn things the usual way. One example is I always like to read from the back of the book/newspapers/mags to the first page. Don't get me wrong, I don't read reverse but I just like to start from last chapters/pages. Now, I write/use chop sticks with right hand but my left hand has faster reflex and stronger muscles.