Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihuxk.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!amdcad!decwrl!decvax!harpo!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!ihnp4!ihuxk!rs55611 From: rs55611@ihuxk.UUCP (Robert E. Schleicher) Newsgroups: net.med,net.kids,net.social Subject: Re: Changing Left-handedness to Right-handedness Message-ID: <1006@ihuxk.UUCP> Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 14:18:09 EDT Article-I.D.: ihuxk.1006 Posted: Thu Aug 15 14:18:09 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 03:24:51 EDT References: <127@unc.unc.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 40 Xref: linus net.med:1908 net.kids:1576 net.social:835 > References: > > > A friend's preschooler always seemed to prefer using his left hand. > His mother has been trying to change him into a right hander. > She bought him a toy baseball glove for right handers, and when she > takes out the coloring books, she instructs him to use his right hand > "so he'll have fewer problems when he goes to schood." > When he was a toddler, she refused to hand him any candy, toys, > or other objects until he finally reached with his right hand. > > The boy is generally obediant, so he uses his right hand for printing > his name and coloring, though his coordination is much worse than > other children his age. > > Though this attempt to switch hand preference may work, I wonder > whether it might have bad repurcussions later. Do any readers > know of any psychological or social problems that can be caused > by the attempt to change a child's "handedness"? How might this > affect his learning ability in school, his aptitude for sports, > and his social self-confidence? > > Frank Silbermann My wife's kindergarten (maybe 1st grade) teacher tried to force her to write with her right hand, even though she was left-handed. This caused all sorts of problems, for the good part of a year, until the teacher was finally convinced to lay off. Although there's no way to prove a connection, there was one very interesting phenomenon that occurred at the same time: my wife started writing letters/short words in "mirror-image". The same teacher was convinced that my wife was learning-disabled, and should be moved to special education. Shortly after being allowed to write with her left hand, the mirror-image problem went away by itself. My wife has been very successful with her education since them (MBA, etc.), and is obviously very thankful that one mis-guided teacher didn't get her slotted for life as someone with a learning problem, when no real problem existed. Bob Schleicher ihuxk!rs55611