At what age can you tell if your baby will be left or right handed? ?

Question

I heard you cant know for sure until 3 or 4. is that true? how old was your baby when they showed a preference?

Answer 1

I was never sure until they started drawing or writing.

Answer 2

With my 5th child I knew at about 3 months - he sucked the same two fingers as his siblings, but on the other hand! However we couldn't be absolutely sure until he was around 18 months.

Answer 3

Our now two year old son started showing preference around 9 months old.  He is right handed.  I noticed as he ate his Gerber puffs or diced fruits/veggies that he always used his right hand to pick them up with.  Once he began to use a spoon, he used his right hand right off the bat.  He was quite obvious :)

Our three month old daughter has been showing preference to her left hand when chewing on her fist, but I think it's a little too early to know what hand she will use predominately.  

Answer 4

My oldest will be 4 in December and majority of the time he uses his right hand but I do catch him using his left hand sometimes, especially when he eats. He also sometimes will pick up his fork with his left hand and then transfer it to his right hand.

My youngest is almost 9 months and I really can't tell yet. He usually sucks his right fist but he grabs for a toy with both hands instead of just one at the moment.

I guess you will be able to tell for sure when they start coloring/drawing. Whichever hand the use to color will probably decide if they're righty or lefty.

Answer 5

i think it is at about that age. i read that some kids start showing a preference when they are only 2, some are much later.

i dont have children. i think i was 4 when it most obvious, at the time when i was first taught to write.  

Answer 6

i agree, i'd say about 3 or 4, my brother was about 3 when we realised

Answer 7

around age 3 is right. my daughter favored mostly left untill she was about 3, then stuck with the right hand since then.

Answer 8

  my sister found out when my nieces were 6mo. old - just hang a toy in front of them and see what hand they use to grab it.

Answer 9

i believe my son was about 2yrs old when i noticed he was left handed ;)

Answer 10

when he is 1 becuz you can put the bottle infront of him watever hand he reaches out with is his dominant hand

Answer 11

It's around 3 or 4. Babies are pretty ambidextrous but will "favor" a hand. My son didn't start to show he was left handed until he was almost 5.

Answer 12

I think you are correct - around 3 or 4.  My son does things with both hands but seems to favor his left hand.  He seems to more coordinated with his left hand - picking up food to feed himself, etc.  But I was told that may change as he gets older.

http://1sttimeparents-whatdowedonow.blog...

Answer 13

dianee is correct, don't know why someone gave her thumbs down.

That's how we test for it in schools.

You place something in front of the child and which hand they use is how you know- left or right.  If you like me on the other hand- I do it 50/50 and could have been left or right handed.  I am left handed though because when writing- even though I could write right- I preferred left.  But I can only cut, bat and do certain things with my right- LOL.

So it's not an exact science but using which had the child uses the most is your first clue.

Answer 14

if you keep handing toys, food, items into your baby's right hand. if he keeps picking things up with his right hand, his right handed. very easy. if you tend to put things in his left hand, guess what, he's gonna be left handed. very simple.

Answer 15

I have twins and one is left handed, the other right and I could tell at about 2 years old.  Although now she is 10 she is starting to use her right more.....