Left-Handed Children in a Right-Handed World....
By mzbubblie
@mzbubblie (3839)
United States
March 14, 2007 6:35pm CST
My son is left handed from the first signs of holding a crayon, I noticed that he used his left hand, I even attempted to place things in his right until I gave up...
I have no idea what causes one to be left handed, I was thinking at one time it was hereditary, but, as far as I can remember know one else in my family or his family side is left handed.
By the time he started preschool, I was introduced to the world of purchasing items for "left handers" I never knew how much stuff was out there for left handed people. Even when he started writing with 3 hole paper, he would always start writing on the opposite side of the paper...
As time went on which now he is in the sixth grade, I've purchased everything from scissors, Pens, writing paper, rulers even pencil sharpeners. I never realized how many things were out there for left handers...
The ironic thing about my son is he is a excellent artist for his age and always have been, his imagination, his creativity is amazing. I've had teachers in art class express to me how they ask him to draw a simple picture, but he like to add details to it. I've even entered him in country fairs, even school fairs and so far he's won first place twice, and 2nd and 3rd place once throughout the past 7 years. I encourage him to draw being he loves it so much, just not to draw on ALL his paper for school. lol He's does that ALOT!!!!
I found this article and found it rather interesting and wanted to share it with you..
http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/left.handed.html
Now my question is are you left-handed or know someone who is? What are your thoughts to left handed people is it hereditary or what's your opinion? What are your thoughts to the article? Any stories you would like to share? please do...
9 people like this
40 responses
@thyst07 (2079)
• United States
15 Mar 07
The two valedictorians of my high school class (yes, two- they tied) were both left-handed. They're also getting married to each other in April, but that's beside the point.
My dad is left-handed, and his IQ test classifies him as a genius. He is also a very talented artist and musician, and builds extraordinary guitars.
My astronomy/physics professor is also left-handed, and he's just plain brilliant.
So as far as I've seen, lefty's do pretty well.
Left-handedness is just a trait that some people have and some don't. There seems to be some evidence supporting that lefty's are more intelligent or more musically inclined, but nobody knows for sure. But I tend to think they are extraordinary.
2 people like this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Yes, I agree, I see this through my son. It's ironic how people notices the difference in left handedness, But for what it's worth I do encourage my baby to do what he enjoy...I take it also you are right-handed as I. My son can draw very well howevr me right-handed I can't
3 people like this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
16 Mar 07
hehehehe...I'm ashamed of my drawing skills...lol..it's that bad
@sunita64 (6469)
• India
15 Mar 07
Well yes my niece is left handed and is very creative, I sometimes she could think in a way we are unable to do. There is a link between right brain and left handedness. Those with the quality of lefthanded ness right brain works more as compared to right handed people and as right brain controls things other than those controlled by left brain the children or individuals have a second line of thought.
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
hmm interesting..I know my son has a very creative, imaginative way of thinking... It has to be something. I know I'm right handed and only can draw a good stick figure for you...lol
2 people like this
@chargoans (939)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Hmmm....guess that means that left-handed people are truly the only one is their right mind? ;-)
@brckoba (795)
• United States
15 Mar 07
My daughter is left handed. My wife and I are both right handed, but my father is left handed and my wife's mother is also left handed. It was kind of weird when I saw her grab the spoon with left hand. It was kind of surprising to see it. I thought it was just a phase, but now she keeps taking her crayons with the left hand. I encourage her, and to my amazement she so creative. She tells me stories of things she sees and also she is learning how to color and draw. Thank you for sharing that article. Now, I feel blessed to have a daughter with such an incredible potential!!!
2 people like this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
hehehe, when I saw the article I was like wow, my son loves to draw...lol...I have no idea where he gets his artistic ways from, my youngest brother is very artistic, he very good tattoo artist, but he's right handed...
Yes, listen and observe your daughter, I know I've been doing it for years and the detailish stories and through his artwork it shows he goes in depth with it...
You most welcome for the article....Have a wonderful evening
2 people like this
@ctv101103 (859)
• Philippines
15 Mar 07
i have a 21-month old daughter and i've noticed that she prefers her left hand more than her right hand. whenever i ask her to pick up things or to reach out for something, she uses her left hand. lately, she just started to learn to eat on her own and she puts her spoon on her left hand. i'm now trying to teach her to put her spoon on her right hand but i was told to just let her be as she might get confused.
now i'm beginning to wonder if it is hereditary. no one in our family is left-handed. but i have some cousins who are.
i have read somewhere a child's preference can only be ascertained at around age 4-5. but it can manifest as early as their toddler years. it was further suggested not to force them to be right-handed when they prefer their left (and vice versa). doing so will only confuse them.
i didn't know that there are a lot of things/items specially made for left-handed people until i read your post. it was very informative. thank you very much!
by the way, i've also noticed that a lot of famous people are left-handed. who knows, maybe your son will be one someday!
2 people like this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I agree, I never forced him at all, I tried for a while but it never worked out. I have heard alot of famous people were left handed also, if he becomes famous, just knowing he enjoys what he do, which seems to be drawing, I do everything possible to encourage him, being he never went to school for it.
When he was younger, I would buy him the huge magna-doodles for when we had to drive somewhere, he took that thing everywhere we went and just drew. I think he went through about 3 of them things before he started enjoying different types of art paper (tracing paper, drawing paper). Now he draws on everything. I told him once we moved into our own house, I would let him paint pictures on his wall, like a mirale (I believe that's how it's spelled) He's really excited about that...
Never know your daughter might be famous also, just continue to observe her and what she enjoys doing, you never know what you may discover just as I...
Thank you for responding
3 people like this
@carlysle (271)
• Philippines
15 Mar 07
yez most left handed person are artistic... i learned that right handed people dominantly use the left side of the brain.. which is the practical side... while left handed persons use their right side of the brain more and that is the artistic side.. they are good in imagining things.. be proud of your son.. :)
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Aww I am proud of my baby, he is something else. I enjoy listening to his way of thinking or watching him draw...
1 person likes this
@audreych (13)
• Australia
15 Mar 07
I am left handed (so is my mum) and when I went to school they tried to change that. There is nothing wrong with left handers! I can now write with both hands and do most other things right handed. Left handed people are more artistic and there is actually a book which helps develop this (Drawing on the right hand side of the brain). Trying to change the persons nature way can be confusing for them and ultimately it doesn't matter. Anyway why would you want to change them, especially after reading that article, their name could be there next :)
2 people like this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I know what you mean, I did when he was younger try to get him to write with his right hand, he's 12 now, no changing back..lol...Wow can you draw or have any talents being left handed or even your mom?
1 person likes this
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I'm actually ambidextrous *sp* to an extent but i'm more skilled with my right hand then my left....For the life of me I cant remember if my ex was right or left handed but my daughter is righthanded and a math genius LOL my son however is left handed and is very talented when it comes to creative arts...We have a pic he drew when he was 5 or 6 of Batman that was unbelieveable!...I truly do think that when it comes to being creative/artistic left handers are more skilled....when it comes to being more acedemic *sp* right handed ppl are more skilled..why that is I'm not really sure but in my experience I'd definately have to say that thats what I've noticed...however there are ppl that I know (like my brother for example) who are left handed and are skilled at acedemics and are very creative BUT with him its in his thought process rather than the arts...he's kinda creepy actually LOL his mind is twisted LOL but the way he thinks is brilliant...
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
16 Mar 07
lol lol Yes, I believe the lefties are creative thinkers and we are more skilled, I believe that. My son draws ALL the time, paper paper paper everywhere...lol
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
15 Mar 07
My daughter is in preschool and I noticed she was left handed during her early stages.
The only people in my family that are left handed is my sister and my dad, but nobody else.
I really havn't noticed much difference with my daughter, or I just havn't noticed them.
The only thing she does is write a few letters backwords and her teacher said something about dyslexia, but it wasn't a for sure thing. She is still being tested. It could be that she is left handed, but don't ask me why. I just listen to what the school has to offer and I take their advice.
I never tell her to write with her right hand though, I figure she knows what hand she works best with.
I didn't know that they had stuff for left hand writers though. That is odd. I guess I might need to look into it. Thanks for the advice.
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
My son did the very same thing in school, He wrote certain letters backwards, even when he started writing on the three hole paper, he was writing on the other side. Being a parent of a left handed child, just observe what she does or what he seems to enjoy most, introduce her to things and see how he enjoys it, Never know she may like to draw, or music, or who knows that may one day make her famous :)
Thank you for sharing and responding...
1 person likes this
@20031969 (932)
• India
15 Mar 07
first of all you should be proud of your ward that he is excellant artist and you should encourage him so that he can develop his skill. secondly it is not hereditary. if you would have been pressure on your ward in early childhood, then definately this would not happen. you will be surprised to know that my own 5 years daughter is left handed since childhood, i and my wife both tried to stop her using her left hand but whenever she starts writing, she use her left hand although she takes her meal by her right hand and other works perform by right hand to and she has good handwriting, she draws picture very well by left hand too. so my opinion is that no need to worry at all. please encourage your son in his job. thanks.
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I sure do encourage him, I buy him all sorts of papers he need for drawing and even in school, his has art as an elective. He always gets A's in those kind of classes..hehehe
Thank you for responding..
1 person likes this
@Bee1955 (3882)
• United States
15 Mar 07
My sister is left-handed, and like you, my parents were in mystery as to how that could be. However, we grew up in the 60s and life was rouogh for "lefties". Even in the so-called "modern" world back then, anyone who was 'different' was under suspicion of being a behavorial problem, which my sister was hardly that. The school tried to force her to be right handed and so did my parents to the point of punishing her each time she unthinkingly used her left instead of her right. Then she was transferred to another school whose Principal counselled my parents to leave her alone and let her do what was natural. Her handwriting, once considered a chicken scraw and illegible, suddenly became clearer and readable. She became a happier child now the punishments stopped and a better student. If only people weren't so narrow minded! Now they have all these products for 'southpaws' and I began buying her these gadgets for her birthday and Christmas. Some are hysterical, some are helpful and others leave us in wonder as to their practicality. As my sister often says: "Where were these when I was kid!?".
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
hehehehe, I know how your sister feels, when my son started school, the first time he used left handed scissors, he was coming home to say he needed a pair. So I began looking around online to see what I could find if anything for left handed people, you would be amazed at the things they have now for left handed people. I continue to buy things for him. It's funny because I always try to use them with my right hand and it feels funny, So I can imagine him trying to use right handed scissors and rulers and such....
1 person likes this
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I am left-handed. I tend to think that it is hereditary as opposed to learned behavior.
Although I write and do most intricate things with my left hand, when I first got a computer I learned to mouse with my right hand, and to try it with my left feels unnatural now.
I definitely agree the left-handed people are more intelligent then the poor righties...:-)
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Ahh now see you don't have to be funny about us rightie..lol...
yeah I have a dj friend who has all his stuff to the left like his mixer and stuff versus other dj's, it's really interesting to see him perform...
1 person likes this
@prttynpnkw83 (444)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Well i'm left handed and it really has to do with your brain to be honest most people that are left handed have more creativity than right handed people they use a different part of the brain and there for you see a lot of difference more often between a right handed and left handed person. Right handed people are more into logic when the left handed person would be more of a dreamer and into art. I do also know that my mother is left handed as well as my brother so im not sure if its hereditary or not
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Oh ok...thank you for that, do you have any talents being left handed or anything you enjoy doing, music writing, artwork etc..
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
15 Mar 07
i was left-handed.i was forced to use my right hand instead.i notice i still do somethings left-dominant,
but the switch has made me ambidextrous to a point.
it came in handy when i had my right arm in a sling from an injury.i'm not sure if there are any others in my family who are,so i can't vouch for heredity.
i am an artist as well-i wonder sometimes if left handed people are inclined to it.
great drawing he did,BTW :)
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Thank you and I will let him know he was pretty excited about this picture, he loves drawing things such as animals when he was younger, now he's into drawing comic book strips, and futuristic type stuff...
I don't and can't think of anyone on my family or his father family side that are left handed..I wonder is he the first in the family..lol
1 person likes this
@lyndee22 (1210)
• Philippines
15 Mar 07
my niece is left handed. she excells in her class. i have also a friend and classmate when i was in college. he is a good artist, illustrator. it seems that it is not only hereditary, maybe motor developments were first developed on his left side. left handedness is also developed by immitation of other people do. children are good immitators and they could easily grasps movements around them
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Yes very true and thank you for sharing that with me/us. It's very interesting how left handed people think
1 person likes this
@beautifulceiling (1300)
• United States
15 Mar 07
One of my sons is left-handed. I think you did the right thing to let your child choose his dominant hand. I've heard that kids who are forced to change can have some fairly serious problems. It makes sense since one half of your brain controls which hand is dominant. It would have to be fairly significant to have to adjust to something that is so hard-wired.
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Yes, I tried for a while and gave up, he always went right back to that left hand and I left it...I'm glad I did...
1 person likes this
@merkava (1225)
• Philippines
15 Mar 07
My brother is a left handed and he's the valedictorian of his high school batch. When I was very young I used to be dexterous, I could write using my left or right hand. I stopped using my left hand because my classmates used to tease me for being different. Weird thing though is that I write using my right hand but I my left hand is primary when I'm doing other stuff like brushing my teeth, playing basketball..etc. My left hand is even stronger than my right when lifting weights.
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Oh wow, that's very interesting...I can't do anything with my left hand, I know it is the weaker of both. I do everything right handed, however, my son does everything with his left hand...
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Thank you...Yes, he amazes me with his thinking process...And i'm really curious to see how this goes also...
Wow, both hands, now that's amazement right there...I tried but I'm horrible using my left hand..lol
1 person likes this
@meleshia (624)
• Philippines
15 Mar 07
Hi! i'm a leftie and have been one for as long as I remember. I dunno if it's really hereditary or just a coincidence but my mom is also left-handed. My brother and father are both right-handed, though. I was amazed with your story that you were able to buy so many things for your child that are exclusively built for left-handed people. I didn't have that as a child and im not sure we have those here in the Philippines. sad. but anyways, i never thought that being a leftie can hinder me from doing anything - or that people can discriminate me by being one. I, myself, can be quite creative at times. lol! and can do most things that other right-handed people can, too. i can also easily adapt to what's out there, not thinking that those things are only for right-handed people. like, i hold the spoon on my right and fork on my left. although if there's only one (like spoon only) i'd prefer to use my left hand. I also kick the soccer ball using either my left or right foot. I also play the guitar as is. =) those are a few things that i'd like to share. ^___^
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
You most welcome..It is really interesting..lol I started thinking about my son more in depth....I wonder is there something really truly behind left-handed people
1 person likes this
@mouse27 (1155)
• Canada
15 Mar 07
if you would have continued helping your son when he was younger and first started coloring to use his right hand he would be able to use both right now and be ambidextrous. i know someone who's mother would make her handwrite forwards and backwards and now she does it perfectly. you can still teach your child to gradually use his right hand which would be good if he ever injured his left arm and couldn't use it. start out with a couple letters use a pen that is bigger than he'd normally use to start. (make it a game) i'm right handed and my brother is left handed. so i forced my self to write with my left hand it to a couple years but now i can write with both hands my write is still more dominant tho as well your sons left hand.
1 person likes this
@mzbubblie (3839)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Oh wow...I tried and instantly gave up. Thank you for the tip, that's true if anything happend to his left hand he would be the same as me if it were my right hand...we both would be helpless
1 person likes this
