You Can Raise a Left-Handed Child in This Right-Handed World

Being left-handed has been a blessing and a curse. My odds of dying are higher than my husband's, who is right-handed. Then again, if I do die it will be from a very creative use of machinery, and he can sue since the instructions did not state, "do not allow in the hands of a lefty". Thus if you are a parent of a left-handed child, be patient and seek advice from a friend or anyone you notice who is left-handed. You can handle having the lefty challenge in your house. After all being left-handed has provided humor throughout my life, and a chance to always sit at the end of a table with left elbow askew.

Apparently as a child, my mother who is very right-handed, attempted to convert me. She always handed me a spoon to my right hand, which I promptly switched to my left when I wanted to actually get food in my mouth. She despaired at teaching me to tie my shoes, and back in those days there was no Velcro. Fortunately a neighbor declared that I was not an idiot, I just needed to loop the laces as a lefty. Upon being shown, I was able to tie my own shoes. Whew! So, for parents, the basics of life can hinge on a child's predisposition. Try to encourage the use of the right-hand, but do not force the issue and make accommodations for using the left.

I learned to color and write with my left hand. Using scissors ended up being a challenge. My mother only had right-handed scissors in the house, so I hacked away with those. Once I was in school, the left-handed scissors felt odd in my hand and I never did learn to cut properly. Circles were not my forte. I learned to bat, play putt-putt, and hit a croquet mallet with my right hand. I swung a tennis racquet with my left, and ultimately learned a mean lefty serve. Day to day skills is often taught without thought to future ramifications. Whether cutting with scissors or learning sports, consider the process and make sure the proper tools or teachers are available for the left-handed child.