Confused - My son is Left / Right handed ?

shaluiyer · Oct 31, 2009

Hi Ladies

I have a son who is 2 years and 9 months old. He started going to Play school and the teachers started making him to write the number '1' . There is no issues in his concentration level or his interest towards studies. But, the problem is I am still confused "If his is a right handed or a Left Handed?"

Majority of his work is being done by his left hand. However, i do see him using right hand these days. Kindly help me to know to find out if he is lefty or a right handed When I give him a pencil to write, he scribble in left hand first and moves to right hand after a while.

shel_28 · Oct 31, 2009

Hi Shaluiyer,
I think your son has a left hand personality. In school, they might have practised him to write in right hand. So he does the same thing when you give the pencil to him. There is no problem in it.
Just read this too...
My tenant's daughter is 3 years now. Whenever I give her pen or pencil to write, she 'll use left hand only. If I make her to write in right hand, next moment she'll shift the pencil to left hand. Even when she was a toddler, she did the same thing. So we left it as such.

shaluiyer · Oct 31, 2009

Thanks Shel .

I would like to find out his habit before he goes to the regular school (LKG). Like you said I am going to leave him, in his way and see what happens. Thanks for sharing.

abhatv · Oct 31, 2009

Hi Shalu,
My second son is left handed for only writing whereas he eats with right hand. My brother is also left handed in writing and eating but all other things he does with the left hand. I remember my parents had forced him to write withe right hand. But by the time I became a parent we knew much about these things and even doctors advise us to leave them as they are. No forcing to do anything other than how the child wishes to do...........

Varloo · Oct 31, 2009

Hi,
it may take some time to find out if a child is left handed or right handed. Initially they use both hands. This is what my experience says.
My son had had several MRIs and CT scans due to his neuro problems and in the report it said that he is right handed. He is 18 now and uses left hand for many things though he writes with his right hand. He feels comfortable using his left for some work and right for some others. Even my paternal uncle is like that, he uses right for writing but for cutting vegetables and other work, he uses left hand.Even my niece is like that. SO wait for some time.

tikka · Oct 31, 2009

Gotta agree with Varloo. Children start out being ambidextrous, in the later stages showing preference for one hand over the other. It does not mean they will do every task with their dominant hand. I, for instance, am more comfortable performing day to day tasks with my left. If I am eating with cutlery, I prefer eating with my left. But I have to eat, cook and do the heavy work around the garden with my right arm..
DS has not yet started writing (legibly). But he prefers to do with both hands at the blackboard.