Question for lefties, or for those with Lefty kids

[mm123]

DD1 (4 yrs old) is a lefty, and so far it hasn't been a problem for anything.

She's never had any computer time, she's starting kindergarten in a couple of weeks, and I have a feeling she'll be one of the only kids who doesn't know the basics of what to do with a computer, move a cursor, navigate, etc.

So, I was trying to show her how to use a mouse, and we got kind of flustered. Just wondering what lefties tend to do with a computer mouse. Do you use your right hand? Do you move the mouse over to the left side, and use different fingers for the right/left click? Are there specialized 'lefty mice' out there? I highly doubt the school would have such a mouse, if it existed! What do lefty kids tend to do during computer time?

[Snow mom]

If you go into your mouse settings it's possible to reverse the buttons for a leftie (I assume this is done when the mouse is moved to the left side.) Most lefties I know use the mouse on the right side but I'm not sure whether that's just because it's easier to not have to readjust things in a public space or what.

[BabbyO]

DH is a lefty. He usually uses the mouse on the left side with his left hand. There aren't special mice for lefties, and this drives him nuts. He basically has to get the most basic, non-curved mouse out there so it fits his hand (think the original mouse - before they were all contoured to fit your hand).

I think there is a way to switch the buttons (I could be wrong), but DH doesn't do that. I know because I can just move his mouse to the other side of the computer and it is fine. I think this is why DH doesn't switch the buttons...he knows he can go to any computer and just move the mouse to the other side and it will work fine.

Just double checked...you can switch the primary & secondary buttons on your mouse by going to the control panel and opening the "mouse" then there is a tab that says "buttons."

ETA: I don't want to scare you or anything, but I just saw this article. It was written by a teacher who was asked to switch the mouse for a lefty student. In the article she notes that it was much more difficult because the district has locks on the computers that prevent settings from being changed...the setting to make the mouse left handed, were one of them. Just something to be aware of. You may want to address the issue sooner than later with the school. I found it interesting that she noted that her lefty students took longer to do things when using a mouse set up for a righty...it makes sense, but it points out how it puts them at a disadvantage. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2010/10/accomodating-our-left-handed-students

[stefani]

DS is a lefty. He is in 3rd grade now. For the computer mouse, he uses his right hand. I am very right handed, but I use a right hand mouse with my left hand. So your DD can just move the mouse to the left hand side of the keyboard, and use it, or she can learn to use it with her right hand.

You can configure a mouse to be right / left handed, but if it is a shared computer, then it is not practical.

Good luck! No worries, I don't think your DD will be the only one with zero computer time. It is a good thing as I am having trouble prying my DS from digital devices :-)

[HannaAddict]

I'm left handed and always use the mouse with my right hand as does my left handed kiddo.

[llama8]

I am a lefty. I learned to use the mouse completely right handed. Every computer is set up for right handed use so it is better if she learns to use the mouse that way. It will make the rest of her life easier since computers are used almost daily, especially at school. No one is going to reconfigure computers for her constantly.

[Karenn]

I'm a lefty. I used my mouse with my left hand. I've done different things over the years. Sometimes I go into the settings and switch the buttons around. Other times I just leave it and learn to use opposite fingers than most people. It works fine unless I start to think about it too hard. ;)

At our school we use Macs and those mice often just have one button anyway (or just a track pad if it's a laptop), so it's less of an issue.

[kbud]

My dh is a lefty. He uses his rt hand for the mouse and doesn't change any settings. MIL also a lefty uses her left hand for the mouse.

[BabbyO]

Interesting Study...

http://www.lefthandedchildren.org/school-survey-results.htm

[minnie-zb]

I'm left handed and both of my girls are left handed.

All of us use the mouse with our right hand. We don't make any changes to it.

[minnie-zb]

Interesting Study...

http://www.lefthandedchildren.org/school-survey-results.htm

I skimmed this and found it interesting. I grew up in England in the '70's. At that time, I was considered handicapped due to being left-handed. It became a big issue as I got older and my teachers refused to teach me some skills.

I will have to say, I think nothing of using my right hand: I play softball right handed and use a right handed mitt, I use scissors in my right hand, use a knife with my right hand. The only sport I play left handed is tennis.

I eat left handed, but I grew up eating continental style so it is normal. Maybe I'm just a very confused person! :)

[vonfirmath]

DD1 (4 yrs old) is a lefty, and so far it hasn't been a problem for anything.

She's never had any computer time, she's starting kindergarten in a couple of weeks, and I have a feeling she'll be one of the only kids who doesn't know the basics of what to do with a computer, move a cursor, navigate, etc.

So, I was trying to show her how to use a mouse, and we got kind of flustered. Just wondering what lefties tend to do with a computer mouse. Do you use your right hand? Do you move the mouse over to the left side, and use different fingers for the right/left click? Are there specialized 'lefty mice' out there? I highly doubt the school would have such a mouse, if it existed! What do lefty kids tend to do during computer time?

Both my husband and my 5 year old are lefties.

Both use the trackball (my husband's preference) on the right side of the keyboard without the buttons switched.

ETA: My husband also does not use special left hand scissors and is teaching our son to use regular scissors. He says that the special scissors for lefties are not as good. Its better to learn to do things the "normal" way.

[BabbyO]

ETA: My husband also does not use special left hand scissors and is teaching our son to use regular scissors. He says that the special scissors for lefties are not as good. Its better to learn to do things the "normal" way.

My husband always complained about the lefty sissors our there. His parents were in Switzerland and bought him a Swiss Army brand pair of lefty sissors. They are AWESOME!!! I can even cut with them and I'm a righty (not that I do it often. I don't want to ruin them).

These are the scissors he has. http://www.qualityknives.co.nz/shop/Victorinox/Scissors/Left+Hand/Left+Hand+HouseholdProfessional+Scissors+16cm+8.09 06.16L.html
Kinda pricey, but he loves them. It looks like they have a kids safety scissors for $16. I don't know if I'd send it to school, but it might be nice for home.

[JElaineB]

My DH is a lefty but he uses the mouse on the right side with the buttons the same as right-handed users.

[wellyes]

I'm a lefty and I use the mouse on the right. I never even thought about it.
It's really handy to have my dominant hand free when using the keyboard for video games :)

[KrisM]

I'm right handed and use a mouse in my left hand. I find it more convenient because I can then write notes, etc with my right hand without moving the mouse. I reverse the buttons so that my pointer finger does the 'left click' function.

[wendibird22]

I'm a lefty as is DD1. We both mouse right handed, use rt handed scissors, and I use a knife in my right hand (for food people!). It never occurred to me to use my left hand for any of these things and therefore DD1 isn't by default, I guess (DH is righty).

[pinay]

Another lefty who uses the mouse with her right hand here! Never really bothered to change it, it is kind of a pain if you're on a shared computer and have to keep reconfiguring it. If your DD doesn't have a lot of computer experience anyway, it's going to be easy for her to adapt to using the mouse with her right hand vs. having to retrain herself. I doubt her lack of computer time is going to be detrimental to her learning- kids pick this stuff up pretty easily IME.

[Penny's Pappa]

My wife is a lefty and she uses the mouse on the right side with the "normal" button configuration.

[Green_Tea]

I think that since pretty much all computers are set up with the mouse to the right as the default, it would be better that she learn to use it on the right. Kids have to use computers in all kinds of settings (school, library, jobs - heck, the LE computer at Sears!), and right is definitely how the vast majority are/will be configured. Since she's had zero exposure, I would think she'd adapt pretty quickly.

[alien_host]

DD is a lefty (both DH and I are righty) and she writes, uses fork/spoon/chopsticks with her left hand. Cuts with scissors, throws a ball, brushes teeth with left hand but uses the mouse with her right.

I agree with others that changing the settings would be a PITA at school etc. Since your DC hasn't used a computer, just train DC to use it with the right hand.

[JBaxter]

My 17 yr old and 3 yr old are lefty's My 17 yr old has always used his right hand when he used a mouse { he's VERY lefty and does nothing with his right hand} He has had a laptop for a while so its a non issue.

Jack will be 4 in Oct and hasn't used a mouse but is very good with my laptop touch pad

[endlessheather]

I'm a lefty & my 4 year old is also. We use the right hand mouse with normal buttons. I can use a mouse on the left & have but I still prefer right. I'm pretty close to ambidextrous though as I can do almost everything we either.
Part of that coming from being taught both ways. I randomly eat right handed sometimes & it confuses my husband. :). Sometimes in a lecture hall I'll switch to right since the desks are catered to righties. I am letting my ds whatever is comfy because I remember being forced to do things a certain way as if I did it wrong.

[MontrealMum]

I mouse left handed. On my own computers (work and home) I've gone into the control panel and changed the settings so the "rt click" button is reversed. On other peoples' computers - at the library, for instance - I just drape the mouse around the other side and remember that the buttons are switched from what I am used to. I do not have the fine motor coordination in my right hand to mouse on that side. DS is a lefty as well and I'm wondering if it would save him a lot of time and stress to just teach him to mouse right handed from the get go.

[LexyLou]

I'm a leftie and both my girls are. I have always moused with my right. I don't think there was an option in the 80's during computer lab. My girls use my laptop with touch mouse. They kind of use a combo of both hands but in computer lab this summer my 1st grader had issues with the mouse but got used to it quickly and used her right.

Oddly enough all three of us cut with our right hand.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[lablover]

DS is a lefty and uses the mouse with his right hand. I actually never thought about it before to tell you the truth! The rest of us are right handed.

[Neatfreak]

I'm another lefty, and I use the mouse/trackpad just the same as a right-handed person does. So does my lefty DH! I don't remember it ever being awkward to do so, and it's probably been a good fine-motor exercise for my non-dominant hand!

[tabegle]

I'm a lefty and recommend teaching your child to use the mouse as a right handed person would.

A computer *can be personalized to a left handed person, but when in public at school, library, in stores, the mouse is always set up for a right handed person.

Just get your little one used to it now. That's what I'm doing with my lefty dd. :)

[karstmama]

everyone is lefty/righty in different degrees for different things. i cut righty and tend to sew righty but definitely eat, write, and wipe lefty. if she's comfy using the mouse or scissors or baseball mitt righty, that's just fine. it's more that you need to be aware that cutting or throwing poorly might not need more practice, but different tools. just tuck it in the back of your mind & be aware. :)