My son almost always uses his left hand, to eat, write, etc. Recently my mother-in law, has been watching him. I found out she has been making him use his right hand. I am afraid that this will cause him problems, and that the school, will do the same. I would be proud if he was a lefty, or if he was right handed. I just worry that changing it will effect him in the long run.
2007-07-08 07:43:07 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Grade-Schooler
Let him be a lefty. My niece is a lefty too, she's fine. Tell the mother in law to stop it. Don't force him to do something he on his own free will doesn't want to. Being a lefty isn't harming anyone or anything.
2007-07-08 08:00:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
My 6 year old son is a lefty too. He has had different specialists(develomental consultant, occupational) try to change his hand preference for 3 years now. He always goes back to his left hand. He may have problems at school because with my son his teacher admitted she didn't know how to teach a lefty because he tends to do everything backwards. On the other hand my daughter started off as a lefty, but was forced to be right handed and she's 12.5 now and her manual dexterity is terrible. Her writing is barely legible and she still has problems holding knives and forks. It may be just a coincidence but I don't think so. If you have a little patience everything will be fine. And tell your MIL to back off and let him be.
2007-07-08 08:30:54 · answer #2 · answered by Lostlove 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A five year old is past the age for having no hand preference. He is a lefty, and needs to be taught as such. Your MIL should not be forcing him to use his left hand. As he enters kindergarten, let his teacher know he is left handed. This will help in their instruction of him. Lefties do have it more difficult, because writing left to right is designed for righties. Make sure you buy him left handed scissors. There is a difference.
2007-07-09 13:34:18 · answer #3 · answered by kris 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think anybody is going to change that at a school in the year 2007. If they will that is not a school where you should have your kids. That sounds like something from the 1950s. If your mother in law really makes him use the hand he naturally would not choose - talk with her and tell her it is not good. This is probably something she has seen being done when she went to school, and she might think that is the way to go with left-handed children. I know, mothers in law can be stubborn and think they are always right.
But it really can be harm full to change it. Here you have to be the parent that takes care her son will be treated the way he deserves. If he feels he has to do something awkward because his "own" way is considered wrong (in a matter like this) it can affect his self-confidence. Being more clumsy than he would really be, will certainly affect his self esteem. (I know my son at least compares himself with his peers, and has quite a clear idea where he is going compared to them. )
Now that I read through the stories from other answerers I am shocked and angry. Where do those teachers and "specialists" come from? Strength for all you parents and left-handed children!
2007-07-08 09:07:25 · answer #4 · answered by Mien 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Let your son do things as he wishes. Being a lefty isn't such a big deal. Changing someone is.
When your son is a little older, you might want to teach him to use a right handed scissors. Left-handed scissors are hard to find in an elementary school, and for some things (pruning sheers, animal nail clippers etc), a left handed one is either very expensive or non-existent.
Tell your MIL to stop.
2007-07-08 15:15:34 · answer #5 · answered by tweedropjes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell the school and your mother-in-law to back off! You can be lefty with out being a freak! I mean come on. You can't ignore the fact that God wanted your son to be a lefty, and you shouldn't try to change him. Stand up for your son!
2007-07-08 14:11:18 · answer #6 · answered by bored_rena 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Please tell the M-I-L to mind her own business. I am a lefty and I have NO problems. A friend of mine who was also a lefty was forced to do things right-handed and his hand writing is so horrible you can't read anything he writes. That nonsense of forcing changes went out with the middle ages.
Now that I am an adult I write and eat left handed and do everything else (shoot, play golf, swing a bat, throw) right handed.
2007-07-08 07:48:40 · answer #7 · answered by Joe D 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Your mother-in-law is out of line. Yes, it can cause all kinds of problems forcing your little guy to use his "wrong" hand, in the short run as well as the long run. You must tell your mother-in-law to leave him alone. Don't worry about the school. They don't try to force children to use their right hands, haven't in years.
It galls me how much of our time and energy is used trying to make others into something they're not instead of appreciating who they are.
Since the two halves of our brains operate the opposite sides of our bodies, that means that only we left-handed people are in our right minds!
2007-07-09 05:36:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
From a teacher's perspective, it does NOT matter what your child's handedness really is. If you aren't sure if he is left or right handed, here is something you can do to determine which hand is dominant:
Have your child stand in front of you facing you. Place a pencil in front of you (*make sure it's in the middle of him, meaning not towards either of his hands), and see which hand he uses to grab it. Typically, this can help you identify which hand is dominant. But, it sounds like he is left handed since he uses it most often.
As far as your mother in law is concerned, she needs to stop that. I'm sure it's confusing him if he is left handed. As for school, I'd hope that they wouldn't force him to change hands. My students' handedness is the least of my worries!
2007-07-08 14:43:47 · answer #9 · answered by luv2teach 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok I am a left handed person.sounds like he is a lefty to me.The worst thing is to try to get him to change what hand he is all that will do is confuse him.I don't think the schools do that anymore.You need to tell his grandma to stop trying to make him right handed if he is left let him be left they used to make kids who were left handed switch hands writing but they don't do that anymore because study shows that it frustrates and confuses the kids.don't worry just tell his grandma to stop trying to make him right handed it will just confuse him and latter on it will frustrate him.It will frusterate him.as far as the long run goes I don't know but it'll make him frusterated and mad almost to the point of crying tell his grandma to quite trying to make him right handed
2007-07-10 22:03:17 · answer #10 · answered by yenteramanda 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋