This is a very strange question so I hope you'll bear with me!

DS1 is left handed and DS2 is showing very early signs of a left-handed preference too. DH and I are very right-hand-dominant and in a world set up for right-handed people, is there anything I need to know? Do left handed people find it harder with notebooks, regular pens, computer mice or scissors? Is there anything in particular you find annoying?

I'm just glad we're well past the days when people were forced to write with their right hands.

Thanks guys.

While I am actually Right Hand dominant I do things left handedly often LOL (I use my right hand to write but almost everything else with my left)

You can get keyboards with the numbers on the left, there is also an option to switch the buttons on a mouse around (so when you right click as a righty you actually left click as a lefty)

Alot of Scissors are now ambidextrous but you'll just need to check them. There are also left handed rulers (where the measurements go the opposite direction)

Sometimes just pulling open doors is a pain but I adapted

I'm very right-hand dominant, but having been doing things that require a lot of work from my left-hand, it isn't too shabby after many years.

Many left-handed have a much stronger right hand than right-handers have a left hand, which makes them more adaptable.

Just a word of warning if you have aspirations for either of them to be a concert pianist Virtually all the music in the world is written for right-handers, and left-handers often struggle with that. There is a great core of music written for *only* LH (virtually all written for a pianist who lost his right arm in WW1!). Other instruments don't seem to pose any issues for LHers i.e. wind instruments or strings.

Eddie seems to favour his left hand a lot, but I don't know at what age it really shows itself - people have told me that kids don't often settle with using their dominant hand til after 2.

I'm a leftie from a family strong with lefties and work with lots of lefties so I know all about it. DD is also showing strong signs of being a leftie much to DH's annoyance

Life really is easier if you try and work in a right handed world. I've gotten used to using my right hand to hit the shutter button on cameras (DD haven't worked that one out yet) and use my right eye to look through it. I had problems learning guitar at school since I wanted to play it upside down but had no dramas learning piano.

I use a normal keyboard (I do prefer ones with a decent sized space bar, I find the ones with the tiny space bar I miss it since I use my left thumb) and use a mouse in my right hand with the standard button arrangement. I actually find that works best since I have my left hand free for writing. I do know lefties who use the mouse in their left hand and have swapped the buttons around but most of us use a mouse the usual way.

Avoid really pens with runny ink (like gel pens) because they do end up smudging everywhere and prepared for him to have crap writing I only know one leftie with decent writing, the rest of us are pretty messy and as my school teachers always told me it sloaps the wrong way. I don't like writing in ring bound books since the binding gets in the road.

I generally use normal scissors. I only use special leftie ones for sewing when I'm cutting out fabric and after having one pair ruined never get them sharpend, I just buy new ones when they go blunt. They might be handy for kids though.

Most of the time you don't really notice the difference, it's just the odd thing now and again that is a pain. Lefties tend to be better with their right hand than most righties are with the left because you have to be.

It is looking like DS2 is going to be a lefty. DH and I are righties.

DH and I are both left-handed.

The only irritating thing for me is smudging ink when you write too quickly.

This! Using a whiteboard is basically impossible I also use all my ring binded notebooks upside down.

Im the only leftie in the family and am also known for my nickname "kakky handed"

I'm a leftie too. Like bluenomi I have always used the computer mouse with my right hand, makes it easier as I often write while on the computer do my left hand is free to write. I've only recently had to switch to a special left handed mouse but that is really due to my arm injury.

I hate pens with gel ink because my hand travels over my writing and smudges it. All the lefties I know have terrible handwriting but I actually get lots of comments about how neat mine is. I have been pedantic about neatness since primary school though my teachers told me off for taking too much time making my work neat!

I struggle with normal scissors and had to buy left handed ones for work a few years ago. My thumb gets squashed in them and gets painful so left handed scissors are great for me.

I second the comment about small space bars on keyboards, I use my left thumb to space too so prefer longer ones. It's not a big issue though. When I was still allowed to type before I got my injury I was an excellent typist (if I do say so myself). I had to type info as clients gave it to me over the phone and they always commented that they could hear me typing and had never heard anyone type so fast so it's not a real hindrance when it comes to keyboards/mice IMO.

I don't know if it's a common leftie thing, but I tend to do nearly everything left handed. Carrying things, opening doors, stirring etc when cooking, everything. My teachers thought that contributed to my clumsiness as a kid but it's most definitely a family trait so I personally don't believe people that say lefties are clumsier!

I find most notebooks annoy me as when I start writing on a new line my hand sits on the binding and is uncomfortable. I tend to buy lots of different notebooks to find a comfy one and DH who is right handed gets the others!

My DD seems to be showing a preference for her left hand and does most things with her left hand. However she does still do some things with her right hand. Any idea when they pick their preference? She's 2 and 3 months.

DD1 is left-handed, the only one in our family (and extended family).

But she also uses her right-hand a lot - mostly in sport, including tennis and hockey (in hockey you can only play RH). She also uses the computer and scissors RH. I do notice that she has different legs forward to other people when doing running/ on the scooter etc.

With regards to writing, I find her wrist and clothes on the left side get messy, so agree regarding types of pens. I have tried to teach DD1 to rotate her page the other way (like they did with the LH-kids when I went to school - but it doesn't seem to be 'taught' nowadays?).

Our biggest issue at the moment is the knife & fork. DD1 (I think) is getting progressively worse using her knife in the right hand - I think it has something to do with the strength of her hand. She manages much better with it in the left hand (but the serrated blade is then on the wrong side). I'm not sure how socially acceptable it is these days to reverse the knife/fork I will admit to actively encouraging her to do it the RH way. Part of me thinks that whilst the world is RH-focussed, it will be important life-skills for her (especially if in a chosen career, she doesn't have access to LHed things). Justification, much

On a positive note, don't they say that LHers are more intelligent? Not sure if the jury is still out on that one but I am interested to learn more about how LHers learn & think - are they all right-brain dominant (is this even a current theory)?? If so, I'd like to adopt different learning techniques for DD1 than DD2, as a RHer.

AliRo, one of my twins is left handed. He has been a definite lefty since day one. I think around 6 months we noticed a definite preference and now he is so left handed and like my dad and brother, is actually worse with his right hand than the right handers in the family are with their left. The other twin took much longer to decide his handedness but he is now a definite righty.

In answer to the OPs question, last year I had 5 left handers in a class of 25 - a bit more than the population average. We provided left-hand scissors for them (but not all chose to use them) and had dual hand mouses in the classroom. I also always allow left handers to choose which side of their desk they prefer to sit on so as not to bump elbows with their desk buddy.

Out of those 5 students, 2 had exceptionally neat work and 2 had atrocious writing, although one had other learning issues so I don't believe it's a left thing. My dad also writes beautifully so I think it's more down to personality and effort, amongst other things.

Well my right handed step mum uses her knife in her left hand and fork in her right and always without any dramas so I don't think it is an issue or socially scarring

I always use my knife in my right and my fork or spoon in my left. Most right handers seem to use their knife in their right and fork in their left but if they are only using a spoon or fork put it in their right. I think that's just double handling!

Thanks for the responses everyone! These has been great input.

Aliro - DS1 has shown preference since he was a tiny baby and grabbed at things with his left hand more than his right, but switched easily between the two until recently. Now he's showing a very strong preference for both eating and drawing. He's 2y10m.

When we got the info about H starting school they supply all stationery etc, however they did ask to be told if the child was left handed so they could make sure they had enough left handed scissors.

I am right handed however I eat the 'wrong' way around. Caused all sorts of problems when I was younger and trying to set the table, I could never work out what side to put the knife and fork on!!

I think lefthandedness is hot.

Lou shows a preference for his left hand too. Both dh and I are righties, but my sister and father are both left-handed.

My best friend is a leftie (Mum is but only because she lost her right arm in a car accident - she still thinks rightie!) though she's pretty ambidextrous. She can use scissors in either hand and only has problems when she switches over, then it takes her a couple of minutes to figure it out. Her writing is no messier than mine - though that's not saying much! She can write with a fountain pen when she wants to, but another left handed friend can't work it out.



My best friend does this too (though technically a spoon should be used in the right hand) but her right handed husband, along with his brothers and father, all use their cutlery in the wrong hands. You'd only notice if you saw him switching it to get started, or spend an excessive amount of time watching people eat!

Despite being right handed, I use my knife and fork like a left hander, then my Dad who is a lefty, uses his knife and fork like a right hander As for being socially acceptable. I couldn't tell you the last time I noticed which hand the knife for fork are in for anyone who I have eaten with.

There used to be the Left-handed Shop at The Rocks, don't know if it's still there. Could be good to check out if you ever head in that way.

My darling husband is a lefty!
I second whoever said prepare for bad handwriting!

I'm a righty but do a few things left handed like play pool and boxing and surfing. I don't know why, it just feels more natural.

A g/f has twins, one is left-handed and the other right (seems to be a common thing!). Her and DH are both righties and she said the hardest thing is teaching the lefty how to do things because she needs to stop and think about how you would do it with the other hand - like tying shoe laces for example.

The trick is to use a mirror. When my grandmother (who is married to a leftie and has 2 leftie children) taught me to knit she'd do it in front of a mirror and make me watch the reflection. The easiest option is to get a leftie to teach them but there isn't always one handy

Tying shoelaces is one I had forgotten about! I had lots of trouble learning because my both parents are rightys and couldn't work out how to show me the lefty way. I remember my grandmother (who was a righty too) managed to teach me using an ice cream bucket with two holes and a shoelace looped through. She taught me the two "bunny ears" way and I picked that up pretty easily. DH thought it was very odd when he first paid attention to how I tie my laces and I haven't seen many others do it that way. I still cannot get the other way and have tried as an adult but no luck!

I know 3 lefties and their handwriting is like a primary school teacher's! They're female though if that makes any difference.