That’s what I thought, I seem to recall him struggling with it when he was a little’un. S’why I asked, but he chopped that paper quick as any normal person 😉

I never had any problems with right-handed scissors in my left hand… my cutting is a whole load better than my handwriting !

for writing without smudging I just have my fingers straighter than a righty would and the pen points up all the time

Gosh, I’d forgotten about playing cards – I shuffle, fan and deal left handed  My parents liked Canasta, so we would end up with huge hands of cards and I had trouble fanning them out.  the joy when we got some cards with numbers/letters in all four corners!

I remember ITA. Or at least I remember various funny looking symbols and then having to learn ‘normal’ spelling, and this being intertwined by getting spanked….. I guess education has changed a bit! I’m almost surprised kids even write any more.

Dont worry about writing so much, just get child drawing straight lines, squiggles etc.  Make it fun.

Or at least I remember various funny looking symbols… and this being intertwined by getting spanked…

You have to pay good money for that these days.

My eldest is right handed and now writes well, but in earlier years (nursery/reception) would often write letters or words backwards – it’s not uncommon. He still struggles a bit with ‘b’ and ‘d’. I wouldn’t worry about it.

I’m left handed for writing and haven’t ever had an issue with it even though I do a lot of writing in my job. I do remember that I found writing in pencil a bit easier at primary school – not sure why, poss. because of the rolling resistance on the paper.

I think it’s interesting how mixed up things are – I write left handed, bat (cricket) right handed, kick with both feet (better with left), hit a tennis ball with both hands (better with left), use a knife/fork the traditional way round, but use my left hand for spoons. My eldest is almost the opposite (apart from kicking a ball better with his left).

I still hold that knife and fork is arse-backwards.  I use them the conventional way round, it bakes my noodle that a right-hander would use a spoon or fork right-handed but *swap hands* if a knife is introduced.  That’s just bloody odd, why would you eat with your off-hand?

Because “back in the day” knives were proper knives and bloody sharp. You really want to to wielding one with your dominant hand to make sure it’s only your food you’re eating.

Uh. Back in the day were you sticking it near your face?

Generally yes. A knife would be used for cutting the food, then spearing it to lift to the mouth.

The same knife would probably also be used for shaving, cutting anything needed, in fact generally everything in life. So left or right, you’d hold it in your dominant hand. As most people are righties, this then became convention to hold a knife with the right hand.

Trying to help a leftie learn to spread butter when you’re right handed is fun!

Sit opposite them so they can mirror you.

Mrs_oab is early years teacher.

I work a bit with early years.

Writing letters backwards is a developmental thing, and not to be too worried about just now.

Big issue now is not copying but developing fine motor skills and transferring ideas in head into lines etc – creativity.

Get mini_s to do lots of observational drawings (not colouring in…), pattern making and repeat patterns. Use different things such as chalk, crayons, pens, pencils, sticks on sand etc etc. Get them to do anything that develops fine motor skills etc

There is some research that trying to write letters and fixed shapes too early is a hindrance – but creating and developing fine motor is great.

Thanks all again.

I’m right handed, but with a dominant left eye, so I use a camera with my left eye, and on the rare occasions I use a gun, like an air rifle, I also use my left eye; that caused problems when my dad used to take me to the TA rifle range, because of the bolt action being on the left.

Yeah, guns are… problematic.  A hot cartridge to the face is no fun.

I still hold that knife and fork is arse-backwards. I use them the conventional way round, it bakes my noodle that a right-hander would use a spoon or fork right-handed but *swap hands* if a knife is introduced. That’s just bloody odd, why would you eat with your off-hand? If I tried that I’d end up sticking food up my nose or something.

Yeah, I stuggle with desserts when they give you a spoon and a fork – use knife and fork in normal manner (think I was taught that way at home) but spoon in left hand so struggle with posh puddings.

I could mirror write as quickly and a fluently as normal writing when I was younger, not sure if thats a leftie trait or not.

I’ve found all the delicate/small movement stuff I do left handed but right hand generally for brute force stuff like throwing, cricket, golf etc. but still left footered for footie.

Lefty here.

I can’t use left-handed scissors – spent so long using righty ones in my left hand that my instinctive movements stop lefty ones cutting.

Can’t use a mouse with my left hand at all. Feels so wrong.

I still hold that knife and fork is arse-backwards.  I use them the conventional way round, it bakes my noodle that a right-hander would use a spoon or fork right-handed but *swap hands* if a knife is introduced.  That’s just bloody odd, why would you eat with your off-hand?  If I tried that I’d end up sticking food up my nose or something.

This. So much this.

I can’t use left-handed scissors – spent so long using righty ones in my left hand that my instinctive movements stop lefty ones cutting.

Try them in your right hand? (-:

This. So much this.

Oh, thank gods it’s not just me.

What has being left handed got to do with anything

I’m lefty, made the adjustments to stop smudging ink as you do

reading a vast amount when I was young helped me form words easily as I just knew what they were supposed to look like

I’m sorry but I still don’t get why it’s such a big deal to be left handed!

I’m a proper lefty, write with my left hand, I’m left footed, use a mouse with my left hand, eat from a fork with my left hand, chop with a knife in my left hand, I can use normal scissors but prefer the comfort of left handed shaped scissors, I can use a conventional can opener and cork screw……….

I’ve survived for the last 48 years with no problem. A lot off things I just naturally learnt how to do as a mirror image of right handers. Doesn’t mean I do them wrong, just my own way!

Admittedly a couple of hundred years ago I’d probably have been burnt at the stake as a witch, but I’m not sure that’s because I’m left handed? (Sinister is the Latin for left!)

Dont panic over it, kids find their own way, and left handers tend to be the most artistic people, as we use the right side of our brains more apparently!