learning to cut left handed

Several years ago, I was keeping a little girl about 4.  She was the age of one of my children.  My children are allowed to cut with regular adult sizzors and pinking shears at a young age.  This is about 2 and a half or three.  I am careful to supervise.  These sizzors cut better than the child size sizzors.  My child wanted to cut, so of course, the other child wanted to cut, also.  I start with the pinking shears as they are rounded on the end and safer. I spent much of the day trying to teach this child to cut. Over the years, many children have learned to cut at my house. 
When her Dad came to pick her up, I asked him; who in her family was left-handed.  I explained that I had never before had a child that I could not teach to cut with pinking shears.  He laughed and said, "No problem."
He sat down and within 5 minutes the child could use the sizzors and cut with them.  What had I done wrong? Nothing.  Her Dad, being left handed, had had the same experience and knew exactly how to show her. I am right handed and did not understand how to teach this child. 
How often do we blame ourselves or more often the child, when we just need to teach or find someone else to teach from a different angle?