What does being left handed say about you?

Missed my post on being right handed? Check it out!

Approximately 10% of people are left handed, which means that they prefer to do tasks with the left hand, like writing, drawing, eating, gesturing, etc. This dominance says more about you than just which hand you prefer to hold your pen.

Left handed people do tasks in a very unpredictable way. They don't stick to the norm. This is why we call the left hand the adaptable hand. The left hand is controlled by the right brain and is therefore creative in tasks.

It is not uncommon for left handed children to write in mirror when they first go to school. They might also start writing in the middle of the page and is often confused as to why they should start in the left hand corner.

Left handed people do things the way that feels right in the moment. They will probably do it differently next time.

They are also known as natural communicators - they talk before they think. The average left hander loves to talk and will talk about anything to anyone who's willing to listen.
Have you noticed how many left handed actors there are on television? They love to talk and now they're being paid to do just that!

Left handed people usually struggle with hand technique. They have trouble holding pens, scissors, tennis rackets, just about any tool. This doesn't mean that they can't do it, they just need a little more persistence until they get it.
Many people will argue that this is because tools are made for right handed people and that's a fair point. People don't generally think that it will be different for a left handed person to hold a pair of scissors, but scissors are really designed for a dominant hand. Thankfully many tools, especially school equipment, are now made for left handers as well, so don't let your child struggle with right handed scissors, go buy the leftie scissors and help them out!
Check out www.writeleft.co.za (This is not an affiliate link)

I trust that you know this, but just in case there's someone out there who doesn't, don't ever try to force your left handed child (or student) to be right handed. It's not fair and it will give the message that the child is not good enough just the way he/she is. Just because they are the minority doesn't make it wrong.

See you next week for the left brain! (It's much more interesting than the hands, so don't miss out!)

UPDATE: Here are the links to the LEFT BRAIN and the RIGHT BRAIN as well.