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Comments 160
I hope this gets to you as we are on holiday in the Lake District and staying in an AirBNB. Communications are erratic. You were much in my mind this afternoon as we visited the Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, the old time location of the Derwent Factory which has now moved. It was a fabulous exhibition.
The supervisor on duty, Catherine, was so helpful with her advice to my wife who is a watercolour artist.
I told Catherine that there was one thing missing from the shop - there was no left handed pencil sharpener. A sad omission, I pointed out, as we are 20% of the population. Catherine told me that her husband is a leftie: that opened the door.
I produced my Zebra and asked for a piece of paper and demonstrated as I do with everyone that you cannot smudge the ink. She was surprised. So I asked the key question: have you ever heard of ALH? Err No. What….your man is missing out…and told her a little about you and she has the website address.
In answer to her commercial question - do ALH pay you a commission - the usual reply was swiftly delivered - No, I am saddened that your husband is missing out! Also it is a bit of fun!!
The campaign to spread the word continues and I hope at the least that you get hits on the website if not orders.
With best wishes
Richard
I'm hoping to recruit participants for my psych honours project at University of Abertay researching any relationship between handedness and anxiety. I have prepared a flyer which I can forward and have prepared plus more formal participant information below. I'd very much welcome your comments or feedback should this be appropriate.
Kind regards
Nathan Ritchie
The relationship between handedness and anxiety(EMS Approval Code 7656)
Invitation to participate:
I am Nathan Ritchie and I am currently studying for a BSc(Hons) in Psychology and Counselling. I would like to invite you to take part in this study examining the relationship between handedness and anxiety.
What is the purpose of this study?
The purpose of this study is to to examine the relationship between handedness and different types of anxiety through a series of online questionnaires/tasks.
What will I be asked to do?
You will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires exploring your current (state) and general (trait) anxiety levels, test anxiety and handedness. You will also be asked to complete an online task and answer a series of open-ended questions reflecting on the study.
Please ensure you run this study on a PC or Laptop only, as the task does not work via a tablet or mobile device.
https://research.sc/participant/login/dynamic/305A8C39-A8DD-4593-8C3C-5CC6BF9F3726
Time commitment:
The study will take approximately 20 to 25 minutes to complete.
Confidentiality/Anonymity:
Participation is voluntary and you have the option to omit responses to any section of the study and to withdraw at any time during data collection by closing your browser.
Are there any risks in taking part in this study?
There are no known risks to participants involved in this experiment other than the measurement of different types of anxiety through a series of online questionnaires/tasks.
Who has reviewed this study?
This research has been reviewed by, and received approval from, the School of Applied Sciences Research Ethics Committee at Abertay University (EMS 7656).
What will happen to my data?
Any information collected about you during this study will be stored in an anonymised form and will only be accessible to Nathan Ritchie and supervisor Dr Lynn Wright. This means that nobody including the researchers could reasonably identify you within the data. Your data will be stored on the researcher’s secure university drive with data fully anonymised at the earliest opportunity (i.e., when data that could identify you is no longer necessary for the purposes of the research). Your responses are treated in the strictest confidence - it will be impossible to identify individuals within a dataset when any of the research is disseminated (e.g., in publications/presentations). Abertay University acts as Data Controller DataProtectionOfficer@abertay.ac.uk
Researchers are obliged to retain research data for up to 10 years’ post-publication, however your anonymised research data may be retained indefinitely (e.g., so that researchers engage in open practice and other researchers can access their data to confirm the conclusions of published work). Consistent with our data retention policy, researchers retain consent forms for as long as we continue to hold information about a data subject and for 10 years for published research (including Research Degree thesis).
Further information:
Should you have any further questions or would like to find out more about my study, please feel free to contact Nathan Ritchie 2004653@uad.ac.uk or my supervisor Dr Lynn Wright l.wright@abertay.ac.uk
Anxiety will be measured at different time points in this study and it is important to draw your attention to the support services provided at Abertay University: counselling@abertay.ac.uk or speak to staff at the Support Enquiry Zone (SEZ) If you are not an Abertay student and would like further support, you can contact The Samaritans jo@samaritans.org
I have finally opened my first bottle of wine at my new job !!
I am really pleased to have found your site
Thanks again
I just posted a comment about the forced changing from left to right handed ness ruining my life . I am now 78 ! A friend of my mine mentioned this article when I was going on about my suspected dyspraxia.
However my comments were not posted for some reason. It just said I had posted this already which isn’t correct! Help ! Another blip in my life .!
Marion Howard .
I am an identical twin.I'm "amb", My brother right handed. Are we mirror twins? Early in years 4 - 5 Mother would move everything to my right hand so I would look like my twin brother. She made me right because I did it left.
Growing up and playing all sports I found that I could do much better left hand i.e. switch hit baseball, throw and shoot baskets left, golf, and archrey left handed etc. Writing Right Mostly right because I spent most time there. We are 84 now...Friends just call us SCREWED UP Haa Haa
Since you had all your boys right handed and your two girls that were the last born left handed . I read a bit about what are the factors that lead to a left handed person- it didn’t seem to be conclusive. So I am wondering if it has anything to do with what side you were laying on while your sleeping during your pregnancy? It was said in the information I was reading that left or right handed, takes place before you are born. I was always sleeping on my right side (face to the outer edge of the bed.) then my unborn child maybe facing the same way? In which case the left arm would be free to move around, possibly developing the right side of the brain (as left handed people use, where as right hand people use the left side of the brain.) I wonder if you remember if there was a difference in the Positioning of your bed and the way you slept since there was different from the time you were pregnant with your boys and your girls? My oldest brother (first born boy)is left handed, my sister and my twin brother’s first born sons are both left handed, plus his daughter is also left handed, my only children that are both boys, are both left hand and my sisters daughter’s children are all left hand or Ambidextrous - one of my sisters daughter’s have a daughter that’s Ambidextrous, and the other daughter of my sister, has two children, one boy that’s ambidextrous and a daughter that’s left handed.I’d love to know why there are so many in my family that are left-handed or ambidextrous.
Thank you,
Rachel
Do you happen to have a left handed gravy spoon? I have been looking for quite a while for a sauce/gravy spoon for left handed people.
Thank you.
I have a problem with my driving as I am so used to leading with my left side that I want to be sitting on the left hand side of the car in a Left Hand Drive. Unfortunately it is difficult to find people who will teach in a LHD car so I still have not passed my test.
Any ideas?
I have a camera for right handed people, about 50% of my photos are not correct as when I take a picture my hand brushes off the dials and changes settings (mainly the ISO :-(
I have thought this out in my mind and have realised that I am left handed and left eyed. And that handling cameras particularly I find that I am very awkward.
Is there any left handers out there who has a DSLR that they are happy using. You can lock the buttons or whatever, I would like to hear from you. I am not interested in ancient models. I am looking for the latest technology.
What percentage of the world is left handed? One day the manufacturers may build something for us.
Hi. As someone not only left handed but also totally left sided, if perhaps you are not already aware of the work of Stanley Coren on handedness and sidedness, I wish to bring the neuropsychology research work of Stanley Coren with regards to handedness and sidedness to your attention, particularly as presented in his book, "The Left-Hander Syndrome" [ ISBN 0-679-74469-1 (pbk.) { © 1993 } ]. Although he he has found his fame in his "golden years" vis-Ã -vis psychology of dogs, he did much valid and ground-breaking and thereby controversial research on handedness and sidedness thanks to copious amounts of grant money from my government, that is, the Canadian Federal Government, via the National Research Council (Canada).
Thank you kindly for Your precious time and valuable undivided attention.
Yours via my Vocation,
Calvin E. Kendall, S.F.O.
calvinkendall@shaw.ca
(No big deal in putting my email in here just in case any left-handers might want to contact me, the spammers of the world already have it...)
Thanks,
Clicked reply... with both I did not get a discussion thread i got to the store.
I clicked on home same thing got the store.
I don't want to buy anything left handed but I am interested in the lefthanded responses..
If this is how it is going to be I find it frustrating an will be taking my name from your website.
Sandra Russell
I'm 54 and my handwriting is still rubbish. I took up electronics from a young age. My employer, with 20 years of experience over me, asked - on more that one occasion - "That can't work. How did you make it work?"
I wouldn't focus on handwriting. We lefties are famous for making doctors look good. As with any child, find out what he's good at and focus on that. Are you left-handed?
Being a lefty - even in the twenty-first century - is challenging work. Let him play. He'll find what he is good at and will amaze you. Give him a few editions of NewScientist. That's what got me started.
Get him a laptop. Teach him to touch-type. He will be happier.
Best of luck.
Chris
I had the first one (1971). I could not be without it. It corrects my spelling, people can read what I write. Before word processors, I could not construct a sentence I was happy with, and it did not matter as no one could read what I wrote.
Get your child in front of a computer and see what happens.
jen
I just got used to using the number pad with my right hand, which is actually more convenient since I can still hold my pen in my left hand at the same time. I can't say the same for the mouse, however!
frank j. saffa
I have heard of others that gave similar differences, so while it may be an even smaller segment of the population, it seemed common enough to have been addressed or have a name.
Is there a link to a segment where this has been addressed that you can share? Or something you can tell me? Or if you would be willing to address this in the future, I would be most appreciative.
im 21 yr old right handed... doing medicine learnin to write in left hand from three or four months and i think i hav reached 25-30% of my right hand writing.... but now my question s will it hav any adverse effect on my intelligence? memory? concentration? or s it usefull? pls clarify my doubts....
Thanks,
Suzy
I had an ackward couple of questions regarding left-handers.
Do they usually walk starting off on the left foot?
Do they have trouble driving on the right side of the road? Or driving a car?
I don't know if I'm a natural leftie or not, but I do know of some idiosynchrasies. For instance, I never drove overseas, but when I got back from Okinawa (they drive on the left) I could not adapt to driving on the right again. I'm glad I live in the country because occasionally I still start off wrong (14 years later). I was also a wierd kid growing up, but don't know if it had anything to do with handedness. I call my self a right-hand ambidextrous. I've been that way since childhood.
Thank you for your time.
Krysta
I was on holiday in Gran Canaria (they drive on the right)
I'd never driven on right of the roads anywhere before.
Really wanted to.. In I got and out of car park I drove...
on to the left roadside lane!!
A polizia officer soon saw the car luckily I was stationary at the traffic lights.
My friend & I got out walked with him to our hotel ground, I couldn't stop giggling (think it my nerves) As to my friend did also! Well this was not funny to the polizia! He thought we were laughing in his face at him (we were not) luckily the hotel manageress came to the rescue!! 😃
Kindly translated between us and him. 'almost' got a ticket / fine
Since then havnt tried driving right roadside again it worried me as I could have been up the creek without any paddle!!!
has any fellow lefty's successfully driven on the right-hand roadside with ease...? Be good to hear from you 😊
I’d be interested in getting a pen.
Thanks,
Shelley
My 8 years old is lefthanded. He has just started tennis lessons and the teacher tells me that he might be LH for everything else, but that he is RH for tennis.....???
In every sport he has showed to be LH.... I have the impression that the teacher wants him to play RH for his convinience, am I right?
Thank you
I seem to be a bit ambidextrous though, as I sew left handed, yet peel potatoes right handed. Even though we had left handed potato peelers at school, I could not use them!
So your son may be like me - left handed for most things, but right handed for some.
Tell him good luck with the tennis!
Kind regards,
Alison
Can anyone suggest me , Since he is very small boy, Can we able to change his writing skills to Left Hand .
Expecting your Valuable advice on this...
http://blog.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/children/changing-left-to-right
and out videos on writing left-handed here
http://blog.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/videos/writing-left-handed
I'm 68, and grew up in New York State where the nuns didn't make a big deal out of trying to force us to write right-handed, so this wasn't an issue for me. But as a left-handed child in the days of huge number 2 pencils, which I remember to be just slightly better quality that lumps of anthracite, dragging my hand acxross the page always resulted in horribly smudged wirtten assignments and a seriously blackened outer left palm.
But I don't know if teaching left-handed children to read right-to-left is a very praxctical solution. It would necessitate two compeletly different sets of everything having to do with reading and writing, unless everyone were taught BOTH systems. As it is, in this country they're tryiong to do away with cursive writing entirely; I can't see the education establishment embracing an idea that not only went in the other direction but actually reqwuired doing everything two ways.
When I was fitst a father, I had an enlightening conversation with an education professional who told me it didn't matter what my daughter chose to read (within reason of course) but only that she got used to getting her ideas out of books. So we banned television Monday through Friday - including for my wife and myself - with the exception for an hour of news daily. it worked; our daughter grew up very well red, articulate a good speller, and with a wide vocabulary, usually superior to almost everyone around her.
The point is, encourage your son to read and write, and perhaps ease off the idea of planting an excuse in his head why he can't write well. I don;t think the two-stage idea would ever catch on, and even if it did, it seems to me your son would be long-grown when it became wide-spread.
- Regards,
Leo
lefties use. When I write, the slant is somewhat backward (to the left0, but mostly it's straight
up & down.
Is this weird? Am I the only one who writes like this? BTW, I am a 52 yr. old male and this has
always been my writing style. I tried the "claw-hook" and it is totally awkward for me.
My question: Has there been any research / investigation carried out on past children or adults who experienced the same as me?
I am interested to know what effect would / could this have had on the brain ? When at school changing the tactile movement and the cognitive aftereffect?
Has anyone built a house anywhere that is totally left handed?
I always remember my Navy days when the anti-aircragt guns with twin barrels, the right hand gun (facing the breech) was totally left handed. (guess where my action station was)
Bill
Thanks
I am right-handed but his dad is left-handed and he has some qualities like my son.And i agree that left-handed people are more successful with ball games.It is valid also my son who is good at soccer and basketball.I wish i was left-handed too ...sigh... :)
I was born lefty but at age of around 17 I suddenly found that i can right with right hand too ,
I think at age of maturity i achieved some more things including the one i said , is there any theory in this field ????
Answer please base on science
I have a ?? My 8 year old grandson was born a lefty....BUT his mother has forced him to be right handed.......(grrrr) now in his 2nd grade of school he is having difficulties...should I TRY to get him to use his left hand again ??? I am left handed.....& LOVE it ...............although as a child in the 1st grade my teacher hit me on my knuckles & put me in a corner for using my left hand. I completed hairdressing school & then barber school......the instructors didn't know how to teach me but I got all great grades & learned real fast.....:)
I'd love to try a few of your products to see which might be helpful for him, but we can't afford to buy them all to find out which works - is there any place where he can try a few different products to see which might be of use to him?
Many thanks!
THANK YOU
HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR
KAREN
I am a college student study in Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages.
It is a school in Taiwan.
I need to finish a project in one of the courses I am taking now.
The topic of my project is to set up "a left-handed corner" in my stores.
In order to estimate for the left-handed products price, I found out this website.
I am wondering if I want to buy a great quantity of the products that sold in this website, will you give me any discount? How will you charge?
May I ask you how many products are there on this website?
Could you please give me the list of those products with price?
The information you gave me will only be used on my project.
My English writing is not very good, so if there are any words that are not polite, I am very sorry.
I think it is very rude to ask questions like this, but in order to finish the budget part, I really need your help.
Best regards,
May Lin
I love being left but sometimes jux want to try ma right hand but.........
Any help
why lefthanded people have too contort too righthanded world.when a lefthanded,make a mistake righthanded people say your stupid or dumb,the companies are no better because they know lefthand people are in the world and they continue to make things soley for righties,that is a form of discimination someone please reply!
www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22CVTAQ3ZDV
Every 13th of August is international left handed day and i want to know if preparations are made for this years celebration, so i can share the information about the with people Ghana
A) smudging the work
B) without the hand paining
C) with clear letters
and how does using a pen that right handers use make a difference from the one a left handers use?
left handed people rule, does any lefty legends have any useful feedback for my design and technology project, i'm looking at the struggles we have to go through when writing and drawing, mainly with smudging work all over the page with the side of your hand as you write, and covering your hand with ink, or erasing pencil drawings as you go! help!
LOLL xxx
So far we have thought of a play on words such as:
Left side up cake
Left on the Cob Corn
Let in the Pot...
Left on the Bone Ribs
Leftovers (not my favorite)
i'm left-handed too. :D
I did not know of this website or any products specifically for left handed people so our son has developed poor writing habits and I think it will be difficult for him to change however, we would like to try. Our 10 year old also writes like a leftie normally does but I think she will adjust to a new style easier than our son. Our other two are young enough that I think they will have no problem writing the way you suggest.
I would like to order the LH writing combined CD edition. What age does this go to? Is it the full text in color for the child to write in or only black and white to copy or print? I think the children would enjoy writing in a color book.
I also need some advice on which writing instruments and scissors would be best for each child. I think for now I would just need pencils and pens for everyday writing rather than markers, crayons or colored pencils.
I want to do all I can to help them however, money is an issue so I'm trying to get what they would benefit from the most. For instance, is it going to be a real problem if they are not using left handed scissors or is that something I could pass on for now?
Thank you for any help you can give.
Sincerely, Diane
I'm finding it really hard to get a left handed scissor sharpener for my dress making scissors. Do you know where I can get some?
Thanks
Simple: is there a way to prove in court that you are an absolute left-handed?
is there some kind of test or something similar and reliable?
Thanks
Tripun RS.
I first started writing with m left and I still do everything with m left. But I got confused which hand to use while writing?
I was born left-handed but when I grew up and turned 5 my great grandma forced me to write with my right ahnd. now I'm a teenager and I used to wright with my right hand since I was 5... so at school I was writing with right hand but I did everything with my left... like: I ate with my left, I drew with my left, I typed with my left mostly and I holded fork or aspoon in my left... I still do it now. but this year I decided to write with m left cuz I guess my body and brain would prefare so... I've been writing with my left for one week... It's easy for me cuz Im naturally left-handed.... But I'm interested if this kinda change will make any affect or will it change anything? should I continue writing with my left? I know that forcing a right hander to write with her right is a big mistake... what should I do?
I'm looking forward to hearing from you as soon a s possible cuz I really wanna know the answer =) thanks in advance
As far as I know there aren't any. But rather than try to re-program the keyboard, I suggested that the client should purchase a USB numeric keypad (Use this link to see products available from Amazon UK and USA http://blog.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/acatalog/left_handed_keyboard), which could then be placed to the left of the keyboard.
As well as placing an extra return key to the left of your keyboard, it would give also give the option of having your number pad where it may be more useful.
Hope you find this helpful.
Frank
I am doing research on camera ergonomics.
Is left-handed camera really a need for left-handers?
Look forward to your sincere replies.
Cheers!
Hari
My daughter of 5 yrs is left handed and i am learning how to teach her and support her through her ordeal. She is writing in a mirror image way and i was really shocked for the first time since both of us my husband and myself are right handed. Even she gets confused to wear her sandals the right way. So I was really tensed. Thanks to you now I know this is normal for a left handed child.
My daughter is left-handed and has just started school. The teachers says she holds the grip on her pencil too tight and therefore gets pains in her arm and hand and therefore the muscle needs to be strengthened. Do you know what exercises I could do in order to strengthen the muscles? Thanks so much
Thanky-you's
Years ago I saw a cup for left-handed people advertized in a magazine for left-handers. The cup had a hole at the top edge on one side, so that if a person used it who was right-handed, the liquid inside would pour out through the hole and on to the person. Can you help me find it?
Thank you.
Judy Freeman
Many years ago I was the fortunate owner of an Osmiriod Copperplate Fountain Pen. Unfortunately though I have since lost it. Is there any way you can offer this pen for sale? I know they have ceased production but I would really appreciate it if you find one for me or recommend an alternative.
regards,
Amjad
It is possible to know the estimated number of left handed people in the world?
Many thanks.
Lisa Corrigan
Also i would like to know were i could purchase a cheap beginners second hand left handed violin from?
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