Left-handed Thai children?

[rexall]

Sun 1 Feb 2015, 10:49 am

Hi ForumMates!

This relates to a topic I started yesterday. Is there prejudice toward "lefties" in Thailand, particularly with school-aged kids? In Thai schools, do teachers ever encourage or even force "lefties" to switch to using their right hand? How about parents?

I was quite surprised recently to learn that a friend of my forced her young "leftie" to switch hands, even to the point of using sticky tape to help him hold a pencil correctly as he clutched it awkwardly using his right hand.

I know that this was common in the US in the early part of the 20th Century and read that it was also common in German schools until the 1950's, but is regarded as a primitive approach, and an unhelpful (or worse) thing to do to a child.

Anyone run into this in Thai schools or Thai culture?

Whaddya think?

[cornishcarlos]

My MIL was a teacher for 20+ years and apparently forced kids to write with their right hand.

Supposedly she couldn't teach a leftie ?

Edited February 1, 2015 by cornishcarlos

[rexall]

Wow! I am going to have to research this. It is the first time I have heard about it in decades. Never studied it, but was vaguely under the impression that it is a damaging thing to do to kids. On the other hand, lefties start off with a disadvantage because most tools devices are designed for righties.

[kokesaat]

Back 15 years ago I polled my students at AUA.......left or right-handed. I'm left-handed....studied Chinese with a teacher who refused to allow me to write left-handed (I changed teachers). So I was curious about Thai culture. Turns out about 10% of my Thai students were left-handed. I think that's about average.

[rexall]

That's really interesting, Kokesaat! How long did you study with that teacher before you decided to change teachers? What was the experience like?

[umbanda]

What? Really???

Long time, in Brazil 1984, and because my younger daughter, the smarter one, is left handed, I got a book about the "left brain"...very popular at that time, and I discussed it with psychologist and teachers...I started to look in left handed people noticing that most were very smart and successful in its professions. My younger daughter is very good in EVERY thing she do, and a successful professional now..in Brazil. She even speaks perfect English, I am not...I am not right even with the "right" hand.. No kidding.

Moving to the US, 10 years later, I noticed the same, and more...Most US Presidents from that time on are left handed..and I have to admit that for good or bad they achieved success. I remember a debate of the 3 candidates....and I noticed. ALL were left handed. Really intriguing.....until one day talking with a Human Resource manager and recruiter for a big company, it told me that to be left handed is a good plus for job qualification.

Edited February 1, 2015 by umbanda

[Gonsalviz]

What? Really???

Long time, in Brazil 1984, and because my younger daughter, the smarter one, is left handed, I got a book about the "left brain"...very popular at that time, and I discussed it with psychologist and teachers...I started to look in left handed people noticing that most were very smart and successful in its professions. My younger daughter is very good in EVERY thing she do, and a successful professional now..in Brazil. She even speaks perfect English, I am not...I am not right even with the "right" hand.. No kidding.

Moving to the US, 10 years later, I noticed the same, and more...Most US Presidents from that time on are left handed..and I have to admit that for good or bad they achieved success. I remember a debate of the 3 candidates....and I noticed. ALL were left handed. Really intriguing.....until one day talking with a Human Resource manager and recruiter for a big company, it told me that to be left handed is a good plus for job qualification.

Wonder where Obama fits in this crowd.

[pinkpanther99]

Yep, I've heard this before about lefties being 'converted' in Thailand.

My wife's uncle was left handed as a child and he told me his father forced him to write with his right hand.

Also, uncle now has 3 daughters, and two of those girls were left handed before he forced them to be right handed.

Not sure what the big deal is myself

[bangkokjulia]

This really angers me. My father was left handed. In primary school his teachers tried to force him to write right handed. I too am a leftie, and from the outset, my parents spoke to my teachers instructing them that under no circumstances was I to be forced to become right handed.

I was in my school's softball team when I was 9. There were no gloves for left handers-coach said I would have to play right handed. My parents had to step in again.

I was told that this all stems back from left handers being servants or children of the devil, as he is often portrayed as being left handed. What a croc.

[Roger Lee]

There's a stigma in many countries about using your left hand as that is the hand used to clean themselves after taking a poop.

I'm left handed as is my Thai gf btw.

[AjarnMartin]

In nearly eight years of teaching here, I've never heard of this practice, but as yet I've never asked my students... Research will begin today. :-) Still on topic and an observation, but I've noticed a higher proportion of students using their left hands in Thailand than was the case in the UK. Is this, like double-jointedness, a feature of genetic mutation I wonder?

[shaurene]

My wife's grandaughter is a lefty it does not bother them their brain decided what they should be, I am a lefty and am 73 English, I was not made to try to be a right hand person at school or at home, my grandaughter is also a lefty it does not bother my son or his wife. I find it very difficult to use my right for general things. I kick with my left leg if I try to kick with my right I nearly fall over.

[recom273]

I have heard about this story in Thai schools at Anuban level.

My wife comes from a small village between KK and Udon, I guess, like many of these villages, its mostly populated by her extended family ( or maybe 2-3 families ). Everyone who is born into the family unit writes with their left hand.

I never worked out if its genetic, or if they subconsciously pick it up from one another.

[Fullstop]

8 out of 12 foreign teachers at my school are lefties...including me. Maybe lefties like to travel to exotic places. I've also seen several left handed Thai students over the years. None have been forced to switch.

[Fullstop]

I have heard about this story in Thai schools at Anuban level.

My wife comes from a small village between KK and Udon, I guess, like many of these villages, its mostly populated by her extended family ( or maybe 2-3 families ). Everyone who is born into the family unit writes with their left hand.

I never worked out if its genetic, or if they subconsciously pick it up from one another.

Lefties are right brained. Righties are left brained. Lefties are more creative as that is governed by the right brain. And yes... it's a genetic trait.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Fullstop

[Lazybones]

My grandson (Thai) was obviously a leftie from a very early age and my daughter in law was trying change him to right hand without much success. I asked her why and she said that it was very hard for her to teach him how to write, her being right handed, as she had to use her left hand to teach him ( you have to try it to see what she means). She was finally dissuaded as my grandson just wouldn't change. My son is also left handed and footed so I guess that's where it comes from.

[Falcon]

My son is naturally left handed but going to kindergarten school in Bangkok, he was repeatedly forced to use his right hand for everything while my wife and I encouraged him to use whichever hand he was comfortable with. After many trips to the school to complain, to no avail, we changed schools and got pretty much the same thing happen. He now. 6 years later, is ambidextrous and writes just as well with both hands and is doing great. My grandma was also left handed and she always told me stories of how when she was young and going to school, she was forced to use her right hand for writing for fear of being hit over the knuckles with a ruler if she forgot and used her left!

[manfredtillmann]

i , born lefty, was 'switched' in primary school in germany 1964. while mostly ambidextrous now, certain things can only be done either left or right, and quiet a few things not at all.

write with right, paint with left. wipe bum left only - impossible with right. can't use striking tools (hammer etc.) at all, miss every second time. in my household everything gets screwed (yes, pardon the pun).

have heard that some people end up having real problems after being switched, that would account for my caotic life.

[pookiki]

I'm left handed and have often told people, jokingly, that left handed persons are a genetic leap ahead. In reality, I think I have mixed brained dominance depending on the task. Write and throw left handed, golf right handed, bat right handed. In tennis I will serve with my right and then switch to my left. Fire a rifle right handed. Hammer with my right hand, use a knife with my right hand. Scissors with my right hand. Kick with my left leg. Go figure.

[ToddinChonburi]

I write with my left and throw with my right. I was a pretty good pitcher when I was a kid, played with a guy who could pitch with either arm. Was pretty amazing. Ialso bat write. I think you do what your brain tells you to do. As you sit back and watch a kid grow they figure it out on there own. Making them do something different is not good.

[rexall]

It is a reasonable hypothesis, but I am not sure, as the OP suggested, it has been proven conclusively that handedness relates to right or left brain dominance. I suppose, also, you also have to factor in the challenge of lefties adapting to a world in which most of the tools, devices, furniture etc. are designed for righties. I never thought about it before, but how does a lefty use a mouse? With his right or left hand? Software to reverse the right and left mouse buttons is not too exotic, but it occurs to me this is just one of the many issues lefties have to sort out whereas it is automatic and intuitive for righties.

[Thaiready]

Wow! I am going to have to research this. It is the first time I have heard about it in decades. Never studied it, but was vaguely under the impression that it is a damaging thing to do to kids. On the other hand, lefties start off with a disadvantage because most tools devices are designed for righties.

BS

[Thaiready]

What? Really???

Long time, in Brazil 1984, and because my younger daughter, the smarter one, is left handed, I got a book about the "left brain"...very popular at that time, and I discussed it with psychologist and teachers...I started to look in left handed people noticing that most were very smart and successful in its professions. My younger daughter is very good in EVERY thing she do, and a successful professional now..in Brazil. She even speaks perfect English, I am not...I am not right even with the "right" hand.. No kidding.

Moving to the US, 10 years later, I noticed the same, and more...Most US Presidents from that time on are left handed..and I have to admit that for good or bad they achieved success. I remember a debate of the 3 candidates....and I noticed. ALL were left handed. Really intriguing.....until one day talking with a Human Resource manager and recruiter for a big company, it told me that to be left handed is a good plus for job qualification.

Wonder where Obama fits in this crowd.

Obama is the exception.

[cornishcarlos]

Can you buy left handed hammers in Home Pro ?

[Stupooey]

My experience teaching in primary schools here leads me to believe that kids are not being forced to change, as the number writing with their left hands seems to be about par for the course. This was in Bangkok though; things might be different in more remote areas where people are more influenced by tradition and superstition.

Incidentally, I was recently taking an adult English class and teaching the origins of the word 'sinister', pointing out that left-handed people were once thought to be evil. I then asked if there were any lefties in the class. Remarkably, and somewhat embarrassingly, of the nine students five were left-handed.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Stupooey

[rexall]

Wow! I am going to have to research this. It is the first time I have heard about it in decades. Never studied it, but was vaguely under the impression that it is a damaging thing to do to kids. On the other hand, lefties start off with a disadvantage because most tools devices are designed for righties.

BS

Mon 2 Feb 2015, 11:41 am

Thanks for your reply Thaiready. However, your brevity makes it difficult to learn anything from your comments.

Which part of my post did you feel was BS?

• I have to research this?
• It's the first time I have heard about it in decades?
• I never studied it?
• I had a vague impression that forcing kids to switch hands was damaging?
• Lefties start off with a disadvantage adapting to a world designed for righties?

A few words explaining how you arrived at your "BS" conclusion would be helpful, and probably represent a more meaningful contribution to the discussion.

[soalbundy]

I am right handed so is my partner but our three children are left handed, my partners father is left handed. No problem at the schools here where we are,no prejudice from the teachers and no one has tried to force them to write right handed which i would have stopped immediately.

[MAZ3]

I'm left handed as was my Mother,she was forced to write with her right hand by the Nuns in Ireland. Actually tiring her left hand behind her back!,she was totally ambidextrous and great at maths and English.

She could even write with both hands at the same time.

So it didn't affect her,but still not a very nice school time.

I was allowed to use my left hand at school in England.

Wish some of her brains had rubbed off on me ;-)

Edited February 2, 2015 by MAZ3

[mikebell]

At Primary school in UK pre-1950, my teacher tried to convert me. As a result I still write left-handed; play squash/table-tennis right-handed. Throw darts (equally badly with either hand.) I would use a hammer (if it weren't so hot) right-handed but thread a needle with my left. Football saw me use my right foot for power, left for accuracy.

In Thailand, I have noticed many left-handed Thai pool players; same as me. I have three children, so far, all righties; two grandsons, one of each.

[duanebigsby]

I have heard about this story in Thai schools at Anuban level.

My wife comes from a small village between KK and Udon, I guess, like many of these villages, its mostly populated by her extended family ( or maybe 2-3 families ). Everyone who is born into the family unit writes with their left hand.

I never worked out if its genetic, or if they subconsciously pick it up from one another.

Lefties are right brained. Righties are left brained. Lefties are more creative as that is governed by the right brain. And yes... it's a genetic trait.

That's wrong. Only 20% of left-handers are right brained.

I sit in an office of 3 lefties and me, a righty, and I'm the photographer who draws and paints as well.

The lefties?..... a golfer, a mountain climber, and a book reader.

Interesting article here...

http://www.rightleftrightwrong.com/issues_art.html