Left handedness is not a disease
Most parents carefully observe their children at every stage of their development, looking for possible "deviations from the norm" and various "wrong things", which they try to correct and "correct" as soon as possible. One symptom that continues to be a major concern is left-handedness, which has grown over the centuries on myths and misconceptions. Is it really worth worrying about and teaching a child to use his right hand at all costs? And why all this obsession with right-handedness?
Even in ancient times, the left hand was equated with supernatural strength and superhuman abilities. Ancient bas-reliefs or paintings often depict left-handed gods, sages, doctors and soothsayers holding totems, books or signs of power in their left hand. Christianity, on the other hand, viewed the left side as the seat of all evil and corruption, identifying it with the forces of Satan. That is why left-handed people were treated as strange, inferior and suspicious, and their presence among the "normal" was supposed to bring bad luck. Left-handedness was perceived not only as a lack of spirit, but also of the body - the use of the left hand was synonymous with clumsiness and disability.
"Right" and "left" do not mean "good" and "bad"
There are still traces of these superstitions in the language: "right" is noble, honest, and worthy of praise, while "left" is a decidedly pejorative term. Taxes, papers left, standing with the left foot or having two left hands are just some of the idioms that stigmatize lefties. It is not surprising that for centuries, parents, teachers and educators stubbornly and ruthlessly shoved left-handed children onto this “correct” page. Difference has always aroused anxiety and suspicions of hidden developmental disorders, learning difficulties and mental problems. Meanwhile, left-handedness is simply one of the symptoms of specific laterality, or displacement, which is a natural developmental process during which the child develops the advantage of this side of the body: hands, eyes, ears and legs. .
Secrets of Lateralization
The opposite hemisphere of the brain is responsible for a specific side of the body, which is why lateralization is often referred to as "functional asymmetry." The right hemisphere, which is responsible for the left side of the body, governs spatial perception, musical and artistic abilities, as well as creativity and emotions. The left side, which is responsible for the right, is responsible for speech, reading and writing, as well as the ability to think logically.
The basis of correct visual-auditory coordination is the production of the so-called hand-eye system, that is, the assignment of the dominant hand so that it is on the same side of the body as the dominant eye. Such a homogeneous laterality, regardless of whether it is left or right, certainly makes it easier for the child to perform figurative-manipulative activities, and later reading and writing. Therefore, if we notice that our child consistently uses the left side of the body - holding a spoon or crayon in his left hand, kicking a ball with his left foot, waving goodbye with his left hand, or looking through the keyhole of his left eye - do not try to force him, deceive him “For his sake, it is better if he functions as the majority of society.” Nothing could be more wrong!
Left-handed geniuses
Left-handed children, with uniform laterality, are not only in no way inferior to their right-handed peers, but are often endowed with exceptional abilities. Alan Serleman, professor of psychology at St. Lawrence University, conducted a massive experiment in 2003 that tested more than 1.200 people with IQs above 140 and found that there were far more left-handers than right-handers. Suffice it to mention that the remnants were, among others, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Leonardo da Vinci. Has anyone come up with the idea of forcibly shifting the pen from the left hand to the right?
Left handed conversion error
Too much forcing a left-handed child to use his right hand will not only cause stress for him, but can also have a negative impact on learning to read, write, and absorb information. According to the latest research by English scientists at the University of London College, it is unequivocally clear that refitting from left-handedness does not mean that brain activity will naturally shift from one hemisphere to the other. On the other hand! As a result of this artificial shift, the brain controls processes selectively, using both hemispheres for this, which complicates its work and has problems with proper body control. This situation can lead not only to problems with hand-eye coordination, but also to learning difficulties. Therefore, the more careful should be approached to the "training of the right-hander."
Mirror version of the world for lefties
If our child is actually left-handed, it is better to focus on ensuring that he develops properly by making sure that he is comfortable using his left hand. Specially shaped cutlery is currently on the market, as well as rulers, scissors, crayons and pencils, and left-handed fountain pens. Let us recall that a child who uses his left hand functions in the world as if in a "mirror image". Therefore, a lamp that illuminates a desk for doing homework should be placed on the right, and drawers or an additional table, containers for stationery or a shelf for textbooks on the left. If we want to make it easier for a child to learn to write among right-handed children, let's also practice with him on Marta Bogdanovich's popular book series “The Left Hand Draws and Writes”, thanks to which we will improve left hand motor skills and hand-eye coordination. In the later stages of a child's education, it is worth investing in an ergonomic left-handed keyboard and mouse. After all, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs built their technological empires with their left hand!
