what age can you tell what "handed" your toddler will be?

[casmi]

My 2 yr old (she'll be 3 in 3 mo) uses her left hand Primarily, but from time to time I find her using her right hand too. When do you know *for sure* which "handed" they will be?

Maybe she will be ambidextrous???

[Clarity]

I still switch a little but only on certain tasks...I would guess she's probably a lefty...

[3boysmom]

My oldest two were right-handed from the start - rarely saw them do anything with their left hands. DS #3 (now 5.5 years) has always used both hands pretty evenly. We keep waiting for him to "pick a hand" but it appears that he never will. His name has six letters and he ALWAYS writes the first three with his left hand and then switches to his right for the last three. He throws with both and kicks equally well (we're a big soccer family) with both feet. We think this is very cool!

[Kirsten]

Our dd1 used both hands depending on task (would draw with one but eat with the other for example) when she was one, two, early three. But she did seem to use her left a lot when most kids were primarily using their right. Neither dh or I are left handed. She is left handed (now is almost 7 years old) and we could tell for sure when she was three.
Dd2 is not even 2 1/2 but it is obvious already that she is right handed.
We never made a big deal about it either way (not "oh how cool is that?" or "bummer....") It has not seemed to be a problem for her so far. It took her a little longer to use scissors than most kids as she held them turned really funny but of course she figured it out. She is very good at art, athletics, writing - doesn't seem to factor in for her.
Kirsten

[GruppieGirl]

Try having your toddler walk up the stairs. Whatever foot they start with will usually be the dominant side.

[teachma]

I've been a 2nd grade teacher for 6 years, and almost without exception, parents of righties say their kids "never" or "almost never" used the left hand at all! Parents of left handed kids (like my 2.5 year old) say their kids switched between both for a long time before settling on the left. I would say that by the time my son was 2, I knew he was left handed. But my mom told me when he was about 6 months old that he's be a lefty because she thought he favored his left way more than any right handed baby (she had 3 herself).

[TaylorMade]

My 2 oldest dd's favored their left hands from the beginning, and are both left-handed. I made sure to hand them things in the middle, and let them choose.

My #3 dd is only 1 yo, but she uses her right more than my older 2 did at this age.

I read an interesting study a long time ago (wish I had the link) that most left-handers are oldest children.

LeAnn

[serenetabbie]

Both my kids are left handed. I could tell from the time they started to eat with utensils and scribble....about 18 months or so. They would both look at us (both righties) from time to time and try to copy us by using the right hand, but would get frustrated and go back to the left. I thought they were lefties before 18 months, but IMo with little babies it is hard to tell! I have heard it is hereditary....and all the men on my father's side of the family are left handed (and most of them are color blind too). This theroy of only the men being lefties was shot down when DD turned out to be left handed!

[teachma]

Hereditary for sure. My dh is left handed, as are 5 of his 6 maternal aunts and uncles. FWIW, my ds also inherited other recessive genes from dh: reddish hair, blue eyes.

[Mothernature]

I didn't think heredity played a part in it at all. I always heard that it is individual. I tend to believe that because both my parents are lefties and neither me nor my brother are. In fact, my parents are the only lefties in the whole familly on either side. My father's parents (old school/different thread) tried to force him to be right handed, but it didn't work. Now he can use his right hand but prefers the left. (Excellent athlete I might add.) DD seems to be right handed at almost 26months.