Determining Left hand or right hand

[OkiMom]

My 3 year old is really curious about writing and coloring within the lines (she wants to do everything like Mommy does). Shes been struggling though and getting frustrated. Today she picked up the crayon with her left hand and started coloring. It was like 100 times better than anything she does with her right. Im wondering if she could be left handed. Eating she uses both hands pretty well, she throws with both hands pretty well. The only thing she seems to do better with her left hand with is coloring and tracing/doing mazes. Is there a way to find out which hand to use? I don't want to try to push her into using the wrong hand, that happened to my brother and it took him years to adjust out of it. Finally they let him use his left hand and his school work improved a lot.
Personally, I don't care what hand she uses. I just don't want her getting frustrated and giving up things I know she loves to do (she loves mazes and will sit there with maze books open tracing the lines with her fingers).

[kittie313]

I just did a wait and see approach. 3 of my 4 kids have determined their dominancy, one lefty and 2 righties, and they did it right around their 4th birthday permanently (they started showing preference around 2yo though) We suspect that our 2yo will also be a lefty, giving us two of each (I'm a lefty and dh is a righty) But just give it time, she will pick one over the other. Don't encourage one over the other at all, just provide opportunities for her to develop her skills on her own terms. She'll pick the easier one, and it sounds like she may be picking soon (my girls preferred their dominant from early on but weren't consistent until they were close to 4yo, it was around their 3rd birthday that they each started using their dominant more and more)

[OkiMom]

Thanks! I usually let her do whatever she wants. I want her to enjoy cutting/coloring/mazes etc, not to worry about what hand she uses. Im a righty, my husband is as well but my half brother is a lefty (both his father and our mother were righties) so I know genetics aren't always everything. I just want her to love to learn and explore, not to have something forced on her (hence the reason Im doing the workbooks with her, I dislike workbooks for her age but she loves them.. she actually picked them out herself and asked me to get them for her).

[katelove]

I have heard that one way to test for left/right dominance is to throw the person an object to catch. They will automatically step forward with the foot on the dominant side. No idea how reliable it is though. Sounds like what you're doing is fine. Maybe if she was stuggling with something you could suggest she try with the other hand to see if it's easier for her?

[deditus]

I don't think there is anything wrong with being ambidextrous, is there? I write with my left hand and eat with either hand, but I do everything else with my right hand (use scissors, throw, crochet, etc).