::sigh:: handedness

AgrippaRidesAgain

I thought for sure that he had decided that he was a righty for everything but tball batting and riding his scooter, but DS's teacher asked me if he had hand dominance yet, because he was consistently writing/coloring with his left but cutting with his right. Anyone have a 4.5 year old that hasn't picked yet?

rsd12

We went through this in kindergarten last year, and we asked him to pick a hand to write with and use that everyday. We knew he was a lefty, but when his hand got tired he would switch to the right. Fortunately that worked for him and he stopped switching.

angelrue522

Mine has struggled with this. At first he wanted nothing to do with writing or coloring. He always used his left hand for writing and coloring but right for everyhting else. His teacher at school says she had him try with is right hand and he is much better with that hand, but he prefers his left. He has also gotten very discouraged with himself because he knows that his letters don't look like they should and I am wondering if it is because he is using his left hand. Now we have no idea if he is right or left handed.

ridesbuttons

Me.  Except he's 5.5.

*shrug*

He'll figure it out eventually.

lite-bright

Yes. DD1 will write with one hand and then switch to the other mid-drawing. 

Both my mom and my DH are somewhat ambidextrous, so I kind of expect that this is going to be an ongoing thing and she may switch her dominant hand based on what she's doing.  

alliejo725

I'm just lurking (and DD is a ways off from developing handedness), but....I don't get it. I'm left-handed, but I've always used my right for scissors. I grew up with several lefties who used their right hand for sports, too. I know very, very few left-handed people who only use their left hand for everything. The world isn't made for us. We adapt.

Is ambidextria not acceptable anymore? I always thought it'd be preferrable...

AgrippaRidesAgain

alliejo725:

I'm just lurking and DD is a ways off from developing handedness, but....I don't get it. I'm lefthanded, but I've always used my right for scissors. I grew up with several lefties who used their right hand for sports, too. I know very, veryvery few lefthanded people who only use their left hand for everything. The world isn't made for us. We adapt.
Is ambidextria not acceptable anymore? I always thought it'd be preferrable...

I am right handed except for hitting with a baseball bat. DS has been acting right handed with the exception of batting and using his scooter for about six months, so I thought he had picked, that is all. It was a surprise to be asked about it by his teacher today.

wellfleet04

-auntie-:

Handedness is often later to appear in kids who have atypical or delayed development. Mixed dominance- eye, foot and hand- not on the same side is also common among those with developmental glitches.

Most kids get there around 3-ish. DS, who has Aspergers, ADHD and dyslexia was pretty late to show true hand dominence. He was fairly ambidextrous but this was  a function of not being able to cross the midline and fatigue associated with low tone than some "gift". Even now, he'll bat or play tennis left handed but primarily writes and draws right handed since about age 8. Interestingly, he has 4 dyslexic cousins on his dad's side of the family who are left handed; 3 have mixed dominance (not sure about the other two). One made the USAFA for tennis and is a pilot.

When DS was evaluated for enrollment in a fancy lab reading school, their questionaire had over a page on handedness.

This.  DD has some gross and fine motor delays and low tone issues, including late hand dominance.  It was flagged in her evaluation at 3.5.   For us, it was one of many indications that she had something atypical going on.  OT has helped tremendously to reinforce her left hand (preferred) for writing and drawing.  She still uses her right for scissors and some sports, and her right leg/foot is much stronger than her left.

alliejo725

AgrippaRidesAgain:

alliejo725:

I'm just lurking and DD is a ways off from developing handedness, but....I don't get it. I'm lefthanded, but I've always used my right for scissors. I grew up with several lefties who used their right hand for sports, too. I know very, veryvery few lefthanded people who only use their left hand for everything. The world isn't made for us. We adapt. Is ambidextria not acceptable anymore? I always thought it'd be preferrable...

I am right handed except for hitting with a baseball bat. DS has been acting right handed with the exception of batting and using his scooter for about six months, so I thought he had picked, that is all. It was a surprise to be asked about it by his teacher today.

Ahhh, gotcha. I guess I thought it was a weird question from the teacher, too. I'd think she would know enough about handedness in children to know what he's doing is very normal.