I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

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lizzie1991
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I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by lizzie1991 »

Hi everyone I'd just like to share another thing I have struggled with for many years that I also think is dyspraxia related. I struggle to cut food up such as meats with my right hand, I am left handed and I have to dig my fork into the food and rip it off to cut my food whereas everyone around me is cutting there meat and food nicely, I used to get my grandparents to cut up my meats for me when I was a lot younger too. It's as though my right arm and right hand is slower and weaker than the left and I cannot play an intrument with both hands. Can anyone else relate?
Tom fod
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Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by Tom fod »

Typically a right handed person wd hold their fork in their left hand and the knife in their right. Since you're left handed I would have thought you'd use your left hand for your knife and hold the fork in your right?
Tom
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With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
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lizzie1991
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Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by lizzie1991 »

Tom fod wrote:Typically a right handed person wd hold their fork in their left hand and the knife in their right. Since you're left handed I would have thought you'd use your left hand for your knife and hold the fork in your right?
I didn't know that, that's interesting but no I actually hold my fork with the left and knife with the right and always have.
Tom fod
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Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by Tom fod »

Well do try it the other way and don't let convention rule the way you do things.

Doing things in the most awkward way is Typically Dyspraxic
Tom
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With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
lizzie1991
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Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:48 pm

Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by lizzie1991 »

Tom fod wrote:Well do try it the other way and don't let convention rule the way you do things.

Doing things in the most awkward way is Typically Dyspraxic
Thank you ill try it next time I have an evening meal and update about if there's an improvement or not.
lizzie1991
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Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by lizzie1991 »

lizzie1991 wrote:
Tom fod wrote:Well do try it the other way and don't let convention rule the way you do things.

Doing things in the most awkward way is Typically Dyspraxic
Thank you ill try it next time I have an evening meal and update about if there's an improvement or not.
Could you also let me know where you found the printable assessment sheet please I'm going to have a look and then print it when I can.
Tom fod
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Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by Tom fod »

Have answered this on your other thread in Getting Help and Assessment where I've put link to useful doc from Dyspraxia Foundation in which a copy of a checklist can be found on p6
Tom
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With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
lizzie1991
Getting settled in
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Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:48 pm

Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by lizzie1991 »

lizzie1991 wrote:
Tom fod wrote:Well do try it the other way and don't let convention rule the way you do things.

Doing things in the most awkward way is Typically Dyspraxic
Thank you ill try it next time I have an evening meal and update about if there's an improvement or not.
Just to update I found it slightly easier to cut with a knife in the left this evening however I struggled with holding the fork in the right now, my right hand is a lot slower and it clicked my wrist I have a genetic Condition where my forearms do not turn round fully like everyone else, but that's not dyspraxia related although it can cause difficulties.
Tom fod
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Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by Tom fod »

It may take some getting used to, since you've been used to holding knife and fork the other way round and your muscle memory will be out of sync. Go with whatever feels best for you 8-)
Tom
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With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
lizzie1991
Getting settled in
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Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:48 pm

Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by lizzie1991 »

Tom fod wrote:It may take some getting used to, since you've been used to holding knife and fork the other way round and your muscle memory will be out of sync. Go with whatever feels best for you 8-)
I didn't know there was such thing as muscle memory, as for the genetic condition it doesn't affect the rest of my family in the same ways as me ( the arms not turning fully that is) My left forearm has a type of deformity in it (which the other family members with the genetics do not have) however this is my strongest arm and works better than my right despite the right arm being straight, a little bit longer and better formed. As you've suggested I will keep trying I haven't tried cutting into meats yet.
Tom fod
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Re: I struggle to cut food with a knife with my right hand

Post by Tom fod »

The term 'muscle memory' is used quite a lot and I do agree it sounds like babble (or anothermore coarse B word) but when you think about it if you have to do something like placing your fingers for guitar chords or on a computer/typewriter keyboard after a while (often interminably long for the likes of us) it becomes second nature and we just do it.
Do what feels easiest. if you're left hand is strongest/dominant you will likely get the best results using that. Do have a go. For meat, steak or otherwise, I will more often go for using a steak knife.

We often have other related/unrelated cooccurring conditions. Its a bit of a conundrum and you can drive yourself to distraction pondering why.
Tom
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With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
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