Should I make my dd choose a hand to write with?

[Angel in FL]

I have never had a child who can do everything with both hands. It is crazy! She can write, color, cut, etc. the same with both hands. She switches and even colors with both at the same time. :001_huh:

 

So, should I just go with it or tell her to write with the same one each time? She will be 4 in January.

[johnandtinagilbert]

No. Most children will naturally choose a favorite at some point, if at all. Leave her be :001_smile:

[Amie]

Yes, I agree; I'd give it a little more time. I've seen children who didn't settle with a hand until closer to 5 or 6 (and then sometimes still try to use the other hand).

[The Governess]

I have a 3yo that does the same thing! She colors for hours because when one hand gets tired she can just switch. :D I keep wondering when she is going to choose a side...

[Angel in FL]

Ok, we'll let it go. It just really seems odd. :)

[5wolfcubs]

I have never had a child who can do everything with both hands. It is crazy! She can write, color, cut, etc. the same with both hands. She switches and even colors with both at the same time. :001_huh:

 

So, should I just go with it or tell her to write with the same one each time? She will be 4 in January.

 

I'm just going with it! My 4yo ds is the same way. He never colors with both at the same time but switches a lot while coloring/eating with a fork. Either he'll choose a hand or he's truly ambidextrous...it doesn't matter!

[tdeveson]

No. She will either choose a hand when she's neurologically ready, or she'll be ambidextrous. (I'd like to be ambidextrous!)

 

Seriously, all you can do is mess her up if you start forcing her to use one or the other.

[Amie]

Ok, we'll let it go. It just really seems odd. :)

It is a little less common. Most, if not all (can't remember) of the children I knew who took much longer to "choose" a hand turned out to be lefties--we have a few in my family. And often they, like my father, remained a bit more ambidextrous than us righties. :001_smile:

[IsabelC]

My dd aged 4 appears to be lefthanded with most things, however today she had her first ever formal writing lesson, and she switched hands 5 times during the 5 or 10 minute session! Thing is, I'm not sure whether (a) she really can't decide or is ambidextrous with writing, or (b) she is totally lefthanded but tries to use her right hand to copy her brother. She is very much into doing everything he does. One day I actually said to her, "If G jumped off a cliff, would you jump off too?" Her response: "Yes!" (without hesitation). Then, a few seconds later, "Mama, what's a cliff" :lol:

[Ellie]

I always put the writing implement or spoon/fork in dd's right hand, but didn't make a big deal about if if she switched. I just helped her little fingers make as correct a grip as possible for her age.

[canadianmum]

My 8 yr old was the same (switched merrily and handily from right to left), and about a year ago, I noticed that she held her writing tool better in her right hand, so suggested that, for consistency in her writing, she stick to that one; but it's funny: she does write with her right hand, but still often will colour or even draw a she switches back and forth. And, as has been suggested, right now it's not something that we make a huge deal over.

blessings,

Nancy.

[nd293]

I don't have any experience with this, but do know of a child who wrote with both hands but swapped in the middle of the page (if I understood the mother correctly). This had to do with "crossing the midline" (or rather, not crossing the midline) and did need some remedial action to correct. She was still ambidexterous, but they resolved the midline issue.

 

Fascinating stuff!

[Ester Maria]

I was ambidextrous as a child, the only one in my family (all of my immediate family were righties, but we had a couple of other family members who were lefties). I was truly ambidextrous till the age of 8-9, but I don't remember anyone ever made a big deal out of it.

Then a weird thing occurred, I noticed that I preferred to draw with my left hand, but to write with my right one. Or it was me to put that idea in my mind, not sure. Anyway, for about a year or two more I used both hands, but really began to switch to writing with the right and draw with both, and then somewhere in the process I completely switched to the right one. It all happened very naturally.

 

Both my daughters are natural righties, even though they tried both hands as toddlers and young kids, it was quite soon obvious they would end up preferring the right hand.