By Nancy Ripton
My husband wants our sons to be left-handed. He dreams of at least one landing a “free ride” to university on a sports scholarship and reasons that a left-hander has better odds. I used to laugh at his theory, but it turns out he’s right.
Research suggests the right hemisphere of the brain is dominant in left-handers. While it’s overly simplistic to say all left-handers excel in right-brain functions such as spatial awareness and perception, lefties do seem to have an advantage in sports demanding rapid reactions and good spatial judgment such as tennis and fencing. Many also seem to excel in other right hemisphere functions such as visual concepts, creativity and music. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Julius Caesar and Winston Churchill were south paws. So is U.S. president Barack Obama.
In addition to favouring the right hemisphere of the brain, lefties must learn to function in a right-handed world. “Left-handers need to do most tasks back-to-front, with equipment that wasn’t made for them,” says Lauren Milsom, author of Your Left-Handed Child (Hamlyn). “They learn to be very adaptable, which can pay off later in life when it comes to problem solving.”
But with about 13 percent of the population identifying as left-handed, being in the minority can sometimes be challenging for young children. Here’s what you need to know about having a lefty and how to make life easier for your child.
Most babies use both hands at first but a few can start to favour one side as early as their first birthday. “We usually start to get a feeling for a distinct preference by about age two or three,” says Dr. James Hilton, a Toronto-based pediatrician. But some children won’t choose a side until as late as the age of five.
For the most part, parents don’t need to make many adaptations for a left-handed child — after all, one of the huge benefits of using the non-dominant hand is versatility. But there are a few exceptions, especially when it comes to right-biased equipment. “All left-handers should have a proper pair of left-handed scissors at home and at school,” says Milsom. If your child’s school does not provide them, bring your own. “There is no such thing as ambidextrous scissors.”
Teaching proper writing technique at an early age — from grip posture to paper position — is also essential. “Left to right movement across a page is not a natural direction for left-handed writers,” says Milsom. “The left hand follows the writing, pushing the tip into the paper, creating too much pressure and often smudging the work.” Your child may adapt with poor posture and awkward hand positions to compensate.
Start by showing your child how to set up their paper. Position the page to the left of their body midline and tilt the top of the page clockwise about 30 degrees. Then, encourage a tripod writing grip with the thumb and first two fingers. “Using a triangular pencil grip or an oversized pen barrel can help,” says Milsom. Lastly, the hand should be positioned at least two centimetres away from the end of the pen tip so it won’t obscure writing and smudge the page.
“As a right-handed parent, I want to make sure I’m supporting Tatum as much as possible,” says Jennifer Graham Hillier of her left-handed five year old. “I still pass to her right hand and feel bad about it. It’s a hard habit to break,” admits the Toronto mom.
Milsom suggests that right-handed parents spend a day using predominantly their left hand in order to get a feeling for what life will be like for their child. She also encourages parents to face their child when teaching how to do up a zipper or tie shoelaces. “That way you’ll present a mirror image your child can copy.” And remember, chances are your little left-hander is a creative thinker, so she’ll learn to adapt.
Nancy Ripton is a Toronto-based freelancer and co-founder of justthefactsbaby.com. She is right-handed and will never be a world leader.