Left-handed Preschooler

As a left handed person myself leave it the way it is. When I was younger I will never forget one of my first days in Kindergarten I came home crying and my mother asked me what was wrong I told her that the teacher made me sit on my left hand today and try to write with my right hand. My mother took care of things for me.
Anyway I write left handed as for a lot of other things I do them right handed. I would not suggest changing anything for her because she will have to get used to a right handed world sooner or later.
I was hoping one of my daughters would be left handed but no such luck mine are both right handed.
Good luck if you ever need any advice such as writing just let me know I know that can be very difficult for a left handed person learning to write their letters from a right handed person.

Like most responses I would leave it on the right also. I am left handed but I do a lot of things with my right hand, like throwing a ball, playing shuffle board and lots of other things including using a regular right-handed mouse. Eventually when she goes to school she may not have access to change the settings on their computers so it might be best to let her use the default and get used to it while she's young and can adjust easier. Good luck. :)

Have you seen the computer setup at school? Usually computers on the preschool level do not have keyboards. They don't place those in front of the students. So usually there's a mouse in the center -- right in front of student, so the student can feel free to use left or right hand. My son is left-handed and I've watched him use the computer at school... and he uses his left hand but uses a regular mouse (so he's adjusted to clicking the correct button when he needs to).
At home, we have one computer and I'm the main user so I just leave the mouse on the right side of the keyboard. And he's perfectly fine with that. Now that may change as he ages.
My brother is a lefty and growing up... we had one family computer and he always switched the mouse to the left side.
So it's whatever the lefty feel comfortable doing. Using a computer mouse is one adaption of many to come in her future.

weird note: my brother does everything left-handed except bat (in softball) and playing golf. He does these things like a righty. I'm thinking it's because that's how my Dad taught him. And he's AWESOME in golf! Softball --- that's another story. ;-)

I'm left handed and have always used the mouse with my right hand. I actually think it is an advantage because I have always been able to write at at the same time as using the mouse. Really helped for studying through college! I say teach her to use it with her right. My 4 year old son is left-handed too and he is learning with his right.

My husband I are both right handed and we have two left handed sons, ages 10 and almost 4. I agree with most of the responses you have gotten. Leave the mouse where it is. My oldest son hasn't had any trouble adapting to a mostly right-handed world, and if he ever does, we'll make requests then. He doesn't mind using the mouse with his right hand. As a right handed parent of left handed children, it has been a bit difficult helping them with things like holding a pencil and tying shoes, but we learn as we go. Now we're lucky, though, because our 10 year old can help teach our younger son from a fellow lefty's perspective! :-)

I have a 12 year old left-hander and he moves the mouse with his right hand.

I would let your daughter do what comes natural for her.

a little about me:
homeschool my 3 sons and run a home-based business.

My almost 6yo son is a lefty and uses the computer just fine with the mouse on the right side. It's never been an issue.

I am left handed and so is my oldest daughter. I would leave it on the right side. Left handed people can do more with the right hand than right handed people can do with the left. If you give them a chance to use both hand it will help them later because just about everything id made for right handed people. It also helps in sports.

My son is left handed. It was a challenge to teach him to use a spoon and he still does not like to write because it is challenging to him. He is also 4, and he is a youtube fanatic. He uses the mouse the same way that I do. I never thought to change it, and he adjusted to it just fine. I would see if it becomes a problem. As for asking for accomodations from teachers. I think that most preschools let the children show which accomodations they need. In the headstart program my son is in, they will help if needed, but because accomodations will not always be made, they are not suggested, just made if necessary in order to improve the learning experience of the child. I bet your daughter will be able to use the mouse like a pro in no time. lol.

Im left handed and the mouse on the right is not a problem so I wouldn't worry about it. Also, take into consideration that there are lots of things that will never be left handed so it probably isn't good to condition her to think that that will always be an option. I'm still waiting for the lefty car!!!

Take care.

Please see my website for left-handed children: www.lefthandedinfo.com

My daughter is a lefty, and she doesn't need the computer to be reconfigured. So no worrieds :)

My five year old is a lefty. She works on the computer and has no problems. Her teachers have not made any special changes becasue she is left handed and she is fine. I would not worry.

I'm a lefty and I agree with those who said to let her choose what is most comfortable for her. However, if she chooses the right side, it will help her learn she can use the right hand for some things and still be dominantly left. I personally have my mouse on the left side, but it's more a matter of space on my computer table (2 computers on the same table) and my right handed hubby uses his mouse on the left hand side too. I do almost everything with my left hand, except scissors, and in fact, pretty much the only thing I can do BETTER with my right hand is throw a ball. Twirling pasta on a fork is almost impossible for me. lol

It will be hard for you (I'm assuming your right handed given that you are asking these questions) to help her with writing and such, but certainly not impossible. A good way is to sit ACROSS the table from her to help her write. Being left handed, I have to do this with my right handed daughter to help her write.

I'm only 27 but they didn't have left handed scissors when I was a kid, or else they were so scarce in my area that we didn't see them, so I learned from an early age how to use scissors right handed. To this day, I will still try to use them left handed first, but when the paper folds instead of cutting, I remember to use my right hand.

I noticed someone said they were a lefty but were forced to be a righty. Pay close attention to your child's schools to be sure they do not do this as it can cause psychological and learning problems in some. It's not just how we write, bat, throw, etc. It's how our brains think and work.

Despite the occasional inconveniences now and then (much less now than when I was younger), I am glad that I am different by being left handed.

i have an 8 year old son, who at 4 (in pre-k) was left handed. But i had a hard time getting the school to help me, so they converted him to a righty... So if you want your daughter to stay a lefty then you should probably stay on top of the school, it seems like they dont want to try to help, they just want what is easier....maybe her pre-k school is better at that stuff than mine was.

My husband is a left-hander and he uses the mouse on the right. In a world designed for right-handers, she will have to learn to adapt (unfortunately). Even if the computer she uses at home can be rearranged, other computers (like school or library computers) may not be set up in a way that can be modified.

my son is 3 1/2 and also left-handed he uses the mouse for right-handed and has no problem.

My son is left-handed and whenever he uses the computer at home, school, other's homes, etc., he uses it with his right hand. He says that it is more comfortable for him to use his right hand for the mouse. This could be because we never rearranged the mouse/keyboard set-up for him. When he set up his own computer he did set it up with the mouse on the right. I would 2nd (or 3rd or 4th LOL) letting your daughter choose what is comfortable for her. Let her know that if she would like to move the mouse that it is okay.

As a parent of a left-hander, I say ask your daughter which feels comfortable. Switch it for her if that's what she prefers. No, it isn't a left-handed world, but shouldn't we try to accomodate? What if you were the left-hander?

There are things designed for left-handers such as scissors. You just have to look for them. They also have left-handed desks in school for when they are sitting in individual seats.