Question for the Southpaws

[Spacemom]

Which hand do you use to control the mouse on your computer? My son (age 5) is definately a lefty, and I've been trying to be more aware of his need for things to be accessible to his left hand. As he was sitting at the computer last night I realized that since the mouse in on the right side of the keyboard, he's using his right hand to control the mouse. I asked him if it would be easier for me to move it to the other side so he could use his left hand, but he said it was fine. He seems coordinated enough using his right to control the mouse.

Any thoughts?

[kedrys]

1. I mouse with my right

so I can take notes with my left at the same time. Same deal with scissors: I cut with my right so I can hang on to the part I want to keep with my left.

Left-handed people who mouse with their left hand give me the uber-creeps, for some reason. :scared:

[hyphenate]

23. Hey!

I resemble that remark!

[bertha katzenengel]

2. the right

It's no big deal. I also use scissors and knives w/ my right hand, and play my guitar in the usual style (I strum with my right).

:hi: <-- left hand!

[Dolomite]

3. I had real bad tendinitis in both elbows

Now I have two mouses - one on each side. The left one has the same button settings as the right (ie; I click using my middle finger). Took a little while to get used to it - but after a couple days it was a non-issue.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. I'm not a lefty, but i'd teach him with the right

so he doesn't have problems with school computers set up for righties.

[wildhorses]

5. I am so dang left handed it ain't even funny but

I mouse right handed...it has actually helped me and given me the confidence to try things that are right handed and also helps me to understand why things are set up the "right" way. Gadgets and gizmos do not "scare" me as badly. I am now calmly picking things up in my right hand and finding the buttons to be in the "right" place without having to turn it upside down, around, and backwards in order to understand how the darn thing works:woohoo:

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. Good to let him fall naturally to using both hands

By doing so, he gains more connections between the left and right sides of his brain, as well as increasing his potential for learning growth. It's not so much adaptation at age five as much as it's natural developmental growth. Kids usually show hand preference around age 3, and by age 5 are pretty set in that preference. Since your son shows ability to engage both sides of his brain by naturally using one hand over the other when presented with a situation such as the mouse, I wouldn't give it a lot of thought beyond making observations at this point.

Just for fun and challenge, move the mouse and the button click choice to left hand use, and give it a try yourself...it's never to late to create neural synapses. Keeping the brain as fully engaged as possible is a good thing :)

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. As an aside

put writing or drawing paper to the left of the computer. Maybe he'll start sketching and/or writing while learning new things :-)

[Omphaloskepsis]

7. I'm a lefty..

I also mouse with my right hand.. I tried using my left hand a couple of times but it didn't feel right. I also swing a baseball bat like a right handed person would.

[kick-ass-bob]

8. I use my right hand for mouse use.

I couldn't imagine trying to use my left for that.

Yes, I am left handed.

[Hugin]

9. mouse = right

Same with my SO who is also left handed.

[m_welby]

10. I can use either

I am very left handed, I write lefty and generally am dominated by the left side.

However, i can use the mouse either way, I like using it lefty, but often thats not practical (like on anyone else's computer). Due to years of close precision work, I tend to get carpal tunnel in my wrists and it is convenient to be able to swap the mouse to the other side for a few months whenever necessary.

Certainly, your son will adapt just fine, there is no way to make it easier to be a lefty, we just live with everything being backwards. Don't ever expect his handwriting to be legible; having a spiral notebook wire stuck under your hand for 12 years of school isn't condusive to good penmanship. We all learn to be somewhat ambidextrous, many power tools just can't be used lefty, and most small appliances are all setup 'rightie' (take a lok at that microwave) At least he can move the mouse if he wants to.

On the plus side, shooting pool as a leftie can be fun; being able to 'switch hit' with a pool cue is very convenient sometimes. Something righties just can't do.

[LSK]

11. mouse, forks, writing with right, throw with left

[hfojvt]

16. now that sounds like me and my dad

my grandmother did not like lefties, so dad could not be a lefty indoors. They say I could not decide which hand to hold the spoon with, probably because there is no spoon, so they decided for me by holding down my left hand.

But I am mousing with my left hand now. The cord on this mouse is not long enough to reach the right side of my easy chair, so I kinda had to learn, but next time I am looking for a longer cord.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

13. The left hand.

All you who use your right hand are not true left-handed people!!! :P

[hyphenate]

24. I think more of us lefties

have learned to be ambidextrous over the years. In that way, we really have a major advantage over anyone who can only use their right hand.

I can write with both hands, throw, bowl, and eat with both hands--in fact, manyy tasks can be accomplished with either hand.

We're better because we've been "handicapped" by the dominating right-handers, and we've shown them who really IS superior!! ;)

[Jim__]

14. My left hand

I use my left hand for the mouse. But when I was in kindergarten, they forced me to write with my right hand; and that's how I write today. I've heard that lefties are more able to adjust and use their right hands than righties can use their left.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Lefty (in every sense) who mouses, cuts paper, knits, and plays

musical instruments right-handed.

I'm lousy with both hands when it comes to sports.

[XemaSab]

17. On MY computers

(yes, I got a new laptop yesterday!) I mouse with the left.

On my mom's (which I'm using now) I mouse with the right.

Mousing right handed isn't a problem, I just prefer the left.

[jus_the_facts]

18. I write and eat with my left hand...use my right for everything else....

:hi:

[warrens]

19. Just like righties play chords with their left hands

It's what you learn with, apart from gross motor skills like throwing a 90 mph fastball.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

20. I'm no southpaw--a righty all the way.

Like seriously, ALL the way.

This presents problems in piano....

:P :P :P

[purr]

21. My 2 year old is a lefty and I've been curious of the same thing

It seems a little awkward when she uses the mouse on the right.

[hyphenate]

22. Same way

Right now, I have it to my left, but for the first 10 years of computing I used it on the right. Either way is fine--in fact, for many, and starting that young, should encourage your son to be ambidextrous.