Visit our online shop for your left-handed productsInfants & Left-handedness
Question from Left Handers Club member Celina:
First I want to start by saying thank-you for this newsletter dedicated to our unique attribute of left-handedness. I find it very informative and enjoyable.
I was wondering if you have any information and/or research on infants and hand preference. How early can hand preference be determined? Additionally, what do you know about genetics influencing hand preference? I have a 3 month old son who has recently starting sucking on his hands, but shows a strong preference for his left. I am a lefty and my other child, a 11 year old daughter, is a lefty. I find it amusing that if indeed my infant son is left handed, that both
my children came out like me – a lefty.
Lauren has written and guide to Helping your left-handed pre-school child and there is also a lot of information on it in her book Your Left-Handed Child.
Also, Keith did an article about the Chances of having a left-handed child.
Our own children both showed a strong hand preference almost as soon a they were born (one left-handed and one right-handed, even though Keith and Lauren are both left-handed) but it seems that some children can take to the age of 2 or 3 to show a strong preference. The main thing is to leave the child to come to their own conclusions as they develop and not try to force them to change.
There have been two recent newsletter articles about this that generated a lot of response from members and you may find useful:
The effect of changing left to right handed
Update on changing left-handers to right
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I could tell my 2-year-old was right handed as soon as he started to pick things up on his own, so am waiting to see if my second little boy (only 2 months old now) is going to be a leftie like me!
I’m over 40 now but years ago my mother told me that from a very early age she told my dad I was going to be left-handed and that was the hand I used when things were held up for me to take.
From what mum has said i was still at the crawling stage rather than walking.
I watched my four grandchildren as they began using their hands. I wanted to see signs of which hand each one preferred. I noticed my third grandchild, a boy, was a leftie at a very early age. But, because his dad and granddad taught him to bat and do sports in a right handed way, he developed a skill with both hands. But, as he started to K this year, his left hand dominance became more pronounced. I told the family not to make him to things in a right handed way. Let the child do what is comfortable for him. He will make the decision that is best for him.
Always encourage lefties as you would righties. Don’t make them “special” or treat them in a different way. Just let them be as they are. They will be comfortable with their own style.