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I'm a righty. Everyone I'm close to is a righty. But somehow I've managed to birth a lefty! I don't know what to do! She is 4 and so far her kid scissors at home have not proven problematic.
Well, went to the zoo, they had a craft and the kid scissors they had were difficult for my daughter to use. They looked similar to what we have at home.
Where do I go for help in learning what things my daughter will need? What scissors do left-handed people use? What other things will I not think of that will be different for her as a lefty?
I will say she has on her own from an early age had no trouble with writing instruments and can write quite well. I am very thankful because I'm not sure I could have figured it out on my own. She managed this quite well. I never have had to show her how to properly hold a pen.
And for the record, I have no problem with her being left-handed and have NO intention of trying to make her use her right hand instead of her left.
Yeah, I'm a lefty and I've never even used a pair of left-handed scissors. Probably the biggest thing that sticks out in my mind is having to constantly deal with pen ink smeared on the side of my hand - if a lefty holds a pen "properly" (without doing the awkward "hook" thing that some lefties do), their hand will naturally rub across whatever words have just been written. It was really bad in grade school when they made us use erasable inkpens - what a mess!
Two of my three sons were born lefties...we were so puzzled. The dr said having one would be a million to one chance if a parent or grandparent wasnt a lefty. When the second one came along, I started going through the family tree. The ONLY lefty in either side of the family we could find was my great grandfather...that must be a very strong jean. Son number 3 had a different dad and is a righty like his mom..lol
blessings.
Same here with the ink smearing. I used to do the thing with my hand curved over the writing, but a boy in third grade teased me for doing it and I taught myself to write with my hand held the way righties do. Smearing ink since then. LOL.
With scissors, I just learned to adjust in grade school. There were always a few other kids that were left handed in my grade and I remember the ones that could only use left handed scissors had a more difficult time, because there frequently were no left handed scissors available.
It will be second nature to her to make adjustments for being left handed and most of the time she will not likely even realize she is doing it.
Yeah, I'm a lefty and I've never even used a pair of left-handed scissors. Probably the biggest thing that sticks out in my mind is having to constantly deal with pen ink smeared on the side of my hand - if a lefty holds a pen "properly" (without doing the awkward "hook" thing that some lefties do), their hand will naturally rub across whatever words have just been written. It was really bad in grade school when they made us use erasable inkpens - what a mess!
Help me understand the ink problem. I am a righty and just experimented writing with my left hand. I didn't rub my hand through my writing. Granted, the writing looked terrible, but didn't see how the ink gets on your hand. Is it possible there are different ways of holding your pen that cause this? I believe I was holding it "correctly", the same as I do in my right, only in my left. I did turn my paper so it was angled right instead of left.
Also, since you are all crafters, do you feel that you cut well with right-handed scissors? Being a crafter myself, I feel this is important and while adapting is important, I don't ever want her to feel that she isn't a good "cutter" since she also loves crafts.
Just let her learn how to use right handed stuff. I'm a lefty and I can't use a left handed pair of scissors to save my life. She'll learn to adapt.
Same here, I can't even hold scissors in my left hand. I agree with letting her do her own things, she'll probably turn out more ambidextrous that way--always fun to play ping-pong with two paddles. ;) Since I can't even hold scissors with my left hand, yes, I feel I can cut well enough right. You can buy left handed scissors, maybe see if those are more comfortable for her should she wish to cut left. My cousin is also a lefty, and I think he uses left handed scissors.
As she gets older, other things that become awkward are serving spoons, measuring cups, knives. But yeah, you learn to adapt. (I'm the only lefty in my family so it was sink or swim.)
For the ink thing, it's more noticible if you use a wet ink. Ball point isn't too much of a problem. I'll sometimes put another piece of paper over what I'm working on to keep it from smearing.
Singing with the chorus here - I use right-handed scissors. I love that you don't want to force her to use her right hand, but there are definite advantages to adapting. It really does let you become more ambidexterous. (Plus, as my mom always said growing up - eat with your right because sometime you'll be at a dinner party and you'll be the odd man out. I thought it was silly growing up, but she was so right - I can't tell you how many situations I've been in that I was so grateful that I could eat with my right hand and not bump elbows with the person next to me.)
__________________ ~ Jennifer Ellefson Created From Paper, a paper crafting blog
I'm a lefty born into an all-right family, too. I've always adapted just fine, and your daughter will, too. The only time I purchased left-handed scissors was for fabric, but then again, they're more like shears. I think when she gets old enough to have "good" scissors for crafting, the quality of the scissors will kick in (I'm thinking of my Cutter Bee and Tonic scissors). They work just fine! As for other things, just let her go--she'll naturally figure it out. For instance--I know one or two people who use a left-handed mouse with their computers--agh! I can't figure that out for anything! It just feels unnatural!
Totally off the crafting topic, but I had an uncle who was left-handed. At holiday dinners, everybody always made a big deal about making sure he was sitting at the correct table corner so he didn't bump elbows! That's the only place I've ever had any problems!
Just let her learn how to use right handed stuff. I'm a lefty and I can't use a left handed pair of scissors to save my life. She'll learn to adapt.
Ditto!
Hubby and I are lefties and our son is a righty...he's learning to do things both left and right handed, just like we did when we were kids w/right-handed parents. Scissors were one thing that I always had issues with when trying to use a left-handed pair. I don't think they worked well or my technique was not good...I just always did better with righties.
With paper crafting I've had to adapt a lot of things to work for me. Adhesives, tape-runners specifically, gave me the biggest headache. It took me several years of trying different brands and just living w/them until I found one that worked. It's been wonderful ever since!
We have 4 generations of lefties. I do everything but write with my right hand and have no problems. My daughter does cut left handed, but most scissors still work for her. It does come in handy sometimes that we can do things with either hand.
I am a lefty and I use normal scissors like everyone else. I had a real problem with using lefty scissors, honestly, I could never get them to work!
She may at 4 just have to practice more with using the scissors. Does she hook her hand when she writes? If so she may just need to concentrate more on holding scissors.
FWIW, my DS is 4 also and having some issues with his scissors and writing, grasping of both, so it may just be an age thing, and not so much a lefty/righty thing. Of course he hasn't figured out whether he is left/right yet, but that's another subject!
I got the Fiskars child safe scissors and keep him practicing with those. LIke others have said, she may need to adapt, this being a righthanded world and all, more often than not there are not accommodations for us,
I've a lefty and tried left handed scissors and they were the most awkward things I have ever used! I hold my pen like 'normal' right handed people do and have never had a problem with ink smearing. Only problems growing up were those stupid desks that had only the one side on them for right handed people. Our school never had the ones for lefties. Also stupid spiral notebooks.... I do use my ATG gun with my right hand because that is REALLY awkward... We lefties adjust
Yup, lefty here too. We're the only ones in our right mind!:-D Both my folks were right handed but all the girls in our family were left handed! (2 boys and 3 girls).
I use my right hand for everything but writing. I can do most things with either hand.
Out of curiosity, how many of you lefties turn your paper completely sideways when you write? I do this, and it always makes people do a double take! It does help to avoid the ink smear problem, and maybe that's why I started doing it, who knows?!:confused:
Lefty here in a right handed family. I have never used lefty scissors, but I have found that those all metal scissors are impossible for me to cut with. It has to be like the fiskars with the plastic handles.
Someone said earlier about the school desks--I can resonate with that. I remember putting my book in my lap because I ran out of room on my desk!
I turn my paper pretty far to the side, but then I find I get a crick in my neck from trying to read what I am writing! So, it's either a crick in the neck or ink smeared on my hand...!
Oh, and I also crochet right handed. The woman who taught me was right handed, so I learned that way (boy, was that ever difficult!). Now, I can't even try to do it left handed- it confuses me!
My son is a lefty BUT.. he still maybe on the fence he is 3 .. I had a few people tell me that they will try and make them use his right hand in school has anyone experienced this... If he uses his left I feel its his special thing and they should not try to discourage it ...Thanks Stef
I agree. I am a lefty and I can cut just fine with my right hand.
I'm puzzled. At first I thought that those of you who used right handed scissors, were doing so with your left hand. That is what I do. Now I am wondering if most of you are like thescrapmaster, and just learned to cut with your right hands.
Help me understand the ink problem. I am a righty and just experimented writing with my left hand. I didn't rub my hand through my writing. Granted, the writing looked terrible, but didn't see how the ink gets on your hand. Is it possible there are different ways of holding your pen that cause this? I believe I was holding it "correctly", the same as I do in my right, only in my left. I did turn my paper so it was angled right instead of left.
Also, since you are all crafters, do you feel that you cut well with right-handed scissors? Being a crafter myself, I feel this is important and while adapting is important, I don't ever want her to feel that she isn't a good "cutter" since she also loves crafts.
Thanks again for all the responses!
Michelle
I think it varies from one person to another, based on how they hold their hand and position the paper. It may not happen to her, depending on how she holds her hand.
I don't feel hindered at all in my cutting ability. I love cutting out very detailed stamp images and do it all the time.
My son is a lefty BUT.. he still maybe on the fence he is 3 .. I had a few people tell me that they will try and make them use his right hand in school has anyone experienced this... If he uses his left I feel its his special thing and they should not try to discourage it ...Thanks Stef
I never had a teacher try to switch me from being a lefty to a righty. My 8yr old is also a lefty (do you think it's because he was born on my birthday? LOL). No one has ever tried to switch him, either. I think that is old fashioned thinking. I know I have an Aunt who is probably closer to her 70s that they tried to switch. I don't think anyone does that anymore.
I've discovered with my son that if something doesn't work well for him the lefty way, have them try the righty way. When he plays baseball, he bats right but throws left. We naturally assumed he would be a left handed batter but it never felt 'right' to him so we switched him to be a righty batter and he does just fine. Me, I bat left and throw left. The only thing I do right handed is cut (scissors or table knife). Oh, but I chop with a kitchen knife in my left.
And to answer the previous poster...yes, I can cut very well with scissors. I paper piece all the time!
I'm puzzled. At first I thought that those of you who used right handed scissors, were doing so with your left hand. That is what I do. Now I am wondering if most of you are like thescrapmaster, and just learned to cut with your right hands.
I don't remember why I cut with my right hand. I've just done it so long it's what's natural to me. I think that as a lefty, you just adapt in whatever way is most comfortable to you. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with who taught you, too. The best way for a righty to teach a lefty is to sit across from them. That way your actions mirror each other. If you are teaching a lefty to knit and hold the needle in your right hand and the yarn in your left, have the lefty mirror you and they will naturally hold the needle in their left and yarn in their right. Then they just copy your movements.
I have a lefty too. I think if something doesn't work with his left hand, he just uses his right hand. Like he's always used his right hand for the computer mouse. My other son is a righty but does a lot of stuff left handed. One of them is cutting! lol he cuts left handed and upside down. he also eats with his left hand and kicks with his left foot. Very weird. =D
I'm puzzled. At first I thought that those of you who used right handed scissors, were doing so with your left hand. That is what I do. Now I am wondering if most of you are like thescrapmaster, and just learned to cut with your right hands.
There is no way I could cut with my right hand. I'm cutting left handed using right handed scissors.
LOL, on my dad's side, the first born in each generation is lefty. On my mom's side, it's the youngest in each generation (except in our immediate family, where dad's family pattern trumped mom's).
THe only thing that worked for me scissor-wise was using lefty scissors upside down in my right hand. Eventually, though, I graduated to righty scissors upside down in my right hand.
Which makes no sense at all. But works for me.
You could just give her access to both types of scissors--she'll figure out what works for her, and y'all can go from there.
I cut better with my right hand...think i just adapted! LOL!
as far as writing...i don't "hook" my hand but my paper is turned quite a bit and ink does smear!
she will figure it all out! and kudos for not trying to change her!
when i go out to eat with people...i automatically scan table to see where i need to sit as not to bump elbows!
I'm a lefty and I do everything with my left hand except cut. I was a happy little left hand cutter until the first grade. I had an art teacher from the stone age that taped my left hand to the desk in order to "teach" me to cut with my right hand. Now I'm slow and awkward, but I get the job done. My advice would be to give her scissors for both lefties and righties and let her choose which one is more comfortable. My mom always kept an extra pair of children's lefty scissors in her purse for those times we would go to craft events. That way I could use whatever they had at events or the pair in her purse. I was always more comfortable with the lefty scissors, but after that school year I couldn't use them properly anymore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StefTX
My son is a lefty BUT.. he still maybe on the fence he is 3 .. I had a few people tell me that they will try and make them use his right hand in school has anyone experienced this... If he uses his left I feel its his special thing and they should not try to discourage it ...Thanks Stef
Oh Heaven's, don't force him to switch. There have been studies that show children that are forced to switch their dominant hand are prone to stuttering and acting out. In my experience it was more frustrating to switch than it was to just do what came naturally. If you are worried about the possibility that a teacher will make him switch, you could always set up a conference before the school year to discuss your concerns.
This is an interesting thread to me, I have a DD who is left handed which is fine with me because I grew up with a left handed mom and sister and to be honest I have never really noticed which hand my mom uses when she is using scissors, I will have to ask her and get her to show my DD. I know that both my mom and sister write beautifully and they don't hook there hand. I have heard that there is suppose to be a store, not sure if it is online or not, that sells items just for left handed people. I agree that if you just let them be and figure things out for themselves they will get the hang of being left handed in a right hand world.
My Dad was a lefty and I am the only one out of 7 siblings that is a lefty, neither of my daughters nor any of my 5 grandchildren are lefties.
I do cut left handed and can use either left or right handed scissors to cut. I cannot cut fabric with right handed pinking shears though.
I think most lefties learn to adapt in this right handed world. There are alot of things that are made for right handed people and us lefties have to adapt to - some of which have been mentioned above. Also, most irons and hand mixers have the cords coming out on the right side of the appliance and those get in the way when a lefty uses them. Ring binders and spiral notebooks are hard for a lefty to write in. Some vegetable peelers are only sharp on one side and cannot be used by a lefty unless you peel towards you instead of away from you. I now have a vegetable peeler that is sharp on both sides ;-)
I have always used a right handed mouse on the computer because when I first used a computer I didn't know there was any such thing as s left handed mouse and I learned to adapt. Now it would be hard for me to use a left handed mouse.
Since there are so many things in this world that are geared to right handers it is just natural for a lefty to adapt to many of them and not really think about it. I can do alot more with my right hand than most right handers can with their left hands!
To the original OP, I say just let her find what is comfortable for her! I do think more products are now being made to be compatible to both left and right handers, but when I was growing up it was hard to find anything that was lefthanded and most products were made for righties. I think that was because so many times the lefties were forced to become righties.
I am a lefty but do many things right handed. I knit, throw, kick & bat right handed, but crochet, eat, cook & write left.
Your daughter will learn to adapt, even with scissors and knives (the angle). People have found it odd that I write with my paper completely horizontal to keep my writing neat and even, but for me it's comfortable.
Most four years olds are still learning or perfecting their manual dexterity regardless of whether they're right or left handed. Encourage her to do what feels natural and then practice that. I can remember being confused in kindergarten & 1st grade in that I didn't know what felt more natural, writing right or left handed. In the end (because my mother was a lefty) I chose my left hand..but to this day writing right handed would be fine too. I know, weird. :-D
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I have really appreciated all of your replies. Since I posted last night, I have been searching online for some more info and found the website that sells items just for left-handed people. One thing they say they have are "true" left-handed scissors. They said many lefty scissors only accomodate the grip but not the blades. That a lefty needs the left blade on top, but righty scissors and even "lefty"-claimed scissors have the right blade on top. That the blade position is important.
Do those of you who have tried "lefty" scissors used these "true" scissors? Just curious. My daughter has had scissor frustration and so I am thinking of buying a pair. But after reading all of your replies, I wonder if I should have her learn to accomodate in order to avoid later frustration. I don't know! I really want to do the right thing.
Also, found a free download that allows you to make your mouse lefty-compatible so you don't have to buy a different mouse. Supposed to allow for switching back and forth for different family members. http://www.swapmousebuttons.com/
I'm a lefty and cut left-handed - not sure if Fiskars makes children's left-handed scissors, but their 'big people' ones are what I use. Other things I have adjusted to but still find amusing are rulers & liquid measuring cups. My brother and I are both left-handed with right-handed parents, and there were many things that my mom taught me to do that typically have instructions for righties....I remember specifically a book we had that was "Left Handed Embroidery". Other things she taught me by doing it across from me so that I would see it 'mirrored'. I have to do the same thing myself now, as a lefty mom with 4 right-handed kids! By all means make her feel like being left-handed is rare and special. Looks like that is what you are trying to do!!
LOL, my scissors were the green-handled kiddie scissors from the 60s.
My biggest lefty challenge is with things that rotate--opening jars or valves, and especially revolving doors. They make me feel like an egg yolk staring down an egg beater. . . .
This is really fun to read. I'm technically left-handed. I write with my left hand and eat with my left hand. Everything else, right-handed. Can't use lefty scissors, I use the regular scissors in my right hand, and what attempts I make at sports I do right-handed. I was actually quite worried about the opposite, how to teach my kids to write right-handed. It wasn't a big deal, I'd just do it left-handed, and let them watch. My son asked me if he should hold his pencil in his left hand. I told him whatever felt best for him. Definitely right hand for him!
What fun responses! I've always been interested in the whole left-handed world of stuff. Yes, I turn my paper a lot to write. I had an uncle who actually wrote upside down! My great-aunt had a teacher that used to whack her for writing with her left hand until my great-grandparents went down to the school and had it out with them. As for the scissors, yes, the green handled ones from way back when were the ones I tried.
My boys are odd, as is my sister. They're right-handed, but do a lot of things left. It's especially noticible when they kick a ball. My oldest used to cut with his left hand, but that's because he "didn't want to do it like Mommy." I'll teach them both to switch hit too, great skill.
There's no need to spend extra money on left handed sprial notebooks, although they are cool. ;) You could just start from the back of a regular one. I forgot about ironing, I don't do it often, but for the irons with the cords out the side, very annoying.
I've heard it's not uncommon for lefties to write backwards. Leonardo daVinci did it all the time!
Yeah, I'm a lefty and I've never even used a pair of left-handed scissors. Probably the biggest thing that sticks out in my mind is having to constantly deal with pen ink smeared on the side of my hand - if a lefty holds a pen "properly" (without doing the awkward "hook" thing that some lefties do), their hand will naturally rub across whatever words have just been written. It was really bad in grade school when they made us use erasable inkpens - what a mess!
I hear you on this one. I'm suprised my left pinky doesn't have a permenant ink stain on it. I'm a lefty, but do use most tools right handed. I'm 45 and when I was a kid we were forced to use what ever was available.
2 of my 3 kids are left handed too. When they were in school, (they're in their 20's now), The school had scissors that could be used either way. Both of my kids naturally used their left hand.
The one thing I did hate the most was spiral bound notebooks. The binding always got in my way. I did manage to find some notebooks that had the spiral on the right hand side. The paper was perferated so when you removed it from the notebook, you had a clean edge.
Hey, lefties! Need some help.
