At What Age Is Your Child a Lefty or Righty?

I am no expert by any means, but I have a girlfriend who teaches kindergarten and she says she sees kids still deciding at 5-6. My oldest is 5 1/2 and most of the small motor things (writing, painting, building) he does with his right hand and some of the large motor things (batting, swingin a golf club) he does left handed. We think he would be "better" doing it right handed, but he usually goes to his left. Crazy little things aren't they!

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.

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!
W.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!?!

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Hi C.! I think some are misunderstanding you....I don't see that you are trying to get him to be right handed, you are just trying to figure it out! Calm down, lefties! It's not about trying to force him to be right handed!

C., my son used his left hand for EVERYTHING. We were convinced he was left handed. When he turned four he started using his right hand for drawing and writing his letters. We were shocked! So, the moral of the story is that kids choose a dominant hand at different times than others. My son still switches it up now and again.... and for the sensitive lefties.....we didn't force him to be a rightie!

Hi C.,

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.....

C.

My son is almost 4 and will switch with each letter. His preschool teachers assured me this is normal and often they don't pick until after they have begun kindergarten. Also if he is left handed he may still use his right hand for certain things. I am left handed but will do many things right handed naturally. And both my parents are right handed and three of their four children are left handed!

I would say before they are even 1 yr old I could tell with my 3 children and with my 6 grandchildren. It is usually when they start feeding themselves. You'll see them favor one hand or the other. The same holds true for when they start to reach for objects or toys ... and start waving byebye.

My dad was a lefty and out of 6 children only our baby brother is a lefty.
D.

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 C.

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.

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!!
W.

Hi C.! I guess I had thought the dominant hand started to show itself around age 1, but from reading some of the responses you've gotten so far, that apparently isn't the case! =) My daughter is 18 months old and does the majority of things with her right hand, so I'm assuming she'll be right-handed. I would just let things happen naturally - whichever hand he seems more comfortable using, that's the one I'd let him use. That's what I do with my daughter. I try not to put crayons or silverware on a specific side. I put them in the middle and let her pick them up with whichever hand she wants.
C.

it doesn't matter what age because you could be physically right-handed but certain things you can only do left-handed that only a lefty could do period is one way to determine the natural dominant side he is definitely going to be a lefty unless he switsches when he starts school because everything is right-handed and everybody else is doing it so why not(but that doesn't always mean he's a right-handed person)? that's what happened with me and i'm gaining it back so much quicker and besides that it's just so much more comfortable for me because i realized what hand i am by the first sentence and this: some ways to determine which he is is give him a fake water gun rifle or something because your dominant eye is one way to determine, give him a wallet if he puts it in his left back pocket there ya have it, have him play pool(billiards) because which hand it's easier to heave off with is another factor(another factor where the eye comes in), have him throw something with his hand at the bottom of it pushing straight out like your stiff-arming somebody

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.