Should I make my left-handed child write with right hand?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Left handed people should write mirror from right handed people. Especially cursive.

It's a pencil not a shovel. There's no reason to attempt to etch the paper. Apply light pressure and it works fine.

-Lefty

Still, I spent my childhood with a dirty left hand side after having to drag it through the pencil cursive!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mother still talks about it. Small town Canada they tied her left hand behind her. She still has bad handwriting. I remember I needed a note signed by her in high school and the teacher said his 7 year old could write better than that. It was degrading to my mother and made me feel bad.
How must it feel to have your arm tied in front of the class.

Public school gave me a pencil and a piece of paper and said, "We can't help you."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are 71 response. That does not constitute countless.

Brain damage? Really?

Maybe not ideal but it does not cause brain damage. Were you one of these lefties that was brain damaged!! You sound like an idiot.

Yes, really. It [forcing change of handedness] causes a disruption of normal structural development that involves a putaminal territory that functionally integrates executive and cognitive control of skilled movements.

You sound like an ignorant harpy.

[Anonymous]

It’s cruel to do this op. Unnecessary and cruel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG no. This happened to me in an evangelical school. It’s still distressing.

Catholic school also.

[Anonymous]

No! My mom did this to me and it has been a lifelong problem. The brain wants the dominant eye and hand to be on the same side. If they’re not, a child will be terribly uncoordinated. Changing can also result I stuttering (I did). I won’t go on but let your child develop naturally.

[Anonymous]

First of all, I am a left hander so don’t flame me as ignorant.

Handedness is really a continuum according to most scientific research. I use my left hand for dexterity and my right hand for strength, my son uses his left hand for dexterity and strength.

My experience is that most right handers are pretty firmly on the far right handedness end of the continuum and lefties can vary a bit more on “how” left handed they are (this is anecdotal, but I do know quite a few lefties that are somewhere more toward the middle and I do not know any righties that are anything but at the far end).

If your daughter looks comfortable with her hand choice, let it be. There is nothing wrong with being left handed. If she seems to be inconsistent, invite (don’t force) her to explore her options so she can figure out what works best for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG no. This happened to me in an evangelical school. It’s still distressing.

+1 but at a Catholic school in the early 80's. I am ambidextrous perhaps because of it, but a lefty to my core. My penmanship is terrible with either hand. Please let your child use their dominant hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom did this. I write with my right hand but use my left hand for scissors, baseball bat, gold clubs, eating utensils, almost everything with my left hand.

Nothing traumatic happened to me. I’m not psychologically damaged. It don’t remember how she did it. I kinda remember her switching the pencil when I was writing.

I kinda like it. I have beautiful hand writing. I hold a pencil like a normal person. My mom and my grandpa were also left handed and that is also how were trained back in the day. We are all normal. None of my kids are lefties. I probably wouldn’t have the patience to do it. Not sure how long it takes.

But nothing bad will happen if you decide to do it. It’s not that horrible. It will not traumatize you kid.

You were brainwashed and were robbed of that brilliant left handed personality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm very left handed. Not even remotely ambidextrous, as some posters seem to be.

The ability to switch may depend on the degree of handedness. For my brain, it wouldn't have worked.

I lived in China for years, up until fairly recently. My teachers would have to physically look away when I worked on writing characters. I get it.

In the US, handedness doesn't matter. Except if you want to your child to be president. Then, left handed appears to be an odd advantage.

For those still in Shanghai? Honestly, screw 'em.

Screw you boo

Spoken like the ever shrinking cadre of right handers who still want to hold us down.
10% now, 10% always.

Being a xenophobic ass is trash, and that has nothing to do with right or left handedness.

[Anonymous]

You are sick OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm very left handed. Not even remotely ambidextrous, as some posters seem to be.

The ability to switch may depend on the degree of handedness. For my brain, it wouldn't have worked.

I lived in China for years, up until fairly recently. My teachers would have to physically look away when I worked on writing characters. I get it.

In the US, handedness doesn't matter. Except if you want to your child to be president. Then, left handed appears to be an odd advantage.

For those still in Shanghai? Honestly, screw 'em.

Screw you boo

Spoken like the ever shrinking cadre of right handers who still want to hold us down.
10% now, 10% always.

That's correct, we lefties stick together!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm very left handed. Not even remotely ambidextrous, as some posters seem to be.

The ability to switch may depend on the degree of handedness. For my brain, it wouldn't have worked.

I lived in China for years, up until fairly recently. My teachers would have to physically look away when I worked on writing characters. I get it.

In the US, handedness doesn't matter. Except if you want to your child to be president. Then, left handed appears to be an odd advantage.

For those still in Shanghai? Honestly, screw 'em.

Screw you boo

Spoken like the ever shrinking cadre of right handers who still want to hold us down.
10% now, 10% always.

Being a xenophobic ass is trash, and that has nothing to do with right or left handedness.

You are jealous that there is nothing special about you.

[Anonymous]

Get that grandmas head checked and yours also

[Anonymous]

Happy leftie here, age 54.

I’m the only leftie in my family of origin. I didn’t attend a preschool so learned to use scissors with “regular” scissors. Never could use the special green-handled leftie scissors.

I struggled mightily with cursive handwriting - actually failed it in grade 3 and always got marked down for messy (smudgy), crumpled submitted work since I was dragging my little hand all over my paper!

Interestingly, I am mostly ambidextrous, except for handwriting EXCEPT - I found out I can write on a large whiteboard easily, but it’s a totally different handwriting style!

I’m not athletic but have tried golf and tennis and instinctively hold right. I’m right-footed/dominant. I broke my right ankle and this was challenging.

I use hand tools (mixers, hammers, paint brushes, etc.) only with my right hand.

By the way, I have gorgeous penmanship - cursive and print and I absolutely love to hand write letters, take notes, etc. I’m often asked if
I’m an architect (I’m not!) because my handwriting is so perfect. Also, I hand-addressed my own wedding invitations because why pay for a calligrapher? For fun, I’ve hand addressed friends’ invitations and did a seating chart display.

I can very easily write on a large board with my right hand