General Chat

Some of you know this is my pet project - has anyone found family members who are left-handed? I've discovered my maternal grandfathers side had 9 out of 12 kids left-handed. My mom's family had 4 out of 6 hope the thread is not too boring - I'm a teacher and really interested in dyslexia - left-handed connections and such :) Magi

No left handed folk in my immediate family but I find this an interesting topic. All the left handed people I have known have had an artistic streak. Have you found this at all?

My sister is dyslexic My brother is left handed My daughter is left handed My son started off being left handed but strangely at about 14 months began to use his right hand and he was always very clumsy - 24 years later he still is lol my grandson (son's son) is left handed Anne

HI im Melanie, im left handed, there is no one else in my family, any where who is ! my eldest sister alwaya say's i read things back to front or read something that's not there never reallythere, thought about it till now, did always struggle with word while at school,but no one was really interested... what always got me was when the teacher always, tried to make you use your right hand. Had to amend this txt 3 times.

My Dad is a leftie and I'm sure he is dyslexic. I am one too but definitely don't have dyslexia. Neither of us are artistic. Quite musical though. Lynne

Being left handed is genetic. My maternal great grandfather was left handed as was my grandmother, my late uncle, myself and my eldest son. My son only writes with his left hand as a result of my late mother in-law taking things out of his left hand and putting it in his right hand, 'when I was not around'. I don't know about 'southpaws' being artistic. My husband's paternal side of the family all have an artistic streak in some form or the other and not a 'lefty' between them. Lindy;-)

I'm just a mixed up kid! My father (who was very artistic) was left handed and my mother right handed. I eat left handed but write right handed. Other things I can usually use both hands for.

Mum and Dad were both right handed yet 3 of their 5 children are left handed, and no none of them are in the least artistic!

I'm right handed but never know my 'left' from 'right' immediatly. When being directed when driving, my passenger has to say.....your way!...or... my way! lol I do know my left from right but it takes a few seconds lol Gerri

I'm left handed. Made to write with the right hand at school (1950s) as we used nib pens & ink, which would smudge as you moved across the page using the left hand. Ball point pens made that unnecessary later. Use scissors upside down in my left hand. Use hammers, saws and chalk either hand. Hand sewing done with right hand, but back to front. Taught all my children to tie their shoelaces back to front. Never know which way to go with knitting needles. Not dyslexic but am musician, poet and can can draw a bit . Always called a 'molly duker' -don't know why

Hi Magi, I worked with kids with reading difficulties and dyslexia as a classroom assistant. I too noticed this connection, that of the six kids I worked with five were left handed. I asked the teacher if there was a connection and she said she had seen it time and time again, that left handed children did have more difficulties. Having said that my youngest son is the only one in our family who is left handed. I did wonder if he would struggle at school but as yet he has had no problems. Christine

My apologies everyone for disappearing, the dog had his legs crossed lol .He doesnt care if it's snowing or not, anyway I'm thawed out now after being knee deep in the stuff lol Gwyneth - being artistic does appear to have left-handed connections & as you say it's an interesting subject, one I'm more than passionate about. We live in Turkey and the dyslexia - leftie connection is really a strong one here. Anne - I'm the clumsiest beggar ever! 46 next month and getting worse Melanie - no-one should ever have been made to use the other hand at all. Must admit though the dog is a southpaw as I've always given him everything with my left

I forgot in my haste this morning, my left handed daughter is dyslexic, she used to start reading from the right hand side of the page and start writing in the right hand corner and the words would run backwards as well, the teachers were absolutely no help, she ended up with a tutor, her spelling is still bad today she has to double check her words. Anne

I spoke to my sons teacher about this a few months ago. He's six and left handed and artistic and my father was right handed & dyslexic he worked as a carpenter. My nephew is dyspraxic & artistic , my uncle left handed a builder and my brother-in-law dyslexic and teaches surgery. So I personally think they need to keep an eye on my son! Sheila

My first day at school is a family joke, and has been for years...lol... the boy I sat next to started writing the usual way, hmmm he's using the other hand I thought ... I began writing from right to left, and more or less mirrored his writing. I was lucky, my mom's best friend was my teacher. Machev - I have left-handed scissors and every other tool - gadget I can get my hands on. Neither of the parents could bear to watch me with a knife or scissors though. Anne - I wouldnt be too concerned, she'll find her way Magi xx

Hope you're getting somewhere Sheila. My cousin (leftie too) has a dyspraxic son - he, h,mself is dyslexic and the whole faimly have had to fight to get recognition - depends on the UK catchment area I'm sure as to the response you get. Keep fighting for him Magi xx

Hi, my late father-in-law was left-handed, my husband and his brother are left handed and my first son is left-handed. Daughter is right-handed like me and my family. I thought my youngest son would be left-handed (following the male line), but he is right-handed. Think it does run in families then. Best wishes, Carol.

I'm left handed! Everyone else in my family is right handed, except my maternal grandfather - we think! I say that because he died in 1963 (when my mum was 3 and 20 years before I was born), and my mum can't remember!

Hi Magi My husband is left handed but can use his right hand too. Some years ago a group of his family were playing darts and I noticed that two of his cousins on his mum's side were left handed too, there are only eight of that generation and I don't have details of the others. Now that I'm researching his family history I find that his g-g-granddad was the only one of six children who didn't sign his marriage cert or any other document and I'm wondering if he was left handed too. All three of our children are right handed but our grandson is left handed, does it skip a generation? Heather

Hi Karen, Thanks to you I've just realised I use my right hand for mouse,and txt'ing on the mobile... hmmm... Being left - handed is definitely genetic and just like having twins in the family can sometimes skip more than one generation. You can get almost anything left-handed, there's even a terrific web-site www.everythinglefthanded.com - great stuff, wish they'd been around years ago when I was looking for a tin opener! In my last school us lefties out-numbered the rights, now that was definitely a first. Magi