Can you tell if a baby is right or left handed early on

[Anotherdayinmumlife]

9 month old uses her left hand for everything. Eating, pressing buttons toys, grabbing something off you. Internet says you can't tell until they're older but did anyone else notice hand preference early on and it stayed as they got older? Not particularly bothered by it just a bit interested!

[Piixxiiee]

Yes. Everyone said until about 3 they use either and you can't tell. My dd always used left. Shes left handed. My ds used right more and is right handed.

[CamVegOut]

Probably, can't remember my daughter at that age (16 now) but when she started to use crayons etc it became obvious.

[BendingSpoons]

My DD showed a preference for her right hand early on, in terms of using a spoon or later a pen. DS is showing a preference for his left hand. I wondered if it was because I usually sit on his left and put the spoon that side, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

[TalbotAMan]

Yes. 2 left handed DDs both clearly left handers from as soon as they could do things with their hands.

[BertieBotts]

Yes, DS2 has had right hand preference since about that age.

[Seeline]

My DS showed right handed very early.

DD used both, with a slight left tendancy for ages. It wasn't really until she started school at just 4 and had to write that she started using her right hand.

However, she still plays racquet sports left handed, uses LH scissors and orders to do crafts (knitting/crochet) LH (although tends to do them RH in order to follow patterns etc).

[Seeline]

*Prefers not orders!

[Tulipstulips]

DS had a preference for one for a few months, then the other for a few months - he alternated for a whole like that then by the time he was 2 or so he consistently favoured his right hand. He’s now 5 and writes with his right hand. He’s got a slight birth defect on his right hand so I was actually hoping he would be left handed.

[Dyra]

I'd wondered about this. DH is left handed, while I'm right handed. In theory our children are more likely to be right handed. In the early days DD showed a bit of a preference for left handedness. She's using her right more now though. She's only 9 months, so time will tell

[Sparticuscaticus]

Yes you can tell that early if it's consistent. She is favouring her left hand because that's how her brain is wired. I'm too old to find my research papers It's nearly 30 years since I did my neuropsychology specialism in
my first degree..

She may turn out to be ambidextrous or learn to use her right hand but it sounds like you have a naturally left handed DD there.

[TheTurnOfTheScrew]

I think it depends on strength of preference. DC1 didn't appear to have a favoured side until about 4. DC2 has been a committed left sider since she could first wield a spoon.

[Amberfest]

Yes, DC2 (18) was a left hand thumb sucker pretty much from birth, always displayed a left hand preference and as a grown up is a lefty in a family of right handers.

[Clevs]

My son is 26 months and always used to favour his left hand. He is using his right hand more now for colouring and throwing, although uses his left for eating.

[Mascotte]

I don't think so. DS favoured his left hand big style when a baby but is now mostly right handed, though plays some sports left handed, weirdly.

[flamegame]

Both of mine had a clear preference by 18 months, I don’t know how great I think it is though, good to be able to use your non dominant side too, presumably the children that choose later can have higher levels of function in their non dominant side?

[FizzingWhizzbee123]

My 2.5 yr old was definitely favouring his right hand by 12 months, and still does. As a lefty, this make me sad! 😆

[Ploughingthrough]

I could tell by the time they were confidently spoon feeding themselves. DD used her right and DS his left. DD is a righty and DS a lefty! I'm left handed so secretly pleased to have a other in the family !

[Rangoon]

We thought we had a leftie or an ambidextrous child- seemed to use their left a lot. Turned out to be completely right handed.

[Dozer]

A left handed relative insisted small baby DC1 was left handed - he was right.

[Amicompletelyinsane]

Everyone kept telling me you can't tell until they are school age. But my youngest has consistently always used his left hand for everything from the moment he could reach out and hold things. He's in school now and certainly left handed

[foamrolling]

Yes, I could tell from the age dd could grab toys and a spoon when weaning - she always favoured her left hand. Her dad is left handed too so I think there's a genetic element

[chutneypig]

I don’t remember at what age DD started using her left hand mostly, but I do remember that at about 4 months, her and her twin brother had a fascination at staring at one hand when lying down, and it was the opposite hand to the other one. DS is right handed. It’s quite a complicated trait from what I remember reading early on.

[AndWhat]

My eldest ds was clearly left dominant from a few months old, got the shock of my life when his reception teacher told me he was right handed!
However he has remained left dominant when he plays sports and uses his scooter

[userabcname]

I've wondered the same. Ds1 has never shown any real preference but now at 3yo I'm fairly sure he's right handed. Ds2 is 8mo and shows a preference for his left a lot of the time, but I'm not sure if that means anything yet!