When I announce, “I’m a leftie too!” to waiters, shop clerks, instructors, and other coworkers who share this quality with me, they perk up and grin.
There are certain things that take some getting used to, even if I like being a leftie in a rightie society. I’m more aware of the methods I’ve put in place to make my life simpler now that I’m also a left-handed parent. Here are some advice I offer my kid, who is 8 years old.
My youngster prefers his left hand for writing and picking up things, but not necessarily for anything else. Preferences might differ from person to person. I always make sure to ask him whether he feels at ease doing a certain activity. Some lefties play right-handed golf or kick a ball. (Or the two!) The same holds true for righties who sometimes use their left, while other individuals develop ambidexterity.
Left-handed students may annoy right-handed professors. When he attempted to teach me how to wield a bat, I can still clearly hear my gym instructor muttering to himself. One way to simplify the scenario is to have the student stand in front of the instructor while mirroring their gestures. If it still doesn’t fix the issue, YouTube is a fantastic source for left-sided teaching and may be utilized in addition to in-person instruction. I learned how to crochet on my own by following a left-handed teacher online, with the help of some local courses.
I also make sure that the tools my son and I use, such as athletic equipment, art materials, and even musical instruments, are friendly to the left side. Left-handed-friendly baseball gloves, scissors, and even guitars are all readily available.
When I was younger, I never thought about the fact that certain office or kitchen utensils aren’t designed for left-handed persons. Simply getting used to utilizing them. But proactively seeking out products that are easier on the left side of the brain reduces unneeded stress. I take special care to make sure that the items I buy are leftie-friendly, such as pitchers (I prefer the ones with the spout in the center rather than on the side), cake knives (the ones with the serrated edge on both sides are great), and can openers (I’ve gotten used to most of the ones on the market, but I might try one of these some day). My kid and I always remember to eat at the far left end of the table so that we don’t bump elbows with the rest of our family.
To prevent my palm from being harmed by the metal, I turn three-ring binders around and make the final page the first page. We write from left to right, therefore I look for pens that don’t smear. I swapped the buttons on my mouse when I used a Microsoft computer at my corporate job, a method I had never thought of till a fellow leftie suggested it. (Since the track pad is located in the center of the keyboard, Apple can accommodate both lefties and righties.) When a significant portion of my profession required dealing with numbers and the number pad was on the left, I also asked for a left-handed keyboard. As my kid grows older, I’ll teach him all of these things.
Ultimately, everything comes down to being conscious of oneself. Practice encouraging your kid to speak out and request the tools they need in order to feel most at ease and succeed. And don’t forget to acknowledge their originality! “There are a few extraordinary individuals in our world – the others are right-handed,” read a magnet that I had on my refrigerator when I was younger.
