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Behaviour/development

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Original poster

Left-handed or right-handed - At what age do children usually 'decide'?

38 replies

coppertop · 19/09/2004 12:33

Ds2 is 19 months old and has been very obviously left-handed for a long time. I first noticed this when he was about 10 or 11 months old but assumed he was going through the usual process of trying out his left hand before switching to his right and then back again etc. He does use his right hand if he's doing something that needs both hands but otherwise is very definitely left-handed.His fine-motor skills are excellent and he can already do a lot of things that ds1 (4yrs) can't.

It's not that I mind him being a leftie. Dh is left-handed and so is BIL. I'm just concerned that this is a little early to be so obviously one way or the other. When did your child 'decide' one way or the other?

OP posts:

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KangaMummy · 20/09/2004 11:21

DS is LH DH and me are both RH.

He was born at 27 weeks he was def. LH before 12 months [corrected age] and his neonatal consultant said that in womb they switch from left to right and that depending which "zone" they are in at birth determines LH or not.

This is if not genes.

eldestgirl · 20/09/2004 12:34

I am RH, DH is LH and it looks as if DS1 (3) and DS2 (14 mos) are both left handed. This is beginning to be hard work for me, as I have to remember to put the mug on the left hand side (or it has a greater chance of being knocked over) and I have to demonstrate writing with my left hand and whisk cakes on the LHS or DS1 gets very confused. Both of them showed a distinct preference for their LH very early on.

lou33 · 20/09/2004 12:41

Am sure ds2's ot said choosing hand preference can be as late as 5. Ds was only using his left hand until he was about 2 1/2, now he uses both. He is 3 1/2.

NomDePlume · 20/09/2004 12:46

I'm RH and DH is RH.

DS1 (from Dh's first marriage to another RH) is LH,
DS2 (from same relationship) is RH
2 year old DD is LH

DD always appeared to be using her left hand, even from being tiny. I would say that I think she 'decided' at around 12 months old. Both my parents are LH, both DH's parents were RH.

Prettybird · 20/09/2004 13:32

The funny thing is, ds doesn't seem to be at all confused by the fact that dh and I are both left handed. He will quite happliy whick with his right hand, after I have shown him with my left hand.

We have warned the nursery though - just in case he does show confusion.

Dh and I both play golf right handed. I will (clay pigeon) shoot from my right shoulder, as I am right eyeed, and dh does it from his left shoulder, as he is left eyed. He insists he couldn't learn to play the flute becasue they didn't have left handed flutes - whereas I had no prblmes playing a flute "normally" - you use both hands after all . And whoever heard of a "left handed piano"!!!

My Mum is left handed, as was her grandfather. Dh is not sure about his family - but then, his relaitves could have been "suppressed" left handers - as he himself very nearly was (but his mum soon put a stop to that!)

lou33 · 20/09/2004 14:00

Dh was told that he is lefthanded, but was forced to be right handed as a child, which explains his appalling handwriting.

throckenholt · 20/09/2004 14:05

my twins are 20 months - one is left handed the other is right handed - has been that way for at least 4 months I guess.

lydialemon · 20/09/2004 14:15

lou33 - I had the same experience, I remember having my sleeve pinned to my back to stop me using my left hand.

FionaJT · 20/09/2004 14:24

Hi,
My Mum tells me that when I started to write it was with my LH and then I decided to change, which caused no end of confusion and meant I did unintentional mirror writing for quite a while in the early years of school. I can remember until quite late on looking at 3, 5 and s and not knowing which way round they should go. (My Dad is LH & my Mum RH btw)

suedonim · 20/09/2004 14:39

Ds1 used to write or paint on the l-hand side of a piece of paper with his l-hand and with his r-hand on the r-hand side!! I don't think he ever mirror wrote, though.

susanmt · 20/09/2004 16:00

How to tell : give your child a toilet roll tube and ask them to look through it like a telescope. The EYE that they put it to, NOT the hand that they pick it up with, shows their natural inclination (bit of total trivia I picked up from dh at some point - doesn't work if your child has visual problems).

Prettybird · 20/09/2004 16:16

But Susanmt - "eyed-ness" is not necessarily and indication of "handedness". There are many people who are "right eyed" but are also left handed (me and my mum for example!).

(The test that Susanmt is describing is one of the ways of determining which is your dominant eye)

Carameli · 21/09/2004 08:44

Just seen this thread which is really interesting. My dd is one and seems to use her LH and RH quite a bit, does not seem to have a major preference yet, but thumb seems mainly to be the LH.

My parents were both RH and they had two children who were LH and one RH. My brother & I are both lefties, he is more so than me. i.e I can only play a guitar the RH way, but he has to have it re-strung. I use scissors in my RH and was taught to write with my left hand but hold my pencil like a RH person. He holds his pencil in a typical LH way(sort of a curved hand) which meant he had trouble using proper handwriting pens at school( but there is a great shop that sells everything left handed!!!)

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