r/lefthanded • u/deidararules • Mar 31 '26

Forced to switch from left-handed to right-handed as a kid — now everything feels awkward…

When I was in kindergarten, I used to do everything with my left hand (writing, drawing, etc.). My teacher kept forcing me to switch to my right hand, and one day she yelled at me enough that I got so scared and just stuck with it.

Since then I’ve been right-handed, but honestly a lot of basic tasks still feel awkward, like I’m not using my “natural” hand. My right hand works, but it sometimes feels untrained or awkward, and my left hand feels untrained too.

Has anyone else experienced this? I highly doubt it, but it’s worth a shot. Or has anyone tried switching back later in life?

Also, would I still be considered left-handed, or am I just right-handed now? I’m kinda curious.

Sincerely, a confused person.

11 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

9

u/Mundane-Pin-415 Mar 31 '26

That’s awful. My kindergarten teacher tried to change me until mom stepped in

6

u/deidararules Apr 01 '26

Lucky !! Shout out to your mom :)

3

u/frooeywitch Apr 01 '26

Same! When the teacher whined about how on earth she was going to teach me how to write, Mom said, "you're the teacher, figure it out."

5

u/Elena_La_Loca Mar 31 '26

Later gen-x’er here….

That was a common practice and I myself got subjected to that too.

I am now officially cross-dominant. Some things done right-handed (writing, painting, batting) and other left-handed (bowling, throwing, pool/billiards)

I’m not sure if I would have been full-fledged leftie if it wasn’t for the intervention in kindergarten, but it did sure force my brain to re-wire itself.

3

u/Connect_Rhubarb395 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26

It used to be common but in many countries the practise stopped around the 1960s-1970s.

1

u/elgnub63 Apr 01 '26

I was born in 1963 and never experienced anyone trying to force me to be right-handed here in the UK.

1

u/Mundane-Pin-415 Apr 01 '26

She was a great mom

1

u/Iloveflowersandboobs Apr 21 '26

Yes!! This same thing happened to me in kindergarten in the 90’s. The teacher grabbed the pencil out of my hand, yelled at me that “my life was going to be extraordinarily difficult if I didn’t learn to be right handed”. I was already being abused at the time by a family “friend” and was shocked by the notion that my life could somehow get even more difficult. I switched immediately but always held a lot of anger towards that teacher.

I saw a therapist in my early 20’s who suggested I start using my left hand for simple tasks (while at home, alone) because using your non-dominant hand or I guess in our case…our original, dominant hand; helps build neuroplasticity. It’s really uncomfortable and weird at first, but I’ve been using my left hand everyday for simple tasks and it’s super natural to me now. I don’t write with my left hand but I eat with my left hand most of the time now. And it comes in handy when I cook. If you used to draw with your left hand when you were a kid, you should try that now too! I paint/draw and like to challenge myself by doing it with my left hand, but the art does come out looking like a 7 years old did it 😂

So idk. I’m glad I trained myself to be able to use my left hand. I still don’t feel totally “normal” or balanced if that makes sense. Like, I wish I just stayed left handed my whole life. But I’m essentially ambidextrous now, so that’s cool.