To worry about toddler with no dominant hand?

[RedTrek]

DS is 2 months away from his 2nd birthday and I can't tell if he is left or right handed. He seems to use both completely interchangeably when he's eating or colouring. We try not to influence him either way, putting cutlery in the middle and letting him pick etc.

His big sister was clearly and unambiguously right handed before she even turned 1, so it seems strange to me that he hasn't picked a preferred hand yet and I'm wondering if it's something that needs checking out. But maybe she was just early?

When could you tell that your DC were left or right handed?

Ds looked like he was going to be left handed until he was 2.5 and then switched to right.

I have 2 lefties and a ds who was undecided until he was 5! School suggested they persuaded him towards the right. Worked out fine.
He is a chef and can chop with both hands very well!!

At 2 years I wouldn't worry too much. He could just simply be ambidextrous. My dd used both hands equally until around 3 years and then all of a sudden favoured her right hand.

I wouldn't worry at all. He may eventually demonstrate a dominant hand or he may not. I'm ambidextrous, always have been. It's a very useful trait to have actually.

I'm ambidextrous, although I usually write with my right hand because that's how I was taught. It was great when I broke my right arm, just switched to left, everyone at work thought it was weird. It's also handy for things like hammering in tight corners, or putting together IKEA flat packs, you just switch hands

YABU to worry about this. It doesn't matter at all, and he's way too young to need to make a choice for things like writing.

Lack of hand dominance (which is actually lack of brain dominance) is sometimes linked to slow processing speed because one side of the brain isn’t “taking charge”. However, at 2 it’s not a problem.

If he also displays other symptoms of slow processing speed as he gets older then it may be worth getting an assessment but if he is just ambidextrous then in and of itself it’s not a problem.

Yeah I suppose I was just wondering if it was linked to motor development in general and could indicate some sort of wider issue, rather than being desperate for him to always use the same hand just for no good reason.

Thanks for the reassurance

Yes OK cross post there. That is what I was getting at! But 2 is too young to be thinking about it, got it.

DS was the same and we did as you did, simply plonking cutlery, pens etc in the middle for him to choose.

The only issue was he used to go to prep school and they were genuinely offended by his inability to write clearly and pushed very hard for him to "choose". I frankly couldn't care that much and he eventually settled on being right handed, though oddly will kick a ball left footed.

He's taking GCSE's next year and there's dark muttering about him having some special dispensation to use a laptop, as his writing is still practically illegible. Whether this has anything to do with his early confusion I have no idea.

Aren't they all like this as toddlers, mine were. I'm sure I also read that toddlers were ambidextrous, might be old news though and proven wrong now. I'm an old gimmer

It's normal. Most children will have settled on a dominant hand by 4.

My first slow to speak child took ages to form dominance but my quick to speak second didn't - both righties
@KittensinaBlender (scary name!) my children follow your theory

My almost 3 year old is still using both hands as far as I can tell.
He'll settle by the time he goes to school.

My 9year old has poor hand dominance and also has slow processing and auditory processing issues and the EP told me it can be indicative of other cognitive issues but it is not diagnosis of anything itself. So basically, people with cognitive issues sometimes display poor hand dominance but not everybody with poor hand dominance has cognitive issues.

Encouraging activities that cross the midline (hand/feet crossing the body) and crawling can help teach the two sides of the brain to talk to each other.

I’m going to go against the grain and say that my 2 year old DS was ambidextrous and the EYFS & KS1 teachers were far too relaxed about his handrwriting. He is now in Year 7 and his handwriting is appalling.

If I could go back in time I would focus more on his handwriting (forming letters and numbers properly) with his right hand and then not worry at all about everything else.

KittensinaBlender (scary name!) my children follow your theory

I know I’m going to change it (once I remember my password). My kids picked it from a card game they play (not bought by me btw). It’s a fun game but a gross concept and I do love kittens.

Most “delays” sort themselves out over time but it is worth knowing the signs of cognitive issues as early intervention has a massive impact on outcomes.

A lot of kids are ambidextrous at that age, don't worry about it, he will settle on a hand eventually.

My DS didn’t choose a dominant hand until he was six, he’s left handed. Same for my DD actually, she still uses both and will be seven in August. I really wouldn’t worry.

I had a boss who was ambidextrous. During exams, he would just switch hands when one got tired.

Worrying about this at almost two is pointless. At school age maybe.

Aren't they all like this as toddlers, mine were.

No! DD was right handed before she could walk or talk. Her cousin was left handed by her first birthday as well. But maybe they are the strange ones haha.

At that age it’s more of a concern to show a strong hand preference, as it suggests a weakness on the other side.

My son is ambidextrous. I have always been very resistant to any suggestion to make him stick to just one hand, and he’s doing brilliantly. Very advanced at school, more likely to draw and write with the right, and does more physical stuff with the left - eg play with a character toy, or pick up cards etc. When doing any intricate arts or crafts he’ll use both, and sometimes colours with both.

It’s not something that needs to be worried about at this stage, because you won’t know if it’s a strength or an issue until he’s at least 4-5 so you’ll have to let it take a natural course.

Is there any other concern?

DS was ambi until Year 2. School asked what we wanted to do when he was in Reception and we asked for them to go with his flow.

He settled on right hand for writing (because it was easier in class as all their elbows were going the same way) and does everything else left handed (bat/racquet sports, eating, painting etc.)

His handwriting was a bit messy and small until he was about 11 and it has settled into a small, neat, non-cursive hand.