Most of you know Kid C has been claiming he is "left-handed" ever since he had his cast taken off of his right arm.
We've tried to be patient. Waited for him to figure out he is not left-handed. We don't want to push him into realizing an ugly truth: he is right-handed.
Unfortunately, however, he is in third grade and his class is deep into learning cursive.
The final breaking point was his Cursive 'B is for Banana' sheet.
Take a look. It didn't start out well.
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| If I draw them bigger, I'll only have to do, like, two. |
Next came the actual word. Banana.
Teacher: "Okay, Kid C. All you have to do is copy the example. Got it?"
Kid C: "Got it!"
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| Booo Yeah! Perfect. One says "Banana." The other says "Banana." An exact copy. |
Teacher. "Umm... Okay. So do you notice how in cursive, the letters connect to each other in a flowing kind of way?'
Kid C: "Yes."
Teacher: "Try it again, but this time in cursive. "
Kid C: "Got it."
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| Score! Connective, flowing... brilliant banana. |
Teacher (grunts in frustration): "Okay, Kid C. This time, try writing the entire word without letting your pencil leave the paper."
Kid C: "But it says banana."
Teacher: "Yes, but not in cursive. Can you try it again? With your pencil stuck to the paper the entire time?"
Kid C: "You got it!"
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| Cursive accomplished! The pencil never left the paper! Not even once. |
Teacher (sighs): "Okay. Because I love pain, I'm going to ask you to try it one more time."
Kid C: "This is going to be the best banana yet."
So, yes, we are being mean parents and forcing him to change to his right hand. He is right-handed. We're not exactly being abusive or anything, are we? Because he gives me these puppy-dog eyes, and with a trembling lip, says, "But... but... I'm left-handed. I really think I'm left-handed. Please?"
I keep trying to tell him that just because we're making him write with his right hand, it doesn't mean he will actually lose his left hand. But he seems unconvinced. He goes around cradling his left hand, whispering sweet goodbyes.
Ha ha! Poor, Kid C. Sometimes learning the truth, even if it it's already known, is hard. I was rooting that he miraculously changed his handedness so we could be southpaws together. But, I think it's best if he uses his right hand from now on.
ReplyDeleteI love it because at the end, you can just see that his mind told his hand 'It is so over, there is no possible way that you can deal with such a complicated word in cursive.' I think Kid C was just hoping that by curling the letters it would just confuse the teacher and he would get a passing grade.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised he didn't get a warning from his teacher for being too violent in his murdering of the banana word.
Jenni- Part of me still wonders if he really is left-handed. His non-cursive writing is much better on that hand!
ReplyDeleteSam- I know. You could just imagining him thinking, "Ah, forget it."
Aww, Kid C is adorable XD What if you get him to write the same lines with both hands (one for his actual school work, the other for himself). He could eventually get so good at it that he'd just be ambidextrous! lol
ReplyDeleteYou've got to give him credit for being creative. And, really, wouldn't you rather have a creative child than one with good handwriting? He'll just have to go into a career where handwriting isn't important. Like medical school. Creativity is important during surgery, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteLori- That's a good idea! Except it sounds like twice the work, and we're all too lazy for that. :) But I would love an ambidextrous boy. He could do even more chores!
ReplyDeleteJenilyn- I definitely care more about creativity than handwriting when I'm going under the knife. Very true. In fact, really, where would he even need handwriting anymore?
ReplyDeleteFor the record, my cursive looked like that when I first started, too, and I was both writing with the correct hand *and* grasping the concept.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I abandoned cursive to a lonely grave sometime after seventh grade.
Robbie- See? You turned out just fine! I am so not going to worry about his cursive anymore. I can't take it. :)
ReplyDeleteAw, Kid C is way too cute. :) Is he feeling all recovered from his traumatic experience? Poor elbow. :(
ReplyDeleteSo, I think I am going to have to quit going out of town. Every time I do, something big happens on the blog. Last time, it was your cover reveal. After waiting and waiting for it....I was gone on the actual reveal day. Ha! This time, it was your super duper necklace giveaway. Sigh... :( Lol
Also, I read your last post. For what it's worth, I think you're totally and completely awesome. :) And I can't WAIT to read EVERNEATH.
I've probably realized this before, but your Kid C is the same age as MY Kid C. :)
ReplyDeleteIf it makes your Kid C feel any better, his cursive is better than mine. My signature (the only cursive I ever use) looks like a P with a line and a U with a line. Maybe I should start using my left hand.
I vote for teaching 3rd graders typing and saving cursive for middle school. In art class.
LOL poor kid. I wanted to be ambidextrous when I was in middle school, so I decided to train myself to use my left hand. I was homeschooled, but even so my mother only had so much tolerance for assignments that took me five times longer than they should have.
ReplyDeleteKristin- Yes, you should never go out of town again!
ReplyDeleteRobin- I told you how I messed up my first autograph of my first ARC, didn't I?
Faith- Maybe it's something every kid goes through!
That's a riot! My sister was like that too
ReplyDeleteSo so adorable!! It brings back tons of nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteVivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
You mean the Betsy Ross thing? How embarrasing! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, dear. Poor Kid C (and parents and teachers). Although there are many adults who write English in cursive, but it's all Greek to me. As a notary, I now require people to print their names out as well as sign their names.
ReplyDeleteOne of my younger sisters is a southpaw, and until the teacher cottoned on (they forgot my mom mentioned it), little sis wrote backwards.
I always love the titles of your posts!
ReplyDeleteKrystal- It's so good to know my kid's not the only one!
ReplyDeleteVivien- All those bad memories. :)
Robin- Yes! That one will be worth millions one day.
Donna- Part of me wonders if he really is left-handed, and I've just been pressuring him to work with his right... I wonder if he's like, "Seriously mom? You don't know what you're talking about."
Jill- :)
Brodi, does Kid C write better with his right hand than his left? Or do they both look like Neal A. Maxwell's (you had to have a Urim and Thummim to read it).
ReplyDelete