Writing with both hands

[ChristusG]

My DD5 years old writes with both hands. She just occasionally switches back and forth when in the middle of practicing writing letters and numbers during school work. She does it effortlessly. I've asked her which hand feels better to write with and she says both. Is this normal? Will it probably taper off and she'll settle on a hand? Or is it possible she will always be able to use both?

[gingersmom]

My son did the same thing but he was in private OT at the time. They highly recommended that he write with only one hand. That even people that are ambidextrous still have a dominant hand. They say it can become very difficult for children when they switch back and forth.

 

He learned to write with his right hand.

 

The funny thing is that in the past 6 months he has been eating with both his right and left hands. At first I could not figure out what was different. Then I realized he would start with the fork in his right hand and then end with it in his left hand. Back and forth very unconsciously.

 

I have not seen him write with left hand in a while but I have no doubt he would have no troubles.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

My ds6 always favored his right hand, but ds5 uses both equally to eat, throw, etc. He can write equally well with either hand, but seems to prefer writing with his right hand.

[coffeefreak]

My dd did this up until 7 years old. Then, I talked to Dianne Craft at one of her seminars. There's a whole host of reasons why we have to help them "choose" a hand, but the main one is the brain making proper connections. My dd is still ambidextrous, but she writes with her right hand. Check out Dianne's website. She has exercises to do with your dd that will help her choose.

 

I just wanted to add this note, I was at her seminar because we were struggling in math, and with writing reversals. Her writing reversals were due to her never "choosing" a hand. I can't find the article she gave me at the time on her website, but she was VERY helpful and within 8 weeks of doing her "Writing 8" exercise, my dd was not reversing letters and was writing with her right hand. If you call her number or e-mail her, I'm sure she'll respond. At the time (3-4 years ago) I found a website that had some "dominance tests" that proved she was ambidexterous. I can't find those sites now, but here's some other sites that might be helpful:

 

http://www.puzzle.dse.nl/tests/index_us.html

 

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/rightl.html

 

HTH!

Dorinda

[AuntieM]

My dd did that until she was close to 5. She comfortably settled into using her right hand at about 5 to 5.5 years old. She has always been very artistic.

 

DH's aunt is, to this day, ambidextrous, but I think she chooses to use her right hand. I am curious, now, if she was "encouraged" to do it by teachers, etc. FIL is a lefty.

[Tap]

I agree that a child should have a dominate hand for writing so they don't have to readjust the paper position back and forth.

[mysticamethyst]

None of my kids are but I am . I can write with both hands but predominately use my right, but only for writing. I use my left for everything else, be it chopping food to shooting a gun. I have HUGE problems with math and mixing up letters while writing or typing out words. I am not sure if one thing has anything to do with the other but find it interesting after reading what coffefreak wrote. :001_smile:

[mellifera]

Dd did this when she starting writing. I finally told her to pick a hand and stick with it. She uses her right hand to write with now (mostly) but is somewhat ambidexterous.