Please help my husband and I solve a long-going debate...I was wondering what age you can tell if your child is going to be a lefty or righty? Our son is 3 1/2 & 90% of the time he uses his left hand to color, eat, etc. I'm assuming he is going to be a lefty, but my husband thinks it is too early to tell. We are both right handed, so my hubby assumes our son will be too. Thanks in advance for all your comments!!!
I've heard by around age 2 if the child is drawing etc... I have three children, one is a lefty, and it was definitely clear by 3 1/2! Son is lefty and both H and I are righties-grandfather is lefty. Left more common with boys and often leftys use right hand for other things like throwing a ball.
Hi Cindy,
I would say that if he uses his left hand 90% of the time he has probably made his choice. Like with your other response, I do agree that they sometimes choose to use their right hand for other activities....my nephew is right-handed, but uses his left foot to punt a football. Another guy I know is left-handed, but bowls and shoots right-handed. I think lots of times, when someone is very good with both hands, that when they were small Mom or Dad put their utensils, pencils, crayons, etc. in the hand they thought they should, but really they were suppose to be the other way....that made them more capable of using both hands well.
I know a few years ago teachers went through a phase where they tried to convert left-handed children into being right-handed, but have decided now that isn't the thing to do....you are what you are. I love watching left-handers write, color, play ball, etc.....
Cody
sounds like a lefty to me...
by 3 1/2 he should be using his hand of choice by now...
maybe he will be a righty in sports...
my son who is 4.5 has used his right hand for coloring and writing and eating, but when it comes to hockey and baseball...he is a lefty.
I think it's apparent way earlier than age3.
I knew my dd#1 was a righty by her 1st birthday.
I have already started watching and trying to make my dd#2 (5mos.old) a righty and watchin to see what she'll be. I'm hoping for another righty just because life is easier.
Hi Cindy
From what I hear, is when they start Kindergarten. Whatever hand they choose to write with from the start will be their dominent hand.
My daughter could write/color/paint/cut with both hands, but around 4 1/2, is when her left hand became more dominate. And now she is almost 6 and everything is done by left hand.
Myself and my husband our both right handed. Most of the family on both sides are right handed.
But from what you wrote, I would say your son will be a lefty.
I am a pediatric PT and work with pediatric OT's. If I remember right, most kids have dominant hand by now; a few will switch; but I'm thinking if 90% of the time he's using the left, than he is a "lefty" but may still be coordinated enough to switch at times.
it looks as though hes a lefty-my daughter is a lefty-started real early-we tried to get her to change-but its how the brain is wired-so now shes able to use both hands-but primarily a lefty....its alright-no biggy....you cant change it-so just accept it.
I'm pretty sure he will be a lefty. My daughter was and she used her left hand for all of those things. It does not matter if both parents are right handed, their child can still be left handed- mine was.
My son was a lefty with everything he did, until he went to kindergarten. He switched to being a righty. I am a lefty and my husband is a righty. I would guess that by the time he starts school you should have a good idea.
You can usually start to tell around the age of 2. If he uses his left hand generally, then he is most likely left handed. Do NOT force him to use his right hand! Let him use whatever is most comfortable. Most lefties are ambidextorous. They can comfortably use both hands doing things, but write with their left. Lefties are also almost always boys. Most lefties are also more creative.
I knew my daughter was a lefty by the time she was about 1 1/2... my husband didn't believe me until she was about 3 or so. I'm a lefty (and to my knowledge nobody else in my family is, until now, my daughter is.)
My son will be 3 this weekend, and he is right handed, like his father.
I figured out my daughter was a lefty because every time I would giver her a crayon to her right hand, she would take it, but swap hands to color (that was my little test, lol)... Although, when her left hand gets tired, she does color with her right, and it's just as good as her left... it's just not her first choice.
If he is using his left hand for almost everything then he's going to be left handed, or south paw. There is nothing wrong with it and he's not going to suffer anything by using his left hand.
Just because you and your husband use your right hands doesn't mean you can't have a lefty in your family. My son uses his left hand for most anything, except eating, he uses his right hand to eat, and he bats right handed.
That sounds like my son! We swore up and down he was going to end up being a lefty...we even started helping him play T-Ball as a lefty! He actually used both hands, but seemed to favor his left. He still did that occasionally in Pre-school as well(ages 4-older 5) However, now he is 6 and in Kindergarten, and there is no question, he is RIGHT handed. Who knew!?!
Some kids seem to have a dominant hand almost from the start while others are still switching hands when they enter Kindergarten. It can vary from child to child. When I taught preschool we were told to watch the kids to see if they had a dominant hand but it was no big deal if they didn't. Kids often don't develop a dominant hand until they are in elementary school. Just let your child choose to use whichever hand works for him and he'll sort it out eventually. Children have a greater chance of being left handed if at least one parent is left handed but they can be left handed even if both parents are right handed. There's actually a website for left handedness. If you are interested just google it for information on left handedness.
I think I have read that you can't be totally sure until about 5 or 6, which is when most kids start writing a lot more. However, I would say there's a fairly good chance that he is left handed. And, btw, I'm lefty (although really only for writing) and neither of my parents are. It's not inherited the same way that something like eye color is, so that really has no bearing on it.
Yep, he's a lefty, and he's been that way since birth. Don't try to change it, just be aware of buying him special scissors and notebooks now so it won't be so hard when he starts school.
Congrats!
Wendy
With my oldest child (now 5) we knew she was a lefty before she was a year old. She used her left hand for everything. Everyone told me it was too soon to tell but she is infact a lefty. My husband and I are both right handed and my other too children appear to be right handed. Don't try and change it just go with what works for him.
First of all, tell your husband not to assume that since you're both right handed, your children will be, too. I'm left handed, and as far as anyone in my family can tell, I'm the first left handed person in my entire family line, both on my mother and my father's side. I've always been left handed, although I've adapted to life in what I call a "Right Handed World" (my right handed husband thinks it's quite funny when I start cursing the fact that there are no things like left handed notebooks or that there are no stores around here like the "Leftorium", made famous by Ned Flanders on the Simpsons).
People are always telling me it's too early to tell if my son is going to be right or left handed, too, but I know he's a lefty. He's almost 4 now, and has been using his left hand for almost everything since he picked up his first crayon at 9 months. I certainly don't intend to change that, in fact, I'm actually proud he's left handed.
The other side to that is in the case of my younger brother. He used his right hand all the time up until kindergarten when he realized that me, his big sister, was left handed, and then he just switched. He's ambidextrous because of it, but prefers his left hand.
I know I present a confusing arguement. But the first thing is not to try and change your child and to accept him and love him for who he is.
I would say to first of all not try to change him. Whatever he prefers is because its more comfortable for him. I am a lefty (Dominantly) My H is a righty (Dominantly) and our son is ambidextrous...he writes and eats right handed but plays sports with either hand its fun to watch him bat in baseball you never know which way he will stand. He bowls left and throws ball left handed. Our daughter is a true lefty. She can't and doesn't want to do anything right handed. I think if you watch which foot your son tries to kick a ball with that might give you a hint. If he uses his left foot, he's probably left handed, if right then he may be not sure yet or ambidrextrous. Good luck either way, its fun being left handed challenging! but fun!!
Wendy