To The Left or To The Right?

While you won’t really know if your child is left-handed or right-handed before he 2 or 3, there are some signs that may give you a hint, and some kids show a clear preference for one or the other as early as 18 months. Keep in mind though that some children remain ambidextrous until they’re 5 or 6 years old.

Hand dominance is very much influenced by genetics. If you and your partner are both left-handed, your child has a 45 to 50 percent chance of being left-handed as well (compared to about 10% of the general population).

Trying to influence her hand preference is useless and will result in confusion and frustration for her. While it’s true that genetics is not the only determining factor, your child’s nervous system is hardwired one way or the other.

While you shouldn’t try to change her, you can support her once you start to realize that she leans one way or another, especially if it looks like she is going to be left-handed. For example, you can get her scissors designed for people who are left-handed, and while eating, you can make sure to place her somewhere she won’t bump arms and elbows with whoever is sitting next to her.

If you’re right-handed but your child is left-handed, you can try using the mirror method, where she sits across from you and does what you do, instead of next to you, as if she was your reflection.

Reference:

http://www.babycenter.com/404_when-will-i-know-whether-my-child-is-a-righty-or-a-lefty_70388.bc