Visit our online shop for your left-handed productsThe effects of making a left-hander write right-handed
Natural left-handers should always be left to develop in their own way and be allowed to write left-handed if that is their choice. Forcing them to change hands and write right-handed can have very bad effects in later life as well as being traumatic at the time and ruining their handwriting!
The dominant writing hand is not just a physical thing to do with controlling a pen but a mental thing to do with the way the brain is organised and where certain functions occur. The brain is “cross-wired” to the body so the left handed side of the brain controls the right hand side of the body and the right side of the brain controls the left. Changing the hand used for writing causes great confusion in the brain and can have a lot of knock-on effects.
Here are some articles we have written on this subject:
- The effect of changing left to right handed
- We had a massive response to that article and did an update including the best of the comments
Update on changing left-handers to right - Brain organisation and major functions on each side
Bad handwriting- Bed-wetting
- Stuttering
- Nail biting
- Shyness and being withdrawn
- Defiance and provocative behaviour
- Poor concentration
- Bad memory
- Reading difficulties
- Problems with spelling
- Neurotic personality
- Physical tiredness
These problems will not definitely occur in all people who have their writing hand changed and of course they can arise due to many other causes, but there does seem to be an association between all of these issues and a forced change of writing hand. Our correspondents have also mentioned being bullied at school as a result of these effects.
Forcing a left-hander to change and use their right hand for writing is a very bad thing to do – please don’t do it!
We received an email recently with a personal story that really shows the serious impact this can have on people and made us think about this again. It is included in its entirety below:
From: Tonya
Subject: My mom forced me to write right-handed
I was looking up this subject because I’ve been trying to teach my right-handed son to tie his shoes, and since I tie my shoes left-handed I’m not much help to him. I also eat with my left, and when I was in gymnastics my left side was my dominant side. Yet I write right-handed, and can recall my mother snatching pencils out of my left hand and saying, “No! We write with our RIGHT–see? That rhymes. Use your right hand!” I remember it feeling weird, but I did as I was told. I had a bed-wetting phase but always thought it was due to other things, such as being angry with my parents for other matters but in our household children were not permitted to express anger. I’ve suffered anxiety and bouts of clinical depression my whole life–and PPD after the birth of my 1st baby–and until reading articles about it today never thought it could all go back to being left-converted. Wow. As an adult, I do get mentally tired easily, and fatigued sometimes for seemingly no reason. As a child I did not stutter, but as an adult I find speaking very difficult–I can write well and easily express what I want to say in writing….but I search for words when speaking and get all tongue-tied. I’m very introverted and soooo socially awkward. Oh and I flunked out of typing class in high school! Hahaha. Never could play the piano, either. So, after reading some articles, I can see a connection, for myself, between the studied effects and my own conversion to writing right-handed. Definitely.
 |
For more information on this and all aspects of being left handed as a child and how to help left-handed children get past some of the basic challenges they will face with writing, cutting and other activities at school, download Lauren’s book “Your Left-Handed Child”.Also covers:* Development of left-handedness * Pre-school development * Strategies for everyday life * Left-handedness in school * Sport * Music * Practical and educational resources |
Please add any of your own experiences or links to related material as comments below.
We would also be very interested in your comments on changes in the other direction – natural right-handers being forced to write left-handed as a result of physical problems such as an accident or stroke that means the cannot use their right hand (assuming nobody would have the audacity to change a right-hander to write left-handed just because of prejudice, religious views or some sense of what they should do to be “normal”!).
Print This Page
Hi there! I was born as left-handed. At the age of 3, I was forced to write and draw with right hand, by my Grandma. Until I entered the University, I did not feel any inconveniences of being converted right-handed. Except for my horrible handwriting. I was good at lang uages and played accordeon. But when I started graduading, my life turned out to cauchemar. I could hardly get concentrated at anything, by the end of the day I felt extremely tired. I could not make notes, because of pain in my right hand. I tried to write with my left hand, but with no result. There was always confusion with directions. One depression followed another. However, I graduaded successfully, worked then as a translator, but recently I gave it up, since it became more and more difficult to translate somebody. Sometimes it is very hard to me to explain something, to make good speech. I prefer to write than to talk. Now, I have the only one question: in such situation, does it make sense to train and develop left hand? Thanks.
Well, my experience goes similar to what Joel had. I was a born left hander(so was my father.He still is a leftie!) who was forced to change to right handed. I’m 24 years now, working as a researcher in one of those fortune technology firm. But then, I wouldn’t say I have failed with this change from left handed to right handed. Certainly, I see myself different from people around me who are right handed. I cant get into the minute detail of anything and good at understanding or framing the bigger picture. I can present better to a layman on anything and everything. Also, I remember how my handwriting has ruined after changing into right hand. My handwriting looks very kiddish even in this age compared to a very good handwriting I had earlier. I must admit, i still have traits that a left hander is good at- I’m creative and people like my paintings and photography. From what I see myself having involved into a scientific field, I see myself good in understanding and comprehending anything from a high level and able to suggest a solution. But I don’t find interest in going to the minute level of fixing them. I take more time for it.
Somehow, I see an advantage having the traits of a left hander and practicing right hander skills(science,logic etc). But I regret having changed to right hander. I’m planning to start writing again in left hand.Any idea if that helps improve what I am?? Or does it have any influence in the way I think once I make the change??
At the earliest signs of being left-handed my mother trained
me to be right-handed. I’m 37 years old now, and how this has
effected me is obviously subjective and impossible to prove, but I
will venture a few guesses anyway. I sucked my left thumb until I was
7 years old. With nothing to do with my dominant hand, as other
children learned to write, draw, eat, throw a ball, etc. with their
dominant hands mine was left with nothing to do and thus remained in
my mouth. I think this may have hindered my verbal and social
abilities, as I’ve always been extremely shy and unable to express
anger properly – I used to stutter as a child when I was angry. I’m
still not good at expressing myself verbally, thoughts are easier to
communicate on paper for me, and my social skills are still lagging
behind others. I excelled in school, math and science, and sports;
ventures that require a lot of competition but not communication. I
began college with a football scholarship and majored in physics but
quit school after two years, probably due to a lack of social skills
that caused me to abuse alcohol and other drugs. I finally cleaned my
life up and at age 30 earned my college degree in philosophy with a
heavy emphasis on psychology, and then attempted law school, but I
still don’t have the social skills necessary for the profession, so
I’m working in the telecommunications construction industry, climbing
towers, installing lines and antennas for cell phone carriers. I
believe having been switched from my natural left-handedness to being
right-handed has had negative side effects, and I highly discourage
the practice.
My Grandmother started out left handed but was forced to change to her right hand. She said if she had children or grandchildren that were left handed she would make sure they were left alone to write as they wanted to. She had 1 son and 1 granddaughter that are left handed. Me and my uncle are the only 2 left handed people in our family. Was hoping my son would be a lefty but he chose his right. I agree though children should be left alone to write with which ever hand they chose.
Hi there,
I am lefthanded as can be, but was forced to write right-handed. My mother later regretted that decision, because she thought my bad handwriting comes from there. I don’t know maybe she was right. Being forced to use my right, actually made me good at both sides. My father always told me you cannot use tools with your left, but i had to, and i can say I am better in all things DIY with my left, than my father ever was with his right hand. We have a saying in Germany that someone has two left hands, when he is incapable of doing anything manually correct. I tend to say, that I have 2 left hands, but luckily I a`m a left hander. After school i did an apprenticeship as car mechanic and being able to use both hands, was a great advantage. When I learned to play the guitar I never thought of changing the way I hold it, because to me it makes perfect sense, because the left hand is much more sensitive, so when i have to choose the chords, that’s what my better hand does, the strumming can do my weaker hand. In my studies, i had to learn hebrew and as sure as anything I changed the pencil to left, in order to write from right to left and it worked just fine. I actually never pondered to change my writing hand. Just a few years ago, during a coaching training I started it. I did not change completely, but I enjoyed the experience and still use it sometimes. A lot earlier i found out, that i am able to write mirror writing with my left in a perfect, neat and well readable hand-writing. It’s a nice but pretty useless skill. Unfortunately in the last few years I developed MS and it affected my left side stronger than my right. I now have a foster daughter who is a leftie and of course I encourage her to fully use her potential with that side.
Fortunately, my Father [born 1895, and also a left-handed telegrapher] was allowed to remain left-handed; and when I went to school, he made sure the teachers knew, and I’ve always been left-handed and -eyed, and unable to do domestic niceties.
When I went back to college to get my degree by 40, and taught school for 25 years, I just couldn’t believe that left-handed children were still being taught incorrectly! What is so difficult to learn: Whichever hand you write with, the paper is parallel to that arm!
I can’t draw a picture, but use the slants to illustrate:
Left-Handed: /
Right-Handed: \
Left Handers of the world unite and: WRITE CORRECTLY!!!!!!!!!!
Love, Lucille
I’ve always written with my left hand. Nearly fifty now and when I notice another lefty, I say, “I see your correct-handed too.” You see, all those others may be right, we’re correct.
as i read the article a lot o things have sense, i did wet my bed until i was 11 may be 12 years old as well being introverted, and all people blame that to me, as a child you are bullied just because you are different even if you are not forced to write with your right hand you are bullied by your classmates just because you use the other hand, but a right handed will never know because no one have show them how it is to be a left handed and the possible effects the conversion can have in our lives, thanks. I am proud to be left handed.
I was force to right right handed by my kindegarden techer, Result: bedwetting till I was 15, shyness, timid, and at 58 I made myself switch back to writing left hasded. It wasn’t easy but afeter a few year my left hand handwriting is better than my right handed writing, When I wrote right handed I was always told how bad my handwriting was. To this dad have difficult spelling even though I have 3 degrees and 220 graduate hours of college.
After reading the comments, I thank God for being as lucky as I was that not only was my mother left handed, but my second grade teacher was as well. She was the one who taught me to write correctly. She said, “I’m not going to force you to change writing hands, but I WILL show you how to hold the pen correctly.” She did, and I have never forgotten. My handwriting is neat and I do not curl my hand or drag my pinky. She insisted that I have proper writing etiquette, probably to show those prejudiced against left handers how wrong they were.
My only child is left- handed. He is my pride and joy. I would have never tried to force him to be anything other than left handed. He is left handed and we are proud of it!!!! To all the left handed people out there… You ROCK!!!
I have triplet sons, from an early age it became apparent that one was left handed, one was right handed and the other ambidextrous.
I’m sure the teacher had her reasons but when he was learning to write, the ambidextrous son was always told to use his right hand – he now writes with his right hand yet bowels cricket balls with his left!!
I am fortunate in my parents refusing to let the school force-change my writing hand (4 other children were, in the same class!) – I am totally lefthanden, -eye, and -foot. For many years I was unable to use my right hand at all. I am from the generation who wrote with pen and ink, and therefore I write down the page, with the paper lying at rightangle, so as a result I have always had a leftsloping handwriting. When I was 15 I was sendt to a boarding school in the UK, where a teacher wanted to force me to write with my right hand – fortunately I was old enough to protest and was backed up by the head mistress. My grandson is also lefthanden, and I have with great delight provided him with all the lefthanden equipment possible, which were not available in my childhood (the ’50′ies)
This article has me thinking about those of us with mixed dexterity. I learned to write right handed. Though my Mother has told me that as a very small child I would color either/both hands. I eat with either hand, though mostly my right. I learned to couched right-handed, but when I tried to learn knitting I could not; until I tried it left-handed. I have dislexic tendencies, always had trouble with handwriting and reading. I also have some noun affasia. I can also admit to some of the other items on your list. Anyone know of any information on this subject?
why in this day and age are we considering changing the way our brains function? Adapt.
grow up…
I was allowed to develop as a left-hander, and have no childhood trauma to report on. I don’t know when I learned to tie my shoes, but I must have learned it at the same time as my coevals. I have only one amusing story to relate: when young, I had a harder time than most telling left from right — I would have to think about it when told to lead with the right foot. A gym teacher told us the amusing story of a peasant who joined the army but couldn’t tell left from right. His sargeant put a piece of straw on one foot and a piece of hay on the other and would say hay-foot and straw-foot. We all thought the story amusing. But, it wouldn’t have helped me: as a city boy, I didn’t know the difference between hay and straw.
With the new ball- and bamboo-pointed pens, I barely curl my hand at all anymore; interestingly, when I write Hebrew, I don’t curl my hand at all, and I don’t smudge.
All these comments took me way back to my childhood, remembering that I was never forced to write with my right hand, although to this day people tease me about it. But what I do remember vividly was the needlework teacher giving up, exasperated, having tried to get me to do shirring (?) on a little dress with my right hand, and unable to show me how to do it left handed! I think I gave that subject up at the first opportunity. However, I now find myself quite creative both in my work and at home where I make all my curtains, always made my daughter’s fancy dress outfits etc, and am. like almost all lefties, considered quirky and different.
I don’t care – I like being different.
Hi, I was born in Albania and my first teacher beat me to write with my right hand. The side effects mentioned above have affected me, for example until 15 years old I wet the bed and sleep walked (I lived on the second floor). At the moment I am student nurse here in London and I have seen people writing with the left hand which is nice because they didn’t have to go through what I have gone. I think people have become more civilised now and don’t pay attention to these insignificant things, however I have met people from other countries who hold very hostile feelings towards the left hand. I think that history has shown that ideas based on prejudgment and old religious discrimination have crashed on the floor and broke.
I always felt that being left handed was a very special and positive thing! (Although I take to being more mixed-handed than most, so there are a lot of right-handed things that never bothered me). I’ve always had great handwriting and I love to experiment with alternative scripts! My question is: What if someone elects to use their right hand, like in adulthood, and practices to be ambi-handed? (Not ambidextrous because that means “two right hands” and what would I want two right hands for?)
My right is not as good as my left, but then again it is still better than many natural right-handers out there. 
But I can hardly tell the difference when it comes to certain types of calligraphy–maybe it’s because I have to be careful and deliberate either way.
So, I had fun with it. But I think there’s two crucial things happening:
1. It is a freewill choice
2. I have reached adulthood and my left-handed handwriting has already been established for years
In reply to Tonya. There is a very simple way of teaching your son to tie his shoe-laces – use the mirror image! That is, sit facing him. Tie a pair of laces on your shoes and get him to copy you. His actions will be a mirror image of yours.
I can remember,long before going to school, being told I was stupid because I could not learn to tie my shoes, even tho the youger children had learned. When mother remembered the teen-age boy next door was left handed, she had him teach me, and it worked!! Still, when I started school, she told the teachers that I was right handed. I learned to write right-handed, but I also learned left-handed. I can write very clearing backwards left-handed as well as forward. Plus being able to write with both at the same time, or even backwards with the left and forward with the right at the same time. I enjoyed the challenge!! I am left eye and foot dominent. I try to encourage others to try the same. I am very artistic, but I suck at Math. I may not be normal to some, but I am to me!!!
I can relate to this email. When I was in the 2ND grade my teacher would paddle my hand every day and put my pencil in the right hand in front of the whole class and tell me I would never amount to nothing and would not be able to get a decent job. Well, needless to say this stayed with me all my life and as I went through school I was ashamed of being a lefty, I would try to eat with my right hand in the lunch room so no one would know I was left handed I would try to do everything I possibly could with my right hand. It really left a mark on my life and stayed with me always. I felt that being a lefty was something evil or something like that and I feel that because of this happening to me that it caused me to not be as gifted and talented as I should have been. I write left handed and eat left handed but every sport and even down to washing the dishes I use my right hand and right foot for everything. I pray no child has to go through this just becasue they use a left hand it does leave an impact on your life forever. Thank you for these left hand emails they are uplifting and encourageing even in my life now.
I too was forced to be right handed. My mother(Catholic) considered it a sinistra-the work of the Devil.
In some places, people from diverse Christian denominations (not only Catholic: that being left-handed is wrong is no Catholic doctrine) think that writing left handed is related to evil. This may be due the fact that in the Bible the evil things are put to the left side. And yet there is even a lefty hero in the Bible. This way of thinking was kept in pictures: if you see old paintings with the Devil drawn in them, you’ll see that the Devil is usually a lefty. It’s not important for most now though: I have seen left-handed priests for instance. And yet my grandmother says tat my left-handedness should have been corrected when I was younger. Also, some studies of old suggested that being left-handed meant living a shorter life, suffering mental illnesses, dyslexia and such, so it is natural that the parents who heard and believed that (presented as scientific results) wanted to ‘protect’ their children. PD: Could the “Share” tab with the FB, Twitter and so on buttons be placed at the left?
I feel fortunate that I was not forced to change writing hands as a child. I am by no means a whiz-kid, but I was able to keep up with the other kids when I was a child(and have done the same as an adult). But, I was never taught to “write” left-handed, struggling with the way the paper is tilted, to smearing the ink when I wrote. To this day, I tilt my paper as a right hander, but I learned, on my own, to print very fast!(the only way others can read my writing!
By the way, I was the only child out of 8 that is left-handed(couldn’t find recent ancestors that were left-handed, either).
After reading some of the post about being converted from left handed to right handed , My question is how do the adults who where made to write right handed get help in converting back to writing left handed again ? I know it would help me to be converted back since I have suffered from a lot of those problems that were listed in this article.
Best regards, Robert