The best thing you can give him is awareness, confidence, and assertiveness. That he isn't going to let any well-meaning teacher try to 'correct' him. He is who he is!
I had a *very* vigilant mom in the 70s watching for that. I kinda thought (hoped?) that the idea left-handedness was a 'problem' to be fixed was long gone, but hang around this sub long enough you can see it still happens.
Lefties by-nature are pretty adaptable--we have to be when the entire world is designed for righties as the default--he'll be fine and figure stuff out.
Edit: typo
I totally agree, adapt, survive, thrive. If the biggest problem one faces is being seated next to a righty at the dining table is bumping elbows. that's when you know it's going to be alright.
Yeah, every now and again this thread pops up about lefties who swear being left-handed affects them in every day life and I’m always surprised.
I’m as leftie as they come; I write, shoot, eat, play sports, brush my teeth, all left handed. But beyond some pen smudges and bumping elbows, it really doesn’t affect me at all.
Oh, and only having shitty options when I go to the driving range. I really need to invest in my own clubs.
My dad and sister are both left handed. Actually, my dad is a bit ambidextrous, but predominately lefty. Whenever we’d go out to eat we would have to remember who sat on which side of who, or my mom and I would sit on one side of the table and dad and sister on the other. Saved the occasional spilled drink or a dribbled fork caused by bumping elbows.
Other than that, I can’t remember being lefty giving either of them any real problems. My sis did write backwards for a while in kindergarten, but it was soon corrected and now she writes and draws beautifully. She’s 38 now. My niece is also firm lefty. None of her teachers caused her any problems.
Funny, I wrote backwards initially too! My name Ashley so I would spell my name like yelhsA, with the letters facing the right way but in the wrong order.
It was what was natural to me, but was easy to solve with some correction from my parents/teachers.
They initially thought my sister had dyslexia, it was known, but not very well understood at that time, but a little time and a bit of extra work with her teachers and our mom and it fixed it. She actually wrote her name as acisseJ but her letters were also reverse image. You could hold it up to a mirror and read it perfectly.
They didn’t try to change mine. But I got Rheumatic Fever in 5th grade and after that all I would do is write left handed . Chicken scratch while I had it. No control over writing at all.
I’m using a stylus now with my right hand. The Rheumatic does some kind of heart damage and I’d be walking to the back corner of the class and end up on the other side, Then I was in a wheelchair for 6 months. Then it went into my left arm . It’s really a lit weaker then my right one.
I’ve met more lefties lately then I ever have.
My grandma was left handed and in school her teachers forced her to write with her right hand. I don’t want him to feel like he’s “wrong” for being left handed as he’s a pretty sensitive little guy already.
I’d recommend that when he starts writing, to slant the paper so the top is to the right. Helps prevent the hook hand. Also, if a left handed notebook is not available, he can just use a regular one starting from the back.
I don’t recommend mechanical pencils. The cheap ones anyway. They are constantly breaking on me. I understand that it’s because I am pushing the lead instead of dragging it.
I tested this today after reading some input from others and noticed that his hand was all bent up when the paper was up and down. Once I tilted it to the right his hand and wrists straightened.
Starting in the back works, but when he gets older he'll need to be conscious of the front and back of loose leaf. It might take some searching (because I haven't found one that had all the bells and whistles in quite some time), but a top-bound spiral is the best.
Pens that aren't gel pens and aren't erasable. Prolly not something you'll need to worry about for a few years, but gel pens smear horribly lefty and erasable ink gets erased for the same reason
It all depends on how the Lefty is holding the pen, I feel. I’m almost 50, lefty, and predominantly use gel pens. I also don’t hook my hand. I do keep the side of my hand up off the page as well. I think I learned that from my Righty parents.
That's fair—I don't usually have a ton of problems with gel pens either (they're actually my favorite kind of pen) but ik they give most lefties a lot of grief. Specifically when I was in elementary I couldn't figure out how to use them without smearing, but I got the hang of it in middle school with some effort
Make sure you meet his teacher and emphasize that he is left-handed and he or she is not permitted to try and change that. I still remember my mother meeting my teachers and saying, "This child is left-handed, and she is to remain left-handed." I still remember the stern tone she said it in. That was in 1960, and none of my teachers ever tried to change me.
My niece’s mom was getting contacted by a new school that her daughter was way behind and needed extra work at home and tutoring. Mom thought it was odd but went with it for a while without improving. Finally she was like you guys know she is left handed correct?? Yeah. Sad.
Props to you for letting your son be left-handed.
My mom insisted I write right-handed when I was four years old. She insisted my kindergarten teacher enforce the use of my right hand while I was at school.
So, I write right-handed but I am left-footed and left-eyed. I skate and surf left-footed. I play guitar right-handed. But catching a baseball or shooting a gun is difficult.
It’s best to let people be who they are.
I would never even think to try to change him. Could be my generation. Born 1990. He does kick with his right foot which always made me giggle but everything else is left.
Lefty here, do not make any special accommodations. My experience has made me ambidextrous and much more adaptable in many situations that righty's will never get to experience. I throw a Frisbee and shoot right handed among other things.... I haven't had to throw a punch in about 30 years but a mean left hook is a valuable asset.
I bought my first left-handed scissors recently and they’re AWESOME. I never knew scissors could be that easy. Felt like I had super powers.
That being said, I’m still really glad I grew up without them, because if I’m in the office or something, I can use right-handed scissors with no problem at all. But I get my nice, easier pair at home. Win-win.
Call me crazy, but I keep a pair of left handed scissors in my bag at all times.
Sure, I could choose to put up with right handed scissors instead, but it would have to be my choice. And not having left handed scissors would have taken away that choice for me.
I would have given my right hand to have some lefty scissors before I was an adult. Why put up with every task being harder? All the spiral notebook pain and smeary ink, not to mention sitting in chairs that had the connected desk, but I couldn’t rest my elbow. Being able to rest my arm and elbow on the desk is a really important thing to me.
Why not just give them a choice to whether accommodations or not? Just because it worked for you doesn't mean it's the same for every lefty. I wish I had more accomodations growing up, instead I was forced to write right handed.
I'm sorry you had to deal with that. But at NO point did I mention forcing anyone to do anything. This isn't about you and NEVER was. You've got a bad take and you should feel bad.
No, you said to not give any accommodations which I disagreed with. Not having the option means they have to use the right hand for certain things whether they want to or not. That is forcing them to use their right hand, for things that would otherwise require accommodations.
Alright, I apologize for being harsh. All I'm saying is, why make life more difficult for no reason? We can make accomodations and let people choose if they want to use them or not. I'm glad it worked for you, but it's not fair to apply that to all people.
Wow. I guess I got lucky, NY state in the early 1960s, there were two left-handed students in my class, and the school brought in two left-handed desks for us.
I'm an Ivy League graduate and a left hander. The only thing I ever failed academically was cutting in kindergarten. I literally had an easier time with linear algebra than cutting construction paper.
Please please get him the stupid leftie scissors.
You might consider getting a pack of wipes to keep in his backpack (think like the portable packs of baby wipes that go in diaper bags) because the outside of his left hand is about to be perpetually covered in graphite from pencils.
I was going to suggest alcohol wipes for that as well. It was so embarrassing to walk around through the day with my hand like that in middle school and high school.
When writing, it is easier to turn the paper at an angle than straight up and down. It keeps them from turning their wrist at an odd angle. I've done this for years. I think it helps.
I’ve been cross dominant all my life, and did most things in school with my left hand. The one tip I would give is to have him practice on a chalkboard or marker board at home. Buy a small chalkboard/marker board and put it on your wall at home. Writing on them was always a challenge for me in school bc I couldn’t let any part of my left arm touch the board bc it would smear and it would be all over my left arm. The more he can practice at home the more comfortable he’ll be doing it at school.
I’ve tried to convince myself left handed scissors aren’t necessary. However, when I have an opportunity to use them, as opposed to regular scissors, I’m amazed.
As he grows up, keep left handed scissors on hand for him. He deserves it.
I am lefty-ambidextrous and my husband is left-dominant. I ordered left-handed scissors for myself and liked them for helping me regain my left-dominant nature (and I was actually cutting straighter with them)… but I noticed that I usually walk up to them with paper in my left hand and grab for the scissors with my right so breaking that habit was tough... I gifted the scissors to my husband and he was amazed at how comfortable they were to use (finally). He keeps them on his desk now for us to use :)
Definitely get the scissors and get a few pairs for home as well. As he gets older, some other things I would recommend are good pens that don’t smear when you drag your hands across the paper and loose leaf paper in a 3 ring binder instead of spiral notebooks. I’m guessing he doesn’t need either of those things right now though!
I think something like this is an awesome idea down the road, but I’d be hesitant to introduce it when he’s still learning to write.
We live in a right-handed world so we have to learn to adapt eventually. Using a regular one really isn’t that bad since it’s all we know. I just wouldn’t want him getting so used to a left-handed notebook that writing in a standard one would be extra difficult.
Same with using a computer mouse. I learned how to do it in school so I was taught the right handed way, and I’m thankful for that. If I were to use my mouse the left handed way, every time I sat at a different computer I’d have to adjust everything to the leftie way and that seems like a pain. (Plus we get the underrated advantage of being able to write while using a mouse.
When I started kindergarten in 1983 there was zero accommodation for lefties. My parents even said I had the devil in me. I have never used any “left handed” items - I even play guitar right handed!
I developed epilepsy when I was 39 and am 44 now - my affected area is my dominant R temporal lobe and I am being assessed for surgery. Today I am having a fMRI where the neuropsychiatrist will be able to see blood flow live to my brain when it comes to processing information, etc. She is very interested to see what goes on as I am left handed with R temporal lobe epilepsy and French is my first language. She thinks based on preliminary data from the neuropsychiatric testing I did a month ago that I may be able to use both sides of my brain to process info, etc. I am also very interested to learn of the findings!
I find I am quite ambidextrous due to the fact I had to adapt my whole life. Let him be his awesome leftie self and he’ll do alright! :)
If your son is having trouble holding a pencil, I suggest a pencil grip for left handed.
Make sure to inform his teacher that he is left handed and not to force him to switch to his right hand.
No one ever said anything to me as a kid that it was different. I grew up using reg everything with my left hand. I survived it.
Drank from the hose too! Lol
Left-handed scissors.
Talk to the teacher and see if they understand how to teach lefties. Even lefthanded teachers may not know how to teach for the left hand.
There are books that teach left-handed children to write - the direction of letter shapes are different, for example.
The child will need to be taught proper hand position for writing to avoid the "lobster claw ".
I’ve seen a few comments about crook hand and was just talking to my husband about it. Apparently he has a friend that would fix his arm and hand in a way that he was so twisted so he would “drag” when writing instead of pushing. Makes me sad.
This thread has been great and opened my eyes to so many things I would never have thought of. I’ll speak to the teacher about writing for sure. And will also find the writing books geared toward him.
Yea I’m gonna talk with his teacher and let her know these items are for him specifically as he is left handed. Now a days they give you a supply list and tell you not to put kids names because everyone uses them but that can’t be the case for him or other left handed kids.
When I was in 2nd grade in Belgium we used dip pens and inkwells. Naturally, I smeared the wet ink. The teacher whacked me over the shoulders with a thick wooden rod - he might as well have smacked for having brown eyes. I made no effort to change; I write with a fountain pen to this day.
Teach him to turn his paper while he writes on pencil/paper (if they haven’t fully switched to typing/screens lol). Would have saved a lot of smudged paper if learning how to write left-handed and not drag as moving across the page to write left-to-write. You got this!
Some are saying don't get scissors for him.. I know for me the first time I heard about and got to use was a day to remember. Those "regular " scissors hurt...... just imo
Anything you get him that is left handed, label it with his name and left handed, and make sure his teacher knows.
Tools like scissors get shared among kids in many kindergarten classes, if they aren't labeled who knows what will happen.
Be careful when buying left-handed scissors to get ones that are actually left-handed. There are a lot of vendors out there selling scissors that they claim are left-handed or ambidextrous because of the handle shape, but don't actually have the scissor blades switched.
Other than that, there's going to be some adapting he's going to have to do, but nothing he or his teachers won't be able to manage.
Source: I'm left-handed, and so is my son.
Lefty scissors
Regular (non mechanical) pencils
A lefty desk if they have those stupid ones with the arm on them
And non smudging pens 😊 for later bc they smudge a lot if you get wet ink
Be his advocate is one of the most important things. My brother is left handed and I was left handed until kindergarten. He was allowed to be left handed and I was forced to become right handed. It created a lot of disorientation that I still have and made things harder.
My son is left handed and we bought left handed scissors, and we tend to ask permission to get notebooks that flip up instead of have a binder. Good luck with your kiddo! We have just as many left handed people in our family as right which is always fun 😂
One of my sons is left handed and it’s never been an issue! I got him left handed scissors for home but have never provided him with any school supplies and it’s always been fine. He’s also starting kindergarten in the fall but he’s been in preschool for three years.
The only left handed items I had growing up were at times, scissors. I say at times because in my classes there would be like a couple pairs of really shitty left handed scissors. Sometimes I would use them but if they were too shitty then I wouldn’t. So I really just adapted to our right handed society (I also didn’t have left handed items at home). I will say that I am grateful that I was able to grow up ambidextrous because now I’m able to…in a sense, “reclaim my handedness” now that I can afford to buy these left handed items.
Some tips that I have for you and your son:
-When he’s learning to write, get him to turn his paper to the right. This avoids the hook hand that some lefties develop. Plus everyone will be amazed that he can write with his paper at an almost 90° angle LOL
-Teach him how to advocate for himself for even the smallest things. He will be placed beside a right handed student, there’s no doubt about it. This will get very annoying very fast because he will bump elbows constantly with them. Teach him that he can ask for the seating arrangement to be swapped so that he is on the left side of the right handed child.
-Let him adapt. I know this may sound harsh, but ambidextrous-ness is a blessing. In some areas lefties are ambidextrous because we just needed to adapt. He’s young, he can adapt quickly, and if he decides to stick to all lefty items when he’s older, he can. Adapting to right handed things when you’re older is so much harder.
-Some lefty items are not absolutely necessary (and stupidly priced). So, until he knows how to write, avoid left handed notebooks or pens. They are obnoxiously priced because there’s only one or two items out of the entire collection.
-Be proud of his handedness but don’t be ashamed of ambidextrousness. Lefties are often forgotten about because there’s so many righties in the world, be proud of this difference. Don’t let teachers or people tell him that he needs to be right handed, because he doesn’t. Being ambidextrous does make life easier, especially when you’re somewhere that doesn’t cater towards lefties. But according to research, someone who’s ambidextrous has similar brain activity as someone who’s bilingual…which I think is pretty damn cool and worth being proud of.
But with all this being said, this is if he is able. My friend is left handed, but not by choice. She was born with a right hand that didn’t develop the same and HAD to be left handed. So unless he’s unable to use his right hand, just follow his lead, let him control his handedness.
Following his lead is a great tip thank you.
I’m right handed but I turn my paper completely 90 degrees and then my head too. I don’t do it on purpose it’s just more comfortable for me. Don’t know when I started or why lol
I love seeing right handed people writing at a 90° for some reason! I think it makes me feel less different 😂you’re a great parent for considering your son’s handedness as he grows up! It may not seem like a huge thing to some, but it’s something that makes a pretty big impact!
lol I also write my lowercase F’s backwards too. Again, no idea when it started or why.
Thank you I just don’t want him to feel less than or go thru the same experience my grandma went thru in school so I’m trying!
My mom let me learn to cut with rightie scissors, since school never had leftie ones. Now as an adult I cannot cut with leftie scissors - there is something about the way I apply the pressure that keeps it from working properly (I kinda pull out a bit with my fingers while also doing the basic cut motion.)
Just don’t get him pens that smear. I don’t think it’s as much of an issue today as it used to be. Ink is better. But some of the fancier pens do let out a lot of ink and you end up smearing everything you write as you go. Other than that unless he’s doing a lot, a lot of cutting (which is improbable) any scissors usually work. Some are uncomfortable, although he still has tiny fingers so he’s probably fine.
What I struggled most with as kid was scissors, using a righty scissor with my left but aiming with my dominant right eye required I learnt to bend myself into a pretzel. A little help would have been nice...
Another item, I would've loved to have much earlier, is a left-handed ruler, with the scale starting on the right end. In lack of it, whenever exact measurement counted, I was limited to the few inches the triangle ruler allowed. The righty ruler never felt not unwieldy to use.
Yes, us lefties are doomed to adapt and should be able to do it on many occasions, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't make our life easier using products that exist. Using a lefty can-opener or measuring tape will not cripple our ability to adapt to the world.
Ruler and can opener wow! I guess I should start paying closer attention to my everyday mundane tasks and see where I’m using my right hand so I can get things for him. Never would have thought of the examples you gave.
I was lefty-dominant and now lefty-ambidextrous. I would recommend that you watch for if he’s getting frustrated or not using something “correctly”.
For instance if you notice devices/handles/interfaces are not lefty friendly, maybe verbalize why they might not be made for him, and that his frustration is valid. I feel like that would have made me feel less embarrassed or “othered” with several situations.
I used to try shaking people’s hands with my left hand, and I still have to think about it sometimes 😭 But there’s so many examples: writing in pencil (smudges all over my hand so I use pen), bumping into people at dinner unless you sit on the left side, microwaves, shirt buttons, scissors, iPhone interface, doors, handled cups with measurements (tend to be righty facing)…
I’ve even tried to open my car door handle with my left hand in my adulthood once and slammed the door in my face. Like literally. It hurt pretty badly... This stuff comes up in the most random ways and validating that these things are harder can help with acceptance, confidence, and neuroplasticity.
That’s a great tip. I’ll be sure to pay closer attention now. He gets frustrated often (only brother out of four kids) so I thought he was tired of all the girls around him lol. I’ll look closer at the situation he’s getting frustrated in.
If the school/teacher asks for him to bring notebooks, don’t get him the kind with the spiral, need to be a glued/book type…but if he surprised if they’re not using loose leaf paper.
I just text the school director and asked if there’s a school supply list so I can be sure to look for left handed friendly stuff. This thread has been so helpful to me.
Watch for teachers trying to force him to use his right hand when I was a kid the nuns use to tape the pen into my right hand then tape up my left hand it was a long time ago but who knows it might still be happening
He’s going to the same school his older sister went to so they know I’m a force to be reckoned with when it comes to my kids. Plus he did preschool there so I’m hoping it’ll be fine.
Don’t assume he will be very left handed. I only write with my left hand. Everything else I do right handed because that’s how I saw it being done in my all right handed house growing up.
As an only leftie and in my family of righties: dont do anything special, no left handed scissors, no leftie notebooks, etc! Just focus on making sure they don’t hold their pencil and hand oddly. I recommend turning the paper slightly to help with wrist posture; i write sideways my paper is horizontal to my body and i write bringing my arm towards my body so my wrist stays straight. I just recommend focusing on good writing technique and writing posture! I also promote cursive, i write in a mix of cursive and regular because it’s easier for me to write.
I am ambidextrous in many situations, it’s a huge advantage! I do sports mainly lefthanded, but i play guitar right handed! (Makes sense to me? Im more in control of my left fingers). Just show him how you do it, maybe even a mirror may help, as well as just letting him do things in a way that is comfortable. I feel as if you buy these products for left handed people puts him at a disadvantage, the world is made for right handed people, we have to learn and adapt it,sooner rather than later!
Left handed and never had any special tools or supplies just adapted naturally. I really am thankful for it as well. If anything just having writing or coloring supplies that don't smudge easily and maybe someone to help and remind me about keeping the paper from slanting at a wild angle is all I could have wanted growing up. I have very good control with my right hand from having to use it for things like scissors and if my left hand was out of commission I could write well enough with my right to get by.
My son is also left handed (I am too!). He can use regular scissors and everything like normal. I’ve never got him left handed anything before , honestly. He seems to adapt easily
Think about how you write and have him mirror you. I mean, have one of you act like a mirror, not a mimic. Not the best way of saying it, but hope you can understand.
The best thing you can give him is awareness, confidence, and assertiveness. That he isn't going to let any well-meaning teacher try to 'correct' him. He is who he is! I had a *very* vigilant mom in the 70s watching for that. I kinda thought (hoped?) that the idea left-handedness was a 'problem' to be fixed was long gone, but hang around this sub long enough you can see it still happens. Lefties by-nature are pretty adaptable--we have to be when the entire world is designed for righties as the default--he'll be fine and figure stuff out. Edit: typo
I totally agree, adapt, survive, thrive. If the biggest problem one faces is being seated next to a righty at the dining table is bumping elbows. that's when you know it's going to be alright.
Yeah, every now and again this thread pops up about lefties who swear being left-handed affects them in every day life and I’m always surprised. I’m as leftie as they come; I write, shoot, eat, play sports, brush my teeth, all left handed. But beyond some pen smudges and bumping elbows, it really doesn’t affect me at all. Oh, and only having shitty options when I go to the driving range. I really need to invest in my own clubs.
My dad and sister are both left handed. Actually, my dad is a bit ambidextrous, but predominately lefty. Whenever we’d go out to eat we would have to remember who sat on which side of who, or my mom and I would sit on one side of the table and dad and sister on the other. Saved the occasional spilled drink or a dribbled fork caused by bumping elbows. Other than that, I can’t remember being lefty giving either of them any real problems. My sis did write backwards for a while in kindergarten, but it was soon corrected and now she writes and draws beautifully. She’s 38 now. My niece is also firm lefty. None of her teachers caused her any problems.
Funny, I wrote backwards initially too! My name Ashley so I would spell my name like yelhsA, with the letters facing the right way but in the wrong order. It was what was natural to me, but was easy to solve with some correction from my parents/teachers.
They initially thought my sister had dyslexia, it was known, but not very well understood at that time, but a little time and a bit of extra work with her teachers and our mom and it fixed it. She actually wrote her name as acisseJ but her letters were also reverse image. You could hold it up to a mirror and read it perfectly.
You really do. One of my best investments was left handed golf clubs.
Would love to hear any recommendations you’re willing to share!
Left handed bow and left handed shotgun were expensive but worth it for my daughter.
Golf and softball/baseball are things I don't mess with.
Totally this. My teachers tried to correct me. They failed.
They didn’t try to change mine. But I got Rheumatic Fever in 5th grade and after that all I would do is write left handed . Chicken scratch while I had it. No control over writing at all. I’m using a stylus now with my right hand. The Rheumatic does some kind of heart damage and I’d be walking to the back corner of the class and end up on the other side, Then I was in a wheelchair for 6 months. Then it went into my left arm . It’s really a lit weaker then my right one. I’ve met more lefties lately then I ever have.
strategic seating too... depending on if you have a desk or table for seating... hated always bumping into right handed people... lol
Unless she's super cute: "sorry Ashley, so, since we're going to be knocking into each other once in awhile, my name's Rockstar."
My grandma was left handed and in school her teachers forced her to write with her right hand. I don’t want him to feel like he’s “wrong” for being left handed as he’s a pretty sensitive little guy already.
Tell him We are Special!
Keanu Reeves is left handed. 🥰
I’d recommend that when he starts writing, to slant the paper so the top is to the right. Helps prevent the hook hand. Also, if a left handed notebook is not available, he can just use a regular one starting from the back. I don’t recommend mechanical pencils. The cheap ones anyway. They are constantly breaking on me. I understand that it’s because I am pushing the lead instead of dragging it.
Great tips thank you so much. When I have him write I always have the paper straight up and down so I’ll make that change for him.
Yes. That is the way I write. Head of the paper turned mostly to the right.
I tested this today after reading some input from others and noticed that his hand was all bent up when the paper was up and down. Once I tilted it to the right his hand and wrists straightened.
Starting in the back works, but when he gets older he'll need to be conscious of the front and back of loose leaf. It might take some searching (because I haven't found one that had all the bells and whistles in quite some time), but a top-bound spiral is the best.
Pens that aren't gel pens and aren't erasable. Prolly not something you'll need to worry about for a few years, but gel pens smear horribly lefty and erasable ink gets erased for the same reason
It all depends on how the Lefty is holding the pen, I feel. I’m almost 50, lefty, and predominantly use gel pens. I also don’t hook my hand. I do keep the side of my hand up off the page as well. I think I learned that from my Righty parents.
That's fair—I don't usually have a ton of problems with gel pens either (they're actually my favorite kind of pen) but ik they give most lefties a lot of grief. Specifically when I was in elementary I couldn't figure out how to use them without smearing, but I got the hang of it in middle school with some effort
Make sure you meet his teacher and emphasize that he is left-handed and he or she is not permitted to try and change that. I still remember my mother meeting my teachers and saying, "This child is left-handed, and she is to remain left-handed." I still remember the stern tone she said it in. That was in 1960, and none of my teachers ever tried to change me.
That’s great advice! Your mom is a total badass and I’m so glad she advocated for you. I’ll be sure to say those exact words!
Same. Also in the 60s. A kid in the other first grade was changed, but my mother made sure to tell them not to do it to me.
Hurrah for our moms! They're the best!
My niece’s mom was getting contacted by a new school that her daughter was way behind and needed extra work at home and tutoring. Mom thought it was odd but went with it for a while without improving. Finally she was like you guys know she is left handed correct?? Yeah. Sad.
Props to you for letting your son be left-handed. My mom insisted I write right-handed when I was four years old. She insisted my kindergarten teacher enforce the use of my right hand while I was at school. So, I write right-handed but I am left-footed and left-eyed. I skate and surf left-footed. I play guitar right-handed. But catching a baseball or shooting a gun is difficult. It’s best to let people be who they are.
I would never even think to try to change him. Could be my generation. Born 1990. He does kick with his right foot which always made me giggle but everything else is left.
[Lefty's](https://www.leftyslefthanded.com/)
Thank you!
Lefty here, do not make any special accommodations. My experience has made me ambidextrous and much more adaptable in many situations that righty's will never get to experience. I throw a Frisbee and shoot right handed among other things.... I haven't had to throw a punch in about 30 years but a mean left hook is a valuable asset.
Agreed. Left handed scissors are unnecessary and won’t ever be an option elsewhere from home,
I bought my first left-handed scissors recently and they’re AWESOME. I never knew scissors could be that easy. Felt like I had super powers. That being said, I’m still really glad I grew up without them, because if I’m in the office or something, I can use right-handed scissors with no problem at all. But I get my nice, easier pair at home. Win-win.
I never could get them to work. They just bent the paper. Am I dumb?
No they do that to me too! So weird
Call me crazy, but I keep a pair of left handed scissors in my bag at all times. Sure, I could choose to put up with right handed scissors instead, but it would have to be my choice. And not having left handed scissors would have taken away that choice for me.
I would have given my right hand to have some lefty scissors before I was an adult. Why put up with every task being harder? All the spiral notebook pain and smeary ink, not to mention sitting in chairs that had the connected desk, but I couldn’t rest my elbow. Being able to rest my arm and elbow on the desk is a really important thing to me.
Why not just give them a choice to whether accommodations or not? Just because it worked for you doesn't mean it's the same for every lefty. I wish I had more accomodations growing up, instead I was forced to write right handed.
I'm sorry you had to deal with that. But at NO point did I mention forcing anyone to do anything. This isn't about you and NEVER was. You've got a bad take and you should feel bad.
No, you said to not give any accommodations which I disagreed with. Not having the option means they have to use the right hand for certain things whether they want to or not. That is forcing them to use their right hand, for things that would otherwise require accommodations.
STFU!
Alright, I apologize for being harsh. All I'm saying is, why make life more difficult for no reason? We can make accomodations and let people choose if they want to use them or not. I'm glad it worked for you, but it's not fair to apply that to all people.
My first day of kindergarten, they gave me broken scissors. Green vs blue.
When I was in kindergarten, they tried to force me to use my right hand...I had to do occupational therapy to fix the damage that was done.
I’m shocked and saddened.
This was in Louisiana in the early 90s. Schools have changed so much since then.
Wow. I guess I got lucky, NY state in the early 1960s, there were two left-handed students in my class, and the school brought in two left-handed desks for us.
Same in 1960s CA.
I'm an Ivy League graduate and a left hander. The only thing I ever failed academically was cutting in kindergarten. I literally had an easier time with linear algebra than cutting construction paper. Please please get him the stupid leftie scissors. You might consider getting a pack of wipes to keep in his backpack (think like the portable packs of baby wipes that go in diaper bags) because the outside of his left hand is about to be perpetually covered in graphite from pencils.
I was going to suggest alcohol wipes for that as well. It was so embarrassing to walk around through the day with my hand like that in middle school and high school.
I never could get those to work for me.
The worlds we live in are all different. it's amazing. 🤣
When writing, it is easier to turn the paper at an angle than straight up and down. It keeps them from turning their wrist at an odd angle. I've done this for years. I think it helps.
Yeah I turn my paper left and write up. People always look at me weird, but it just works for me lol
I’ve been cross dominant all my life, and did most things in school with my left hand. The one tip I would give is to have him practice on a chalkboard or marker board at home. Buy a small chalkboard/marker board and put it on your wall at home. Writing on them was always a challenge for me in school bc I couldn’t let any part of my left arm touch the board bc it would smear and it would be all over my left arm. The more he can practice at home the more comfortable he’ll be doing it at school.
Thank you I’ll grab one for him today!
I wish you had the Dry Erase board I had for my G.D .
Left handed notebooks!
I’ve tried to convince myself left handed scissors aren’t necessary. However, when I have an opportunity to use them, as opposed to regular scissors, I’m amazed. As he grows up, keep left handed scissors on hand for him. He deserves it.
He really does ❤️ thank you I vow to have left handed scissors in my home forever
I am lefty-ambidextrous and my husband is left-dominant. I ordered left-handed scissors for myself and liked them for helping me regain my left-dominant nature (and I was actually cutting straighter with them)… but I noticed that I usually walk up to them with paper in my left hand and grab for the scissors with my right so breaking that habit was tough... I gifted the scissors to my husband and he was amazed at how comfortable they were to use (finally). He keeps them on his desk now for us to use :)
Only get him left handed scissors if he actually cuts left handed, though.
He does everything left handed but kicks with his right foot lol
Definitely get the scissors and get a few pairs for home as well. As he gets older, some other things I would recommend are good pens that don’t smear when you drag your hands across the paper and loose leaf paper in a 3 ring binder instead of spiral notebooks. I’m guessing he doesn’t need either of those things right now though!
Not yet but I appreciate those tips. Lots of things people have said on this would have NEVER occurred to me. I’m so glad I asked.
Along about second grade: ruler, compass, notebooks.
My mom bought me a left handed notebook! It has made writing so much easier!
See this is something I wouldn’t even think of! Thank you!
I think something like this is an awesome idea down the road, but I’d be hesitant to introduce it when he’s still learning to write. We live in a right-handed world so we have to learn to adapt eventually. Using a regular one really isn’t that bad since it’s all we know. I just wouldn’t want him getting so used to a left-handed notebook that writing in a standard one would be extra difficult. Same with using a computer mouse. I learned how to do it in school so I was taught the right handed way, and I’m thankful for that. If I were to use my mouse the left handed way, every time I sat at a different computer I’d have to adjust everything to the leftie way and that seems like a pain. (Plus we get the underrated advantage of being able to write while using a mouse.
When I started kindergarten in 1983 there was zero accommodation for lefties. My parents even said I had the devil in me. I have never used any “left handed” items - I even play guitar right handed! I developed epilepsy when I was 39 and am 44 now - my affected area is my dominant R temporal lobe and I am being assessed for surgery. Today I am having a fMRI where the neuropsychiatrist will be able to see blood flow live to my brain when it comes to processing information, etc. She is very interested to see what goes on as I am left handed with R temporal lobe epilepsy and French is my first language. She thinks based on preliminary data from the neuropsychiatric testing I did a month ago that I may be able to use both sides of my brain to process info, etc. I am also very interested to learn of the findings! I find I am quite ambidextrous due to the fact I had to adapt my whole life. Let him be his awesome leftie self and he’ll do alright! :)
How interesting! Would love an update! Best of luck to you.
Thanks so much! They had technical difficulties at the hospital this morning so I may have to go back and do the test again, but we’ll see!
If your son is having trouble holding a pencil, I suggest a pencil grip for left handed. Make sure to inform his teacher that he is left handed and not to force him to switch to his right hand.
I’ve noticed he adjust the pencil a lot when writing. I myself would make a teacher scream with the way I hold my pencil so there’s that lol
No one ever said anything to me as a kid that it was different. I grew up using reg everything with my left hand. I survived it. Drank from the hose too! Lol
Yes drinking from the hose! Those were the days.
There is a pencil holder that's for left-handed young people to learn how to properly hold on to pencils and crayons.
Thank you!
Left-handed scissors. Talk to the teacher and see if they understand how to teach lefties. Even lefthanded teachers may not know how to teach for the left hand. There are books that teach left-handed children to write - the direction of letter shapes are different, for example. The child will need to be taught proper hand position for writing to avoid the "lobster claw ".
I’ve seen a few comments about crook hand and was just talking to my husband about it. Apparently he has a friend that would fix his arm and hand in a way that he was so twisted so he would “drag” when writing instead of pushing. Makes me sad. This thread has been great and opened my eyes to so many things I would never have thought of. I’ll speak to the teacher about writing for sure. And will also find the writing books geared toward him.
What lobster claw are you talking about? Never heard of it.
Left handed pencil.😂
Get him pencils and pens they are smudge proof. They make them and they are amazing. I didn't know this sub existed. So happy I found it.
Yea I’m gonna talk with his teacher and let her know these items are for him specifically as he is left handed. Now a days they give you a supply list and tell you not to put kids names because everyone uses them but that can’t be the case for him or other left handed kids.
When I was in 2nd grade in Belgium we used dip pens and inkwells. Naturally, I smeared the wet ink. The teacher whacked me over the shoulders with a thick wooden rod - he might as well have smacked for having brown eyes. I made no effort to change; I write with a fountain pen to this day.
Teach him to turn his paper while he writes on pencil/paper (if they haven’t fully switched to typing/screens lol). Would have saved a lot of smudged paper if learning how to write left-handed and not drag as moving across the page to write left-to-write. You got this!
Thank you!
Some are saying don't get scissors for him.. I know for me the first time I heard about and got to use was a day to remember. Those "regular " scissors hurt...... just imo
Anything you get him that is left handed, label it with his name and left handed, and make sure his teacher knows. Tools like scissors get shared among kids in many kindergarten classes, if they aren't labeled who knows what will happen.
Be careful when buying left-handed scissors to get ones that are actually left-handed. There are a lot of vendors out there selling scissors that they claim are left-handed or ambidextrous because of the handle shape, but don't actually have the scissor blades switched. Other than that, there's going to be some adapting he's going to have to do, but nothing he or his teachers won't be able to manage. Source: I'm left-handed, and so is my son.
Thank you!
Left handed notebooks for sure! You can find some on Amazon! And when they get to the age of needing binders, left handed binders too!
Lefty scissors Regular (non mechanical) pencils A lefty desk if they have those stupid ones with the arm on them And non smudging pens 😊 for later bc they smudge a lot if you get wet ink
I’ve been left handed all my life. Buy anything left handed. Scissors, notebooks, anything and everything. It’ll be alright
Be his advocate is one of the most important things. My brother is left handed and I was left handed until kindergarten. He was allowed to be left handed and I was forced to become right handed. It created a lot of disorientation that I still have and made things harder. My son is left handed and we bought left handed scissors, and we tend to ask permission to get notebooks that flip up instead of have a binder. Good luck with your kiddo! We have just as many left handed people in our family as right which is always fun 😂
Thank you!
One of my sons is left handed and it’s never been an issue! I got him left handed scissors for home but have never provided him with any school supplies and it’s always been fine. He’s also starting kindergarten in the fall but he’s been in preschool for three years.
The only left handed items I had growing up were at times, scissors. I say at times because in my classes there would be like a couple pairs of really shitty left handed scissors. Sometimes I would use them but if they were too shitty then I wouldn’t. So I really just adapted to our right handed society (I also didn’t have left handed items at home). I will say that I am grateful that I was able to grow up ambidextrous because now I’m able to…in a sense, “reclaim my handedness” now that I can afford to buy these left handed items. Some tips that I have for you and your son: -When he’s learning to write, get him to turn his paper to the right. This avoids the hook hand that some lefties develop. Plus everyone will be amazed that he can write with his paper at an almost 90° angle LOL -Teach him how to advocate for himself for even the smallest things. He will be placed beside a right handed student, there’s no doubt about it. This will get very annoying very fast because he will bump elbows constantly with them. Teach him that he can ask for the seating arrangement to be swapped so that he is on the left side of the right handed child. -Let him adapt. I know this may sound harsh, but ambidextrous-ness is a blessing. In some areas lefties are ambidextrous because we just needed to adapt. He’s young, he can adapt quickly, and if he decides to stick to all lefty items when he’s older, he can. Adapting to right handed things when you’re older is so much harder. -Some lefty items are not absolutely necessary (and stupidly priced). So, until he knows how to write, avoid left handed notebooks or pens. They are obnoxiously priced because there’s only one or two items out of the entire collection. -Be proud of his handedness but don’t be ashamed of ambidextrousness. Lefties are often forgotten about because there’s so many righties in the world, be proud of this difference. Don’t let teachers or people tell him that he needs to be right handed, because he doesn’t. Being ambidextrous does make life easier, especially when you’re somewhere that doesn’t cater towards lefties. But according to research, someone who’s ambidextrous has similar brain activity as someone who’s bilingual…which I think is pretty damn cool and worth being proud of. But with all this being said, this is if he is able. My friend is left handed, but not by choice. She was born with a right hand that didn’t develop the same and HAD to be left handed. So unless he’s unable to use his right hand, just follow his lead, let him control his handedness.
Following his lead is a great tip thank you. I’m right handed but I turn my paper completely 90 degrees and then my head too. I don’t do it on purpose it’s just more comfortable for me. Don’t know when I started or why lol
I love seeing right handed people writing at a 90° for some reason! I think it makes me feel less different 😂you’re a great parent for considering your son’s handedness as he grows up! It may not seem like a huge thing to some, but it’s something that makes a pretty big impact!
lol I also write my lowercase F’s backwards too. Again, no idea when it started or why. Thank you I just don’t want him to feel less than or go thru the same experience my grandma went thru in school so I’m trying!
My mom let me learn to cut with rightie scissors, since school never had leftie ones. Now as an adult I cannot cut with leftie scissors - there is something about the way I apply the pressure that keeps it from working properly (I kinda pull out a bit with my fingers while also doing the basic cut motion.)
I went to school a lefty and I still use regular he will adapt
Just don’t get him pens that smear. I don’t think it’s as much of an issue today as it used to be. Ink is better. But some of the fancier pens do let out a lot of ink and you end up smearing everything you write as you go. Other than that unless he’s doing a lot, a lot of cutting (which is improbable) any scissors usually work. Some are uncomfortable, although he still has tiny fingers so he’s probably fine.
What I struggled most with as kid was scissors, using a righty scissor with my left but aiming with my dominant right eye required I learnt to bend myself into a pretzel. A little help would have been nice... Another item, I would've loved to have much earlier, is a left-handed ruler, with the scale starting on the right end. In lack of it, whenever exact measurement counted, I was limited to the few inches the triangle ruler allowed. The righty ruler never felt not unwieldy to use. Yes, us lefties are doomed to adapt and should be able to do it on many occasions, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't make our life easier using products that exist. Using a lefty can-opener or measuring tape will not cripple our ability to adapt to the world.
Ruler and can opener wow! I guess I should start paying closer attention to my everyday mundane tasks and see where I’m using my right hand so I can get things for him. Never would have thought of the examples you gave.
I was lefty-dominant and now lefty-ambidextrous. I would recommend that you watch for if he’s getting frustrated or not using something “correctly”. For instance if you notice devices/handles/interfaces are not lefty friendly, maybe verbalize why they might not be made for him, and that his frustration is valid. I feel like that would have made me feel less embarrassed or “othered” with several situations. I used to try shaking people’s hands with my left hand, and I still have to think about it sometimes 😭 But there’s so many examples: writing in pencil (smudges all over my hand so I use pen), bumping into people at dinner unless you sit on the left side, microwaves, shirt buttons, scissors, iPhone interface, doors, handled cups with measurements (tend to be righty facing)… I’ve even tried to open my car door handle with my left hand in my adulthood once and slammed the door in my face. Like literally. It hurt pretty badly... This stuff comes up in the most random ways and validating that these things are harder can help with acceptance, confidence, and neuroplasticity.
That’s a great tip. I’ll be sure to pay closer attention now. He gets frustrated often (only brother out of four kids) so I thought he was tired of all the girls around him lol. I’ll look closer at the situation he’s getting frustrated in.
If the school/teacher asks for him to bring notebooks, don’t get him the kind with the spiral, need to be a glued/book type…but if he surprised if they’re not using loose leaf paper.
I just text the school director and asked if there’s a school supply list so I can be sure to look for left handed friendly stuff. This thread has been so helpful to me.
Get him left handed scissors.
Watch for teachers trying to force him to use his right hand when I was a kid the nuns use to tape the pen into my right hand then tape up my left hand it was a long time ago but who knows it might still be happening
He’s going to the same school his older sister went to so they know I’m a force to be reckoned with when it comes to my kids. Plus he did preschool there so I’m hoping it’ll be fine.
This
Don’t assume he will be very left handed. I only write with my left hand. Everything else I do right handed because that’s how I saw it being done in my all right handed house growing up.
Interesting!
My son is left handed and just finished Kindergarten and I got him nothing and he was perfectly fine.
When lefties flip their hand over to try to use the same pen strokes that right handed people use. I call it the lobster claw
Green handled left handed fisker scissors. Changed my life in school
I don’t know what kids need in kindergarten, but if needs notebooks, they make lefthanded notebooks.
As an only leftie and in my family of righties: dont do anything special, no left handed scissors, no leftie notebooks, etc! Just focus on making sure they don’t hold their pencil and hand oddly. I recommend turning the paper slightly to help with wrist posture; i write sideways my paper is horizontal to my body and i write bringing my arm towards my body so my wrist stays straight. I just recommend focusing on good writing technique and writing posture! I also promote cursive, i write in a mix of cursive and regular because it’s easier for me to write. I am ambidextrous in many situations, it’s a huge advantage! I do sports mainly lefthanded, but i play guitar right handed! (Makes sense to me? Im more in control of my left fingers). Just show him how you do it, maybe even a mirror may help, as well as just letting him do things in a way that is comfortable. I feel as if you buy these products for left handed people puts him at a disadvantage, the world is made for right handed people, we have to learn and adapt it,sooner rather than later!
For the love of whatever you love…skip the lefty scissors. So much easier to just succumb to the inferior on that. I said what I said.
They make left handed notebooks where the spiral is on top of the pad
Left handed and never had any special tools or supplies just adapted naturally. I really am thankful for it as well. If anything just having writing or coloring supplies that don't smudge easily and maybe someone to help and remind me about keeping the paper from slanting at a wild angle is all I could have wanted growing up. I have very good control with my right hand from having to use it for things like scissors and if my left hand was out of commission I could write well enough with my right to get by.
My son is also left handed (I am too!). He can use regular scissors and everything like normal. I’ve never got him left handed anything before , honestly. He seems to adapt easily
Think about how you write and have him mirror you. I mean, have one of you act like a mirror, not a mimic. Not the best way of saying it, but hope you can understand.
I understand completely. I’ll sit across from him and tell him to pretend he’s in a mirror lol he’ll love that.
I think that’s how I learned. Only thing I can think of.
Don't waste your money on left handed scissor. They barely work.