My son will be 3 in November. Since he was about 1 we noticed that he preferred doing things with his left hand. He eats with it, colors, throws a ball, kicks ect. He even walks up the stairs left foot first. I have no problem with him being left handed. My question is he still often colors with both hands or even seems to use his right more recenly. I have told him to put the crayon in his left hand. Since I assume he is left handed. Do I need to do this? I homeschool and we have just begun doing a little preschool work with him while big sis does her work. I want him to learn to write properly, but which hand do I make him use? Any other mom's out there have advise on how to help him finally pick which hand to use?
Thanks everyone for your input. I will just let it be for now and wait to see what he decides.
Let him use the hand he prefers. I can do EVERYTHING with BOTH of my hands and so can all 3 of my daughters, with 2 of them favoring their left hands only to write.
I would not tell him which hand to use, just let him do what feels most comfortable to him. My daughter is left handed and my middle son is ambidextrous (or "both handed" has he calls it). He seemed to be a lefty (eating, throwing a ball, etc) but actually started using his right hand when it came to coloring and writing.
Do not tell him which hand to use, that is very confusing for them. He is still testing the waters as to what feels best to him and let him figure it out himself. I have twins, one right, one left. Being left handed is great especially for boys and sports and it's even better if he can do things both ways. He will figure it out soon, just let it be.
Just hand him whatever writing instrument and let him decide. I'm a leftie and I've never had a problem in this right-handed world.
I had a friend who could write with both hands AT THE SAME TIME. Amazing. I have never seen anything like it before or since. She could also write backwards and upside down. Not everybody learns the same, nor should we. Let your son decide which hand he prefers, and enjoy every moment of every thing he does to learn. This time in his life won't last long.
I remember looking this up because my son seemed to prefer to use his left hand, although still used both. What I read actually said that if they only use one hand, to worry. Their brain is developing so quickly, they will be ambidextrous for a bit, but will most likely pick a hand for specific things at about 5. Don't force one way or the other, and don't even mention it. Let him figure it out on ability, and not pressure.
I agree with Cindy, let him use which ever hand he prefers. My son WAS a left handed writer, but after he went to school he now writes with his right. He does everything left handed, plays football, shoots a gun, plays baseball and yep even starts with his left foot when walking/running. I wouldn't just let your son choose. Eventually he will prefer one hand over the other.
My daughter is 3 and she still uses both hands. I asked her doctor about it and she said just let her go, she will most likely pick one over the other by age 5. I am kind of hoping she remains ambidextrous but that is unlikely. So, to answer your question, I have no advice on which hand he should use. I would just let him decide on his own.
Don't make him use a hand. Just let him pick up the crayon. No pressure, he will figure it out. Could be he is even ambidextorous? My husband is and he uses his right to write and his left for sports. You can't make him do anything - however he picks up the pencil, let him go with it even if it is different every time.
I have two lefties. At 3 he may not have decided which hand he prefers for every activity. Eventually he will pick one, or maybe he'll continue to use both. I wouldn't discourage using one hand or the other.
No, let nature take its course.
I'm predominant left with writing, eating, etc. But, I'm predominant right in other activities. Encourage him to use both. We're in a right-dominated world, but I like being different.
I'd personally encourage him to use both (our daughter is 2.5 and does the same thing) until his natural tendencies take over. Having the natural ability to use both will come in handy throughout his life.
If he does do predominant left, just make sure to teach him to hold his pencil like a right handed-person. It was the best thing I learned in 3rd grade.
throw a ball and see which hand he picks it up with and try to get him to throw it and you will know right or left. my oldest was ambidextrious till public school made him right handed for thier convience. he does everything better with his left though.if he can throw left handed and plays baseball if he becomes a pitcher a right handed batter cant hit off a left handed pictcher. a right handed pitcher cant pitch to a left handed batter. I used to make mine swing hit depending on the pitcher if the pitcher was left he would bat left he would get walked everytime. so let him stay ambidextrious.
Don't encourage either hand use. Just hand him a crayon/pencil and let him decide.
Why can't he be proficient with both? I would let him us which ever he feels most comfortable with. I can do sign language with either hand. :)
he could be ambidextrous.. can use both hands.. Just let he do activities and tasks with which ever hand he wants.. he may eventually pick one for certain tasks and the other hand for other tasks..
I'm a left-hander, so I speak from experience. Let him experiment, use either hand, eventually he will settle on one hand or the other, or you will see that his writing is better with one hand (encourage that hand). He might be able to things with both hands. I write, sew, and eat using my left but use sissors with my right (couldn't use sissors with my left to save my life). It's early days yet.
Do not try to pick his writing hand. Let him decide which is best. Don't nag him everyday about it. When it's time to color, let him color with the hand that suits him best. Some people can even write with both hands perfectly... my brother in law can.
My 4 year old is favoring his left hand over his right. My 8 year old daughter is also left handed. My 10 year old son is right handed. The only person I know to be left handed in my family is my Mom =)
Kids often use the left to begin with. It's a mirroring thing... if you are right handed they see you doing things with your Right hand which mirrored is their Left hand.
In the toddler/preschool years some kids stick with which ever hand they choose and some switch back and forth. You do not need to do anything, let your son determine. Try not to be partial for him, instead place crayons or eating utensils directly in the middle so he has the option to use whichever hand he wants.
Hope this helps!
I'm a lefty and so are 2 of my grandchildren (neither of my daughters though). My second grade teacher tied my left hand behind my back to force me to use my right hand. Needless to say, she only did it once - my father was furious (he was a lefty also). I write with my left, bowl with my right, bat with my left (unfortunately catch AND throw with my right - baseball never worked out for me) and eat with my right. I've had surgeries on both hands over the years and am thankful I was ambidextrious both times. My 5 year old granddaughter struggled when school started because she hadn't picked a hand yet, but her teacher told us that she was predominately left because that's the hand she used when working with scissors. Your little guy will figure it out - don't force the issue.
