| The floors of the living space of our home is | | | | hand he first spontaneously grabs a |
| completely laid with marble, cut out of | | | | toy.Having identified a left handed child |
| limestone, and polished to a silvery sheen. | | | | positively, support the child by helping him |
| It was cool for the tropics and for the hot | | | | with writing and painting exercises.Left |
| day.But it was also slippery, especially if | | | | handed kids have tensed-up hand position. |
| water is spilt on to it.That was why, one | | | | When they write with their left hand, they |
| fine day, our baby boy Vin who was barely a | | | | get tensed up easier because they find it |
| toddler at three years old, stepped on his | | | | harder to see what they are |
| split drink from his plastic cup, and | | | | writing.Therefore, the parent should lay the |
| fell.The doctor diagnosed a slight fracture | | | | paper to the left of the child, and clockwise |
| on his left hand, and after a few days in a | | | | about 30 degrees to the right, with the hand |
| sling, the fracture healed by itself as it | | | | held below the line on which the child is |
| was very slight, and he was well again.That | | | | writing.Teach the child to use his right hand |
| taught us a lesson of home safety for kids. | | | | to hold the paper on the right side.Should a |
| Always ensure the floors are dry if they are | | | | parent force the left handed child to use his |
| not carpeted.But there was more to this.I | | | | right?The Green Cross emphasised that parents |
| discovered Nature had a way to compensate for | | | | must never force and try to train a left |
| the fracture. Very soon, it seemed Vin liked | | | | handed child to become right-handed. |
| to use his left hand that had been fractured | | | | Reasons?The left-handed child will start to |
| before more often than his right, and that | | | | have concentration problems and difficulties, |
| became his strong hand.He was using his left | | | | and also develop negative psychological |
| hand for writing, for playing with the | | | | effects later on in life.Did I force my son |
| crayons, and for holding his toys.He was a | | | | to be ambivalent?When he was 10 years old, I |
| "leftie"!Questions raced through my | | | | took him to the largest Left-Handed Shop in |
| mind.Should I trained him against his natural | | | | the world. It was located in The Quay, in |
| desires to be ambivalent - to use both hands | | | | Sydney Harbor area. He was beaming with all |
| for writing? Would it be harmful to him | | | | the toys, the utensils and everything else |
| emotionally and personally? How would this | | | | that was designed for the left-handed world. |
| affect him when he is older? Would he resent | | | | Here inside this shop, he was able to find |
| having been forced against his will?What a | | | | everything designed to meet his needs as a |
| dilemma it was!Let us see what the German | | | | left-hander.To this day, Vin is still |
| advice center for left-handers, "The Green | | | | left-handed and writes beautifully with his |
| Cross" in Marburg said.The first test to | | | | left hand.Peter Lim is a Certified Financial |
| apply is to identify the left-handed child. | | | | Planner and a webmaster. |
| This is easily done by observing with which | | | | |