Laptop for My Three Year Old Lefty

Updated on December 01, 2010
J.B. asks from Marrero, LA
19 answers

Hey mamas,
I just found the cutest fisher price laptop for my son who is three. The only thing is that it comes with a mouse that is attached to work only on the right side and he is a lefty. My mom is a lefty and I think she uses her right hand for the mouse, but she uses her left to eat. Which hand do some of you lefties out there use for the mouse at your computer stations? I know it is a little more challenging for left handed people at times and I want to make sure that he doesn't get any issue about using a computer by being a forced to use a hand that isn't comfortable. Thanks!!

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J.T.

answers from College Station on

I am a lefty that uses my left hand only for eating and writing. I use my right hand for everything else. I am truly ambidextrous.

It takes practice, but he should be fine using a right handed mouse, especially since he wont know any different.

2 moms found this helpful

S.B.

answers from Topeka on

My Mom is a lefty but uses her right hand on the computer. My 4 yr old is a lefty and uses his right hand to eat. My daughter is a lefty and pretty much uses her left hand for everything =)

1 mom found this helpful

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F.L.

answers from Houston on

Hi ,
I am a lefty and I use the mouse with my Right hand and have never had a problem (of course that is the way I grew up with it as well). I think starting him out this young he won't have a problem with using his right hand and it leaves his left hand free to be able to write and do other things later in life. Also since the right side is the side that you will find most mice on when he goes to school and such it might be easier to get him used to it now. Not saying it is right... just saying what is at the moment:-) Good luck. I know he will have fun no matter what you decide.

F.

2 moms found this helpful

C.R.

answers from Dallas on

My son that is 4 is a lefty and has no problems using a mouse on the right side.
C. ")

1 mom found this helpful
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M.M.

answers from Dallas on

I am left handed. I use my right hand for the mouse or track pad. I use my left hand to eat. I use my right hand to throw a ball. I golf left handed but bowl right handed. I cut with my right hand. I open doors with my right hand.

I made a conscious decision in kindergarten not to be pigeon holed as a left hander. I do not write with my hand in the shape of a hook - my hand is held like a right handed person.

Don't worry about the computer, he will adapt!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Casper on

I am a lefty as well. I have learned from my experience that your son is going to have to learn to adapt to being a lefty in a right-handed world. There aren't very many people out there who know how to deal with a lefty or teach them how to do many things. I am like most lefty people, who will eat and write with their left hands, but do many other things with their right. I was not ever given the option of using my left hand and no one taught me that I could. I use the mouse just like everyone else---on the right. I wouldn't force him to change his perference, but know that many things he won't have a choice in which hand he uses....he will have to use the right. Unfortunately that is just the way life is sometimes.

1 mom found this helpful

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

My son is a lefty and in second grade. They do computer lab every week at his school, he has for the past 3 years. He always uses the mouse on his right hand. My dad and brother are also lefties....also use the mouse on their right sides.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.W.

answers from Houston on

Hi I am a lefty too! As an adult working a first job years ago I began using my left hand for the mouse but one day my left handed boss rearranged my desk to use the mouse with my right hand so I could write and use the mouse at the same time. Today I can use either hand without a problem. If I have a lot to enter and one hand becomes tired or hurts I can always use the other hand. I really believe I have avoided corpral tunnel by being able to use both hands. I really apprecaited being able to use either hand when I dislocated my left elbow a few years ago!

1 mom found this helpful

C.W.

answers from Las Vegas on

lol that's awesome your concerned about your AWESOME lefty cuz lefties are just awesome. It doesn't matter, there are certain things that's just ambidextrous. I don't have a problem with it... I've dealt with it so much it'd feel weird on the other side.

1 mom found this helpful
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V.N.

answers from Chicago on

My husband and son are both left handed. My husband uses his right hand to use the mouse without any issue. My husband plays sports right handed and swears he would be a much better golfer if he would have started golfing left handed. I am sure he will figure out what works best for him.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.S.

answers from Dallas on

I'm left-handed and use the mouse right-handed. It's always felt quite natural to me and have never considered switching it. I eat and write left-handed, but do a number of other activies right-handed. Your son will pick it up just fine!

1 mom found this helpful
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A.B.

answers from San Antonio on

I do both. If I don't share, I often have it set up on the left, but if it's a shared computer, I do it on the right. I had to get used to the right for shared computers. I like the way I am now used to both, so I never have to complain that a mouse is on the wrong side! (Actually, I'm so used to both, I can never even TELL you which side the mouse was on that I just used!)
In my office, the IT people were always driven nuts when they had to fix my computer and the mouse was on the left side. LOL.
So, I wouldn't NOT get it just because it's on the right, but I'd get him used to both (maybe with your home computer) so he can get along well in the world without feeling disadvantaged.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.D.

answers from College Station on

My sons a lefty too. He always uses his right hand for the mouse.

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C.B.

answers from Austin on

My lefty husband uses a right hand mouse. Most computers he'll use at school and anywhere else will be set up that way, so he might as well get used to it. The mouse doesn't require that much coordination anyway.

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S.O.

answers from San Antonio on

My 17 year old is ambidextrous. He eats and writes with the left hand, throws a ball and uses scissors with either hand and uses mouse with right---just because conventionally that's the side it's always on.

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

My daughter (26) and I are both left-handed, but use the right hand for the mouse.

Funny thing is..... when I TRY to use my left hand for the mouse, it is all jerky... I can't run it smoothly!

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R.L.

answers from Houston on

My son is a lefty, he's 120 and he uses the mouse as a righty. But most everything else he does lefty. I don't think it would be a problem to buy the laptop and see how he does, after all he may decide he likes it that way or he may change it later.

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L.M.

answers from Houston on

My left handed mom, sister, and step-daughter all use the mouse with their right hand. However, I have a co-worker who uses the mouse with her left hand. Odd thing is, though, she does not switch the "main clicker" button to be the pointer finger of her left hand (the right hand button). She uses her middle finger on the left hand side of the mouse as the main button.

I think it has to be whatever the person is most comfortable with. Is he a lefty who uses his right hand for a lot of other things? At a young age maybe he can be taught to use the mouse on the right hand side. You'll just have to work with him on it.

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S.F.

answers from Madison on

I do most everything left handed, but do operate a mouse with my right hand. We have a wireless mouse so I could move it over by my left hand, but have never done so. It's perfectly comfortable to operate with my right hand.

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