

Should you force your child to use their right hand?
Big KidExpert AdviceToddler 2016-09-24 Henry Okafor 65

Many children around the age of three use both hands. But the choice of whether the child becomes left or right handed is inborn and should not be forced or guided. When one hand is consistently used more than the other hand, and is more skilled at tasks than the other hand, then that hand is considered the dominant one.
This is also referred to as hand preference. Your child’s preference for the right or left hand may start to appear as early as six to nine months of age. Even so, you won’t be able to determine true right or left-handedness until your child is two or three years old, when the child begins to favour the same hand consistently.
While children often swap hands in fine motor tasks, it is good for a child to develop strength and dexterity in one hand. This will help them to develop accuracy and speed with fine motor tasks, particularly handwriting. This does not mean the other hand gets neglected!
In fact, the other hand has an important role to play as the assistant hand, or “helper” hand – for example, holding the paper still while the dominant hand writes; manipulating the paper while the preferred hand cuts with scissors. Hand dominance is greatly influenced by genetics. If both you and your partner are left-handed, your child has a 45 to 50 percent chance of being left-handed as well.
There are four main types of handedness:
Right-handedness is most common, occurring in 70–90 per cent of the population. Right-handed people are more dexterous with their right hands when performing tasks.
About 10 per cent of the world population are left handed. Mixed-handedness, also known as cross-dominance, is being able to do different tasks better with different hands. For example, a mixed-handed person might write better with their left hand, but throw a ball more efficiently with their right.
Most left-handed people develop some mixed-handedness simply by living in a world where most everyday objects are suited for right-handed people, or by growing up with right-handed parents. Ambidexterity is exceptionally rare, although it can be learned. A truly ambidextrous person is able to do any task equally well with either hand.
If you’re curious about which side is going to become dominant in your baby, try offering her a tempting toy. If she’s started to develop a dominant hand, she’s more likely to use that one to reach for it.
As you watch your baby’s motor skills develop, remember that it’s not a good idea to attempt to influence her hand preference. Besides genetics, handedness in part also depends on your child’s nervous system.
Forcing her to use her right hand when she’s really a lefty is unlikely to work in the long run and will only confuse or frustrate her along the way. Remember that handedness is not a simple preference for one hand because the two hands actually work together in more subtle ways.
Latera Carr
2016-09-24 #1 AuthorNo you shouldn’t
Chnate
2016-10-11 #2 AuthorYour shouldn’t
Kiara Jackson
2016-10-26 #3 AuthorNo, it shouldn’t be a requirement. According to my mom, I was originally left handed but my grandma would make me switch hands whenever I did something. My daughter is left handed and I refuse to make her switch.
Cnedra
2016-09-24 #4 AuthorYou shouldn’t forced them to its whatever hand they was born to weite with.
Dess moore
2016-09-24 #5 AuthorNo not at all
jalea
2016-09-24 #6 AuthorNo you should not
Jerika
2016-09-24 #7 AuthorCute
Ciera Cason
2016-09-24 #8 AuthorNo you shouldn’t
Morgan
2016-09-24 #9 AuthorNo however I encouraged my son to use both hands.. I am even handed and that has become very handy in life…literally lol
Sierra R. Jones
2016-09-25 #10 AuthorNo. You child should use what ever hand they write with. Not to be forced to use their right.
Jamya
2016-09-30 #11 AuthorYou Are Completely Right Shouldn’t Know Child Be Forced To Write With There Right Hand .
Kayla
2016-09-25 #12 AuthorNo you should not , u should allow a child to be comfortable with any hand they want to write with.
Franchoise
2016-09-25 #13 AuthorThis is trae from Facebook
Tiara Hudson
2016-09-25 #14 AuthorNo you should force your child to write with their right hand!! You should let the use whichever hand they are comfortable with!!
LaQullia Tatum
2016-09-25 #15 AuthorNo, my sister is left handed and It seems like my baby is favoring her left hand more.
Zariah Codner
2016-09-25 #16 AuthorNo, I encourage my son to use both I believe when teaching children you such teach them things in ways that they will feel most comfortable.
Jakima
2016-09-25 #17 AuthorNo you shouldn’t it’s whatever comes natural
Sabrina lee
2016-09-25 #18 AuthorNo they shouldn’t
Charizma
2016-09-25 #19 AuthorI don’t think you should . Making someone use their right hand can confuse them in many ways.
Shamarie
2016-09-25 #20 AuthorNo because as a parent you should want your child to be their own unique self.
Keosha Jones
2016-09-25 #21 AuthorNo You Shouldn’t Force Your Child To With Right Hand You Should Let Thrm Write With Whichever Hand Is Comfortable With
Jalisa
2016-09-25 #22 AuthorI say no my older sister is left handed… Whichever hand the child is comfortable with is which hand they should write with.?
Stayc Paul
2016-09-25 #23 AuthorNot at all….. Let your child choose which hand is better for them.
Franchoise
2016-09-25 #24 AuthorNo u shouldn’t not all kids are blessings from god
Raquel
2016-09-25 #25 AuthorI don’t thing you should , my daughter is one and she uses both hands one day she will figure out which is her dominate!
Jasmine Alexis
2016-09-25 #26 AuthorAbsolutely NOT I’m Left handed and my daughter at the moment is writing with both hands I think whatever hand she is comfortable with using should be her choice
shagermany wiggins
2016-09-25 #27 AuthorI think you should let the child do what’s feels natural to them
Nykea M Williams
2016-09-25 #28 AuthorNo You Shouldnt, A child Should Be Able To Write With Which Ever Hand He/She Is Most Comfortable With!
Danielle
2016-09-25 #29 AuthorNo you shouldn’t, whatever hand they write with is the hand they right with. No child should be forced.
Destini Guerrier
2016-09-25 #30 AuthorNo , whatever they’re comfortable with you should let your child be .
Shauntell
2016-09-25 #31 AuthorI think you should let them use the hand they are comfortable with
Tyanisha Sargent
2016-09-25 #32 AuthorNo let them chose what hand they want to use.
Crystal
2016-09-25 #33 AuthorNot at all, should be by choice
Ashontia Harper
2016-09-25 #34 AuthorYou shouldn’t force your child , its their choice . But however its a great skill
Brianna price
2016-09-25 #35 AuthorNo you shouldn’t
Troy
2016-09-25 #36 AuthorNo! Some kids, like me. Are just left handed they can’t help the way they was born.
Martina
2016-09-25 #37 AuthorIt doesn’t matter what hand a child should write with as long as he and she can write and learn.
Kira blackburn
2016-09-25 #38 AuthorNo You Let Things Flow With Your Child If There Left Handed That’s Good They Are Different
lanetta
2016-09-25 #39 AuthorNO!!!!!!!! I DONT THINK YOU SHOULD FORCE YOUR CHILD TO WRITE WITH THEIR RIGHT HAND I FEEL YOU SHOULD JUST LET THEM DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THEM OR WHAT MORE COMFORTABLE FOR THE CHILD TO USE .
Chyna
2016-09-25 #40 AuthorNo you shouldn’t
Ahjah
2016-09-25 #41 AuthorNo! Go with whatever comes natural
Dj
2016-09-25 #42 AuthorNo Some Kids Are Comfortable And Able To Write Correctly And Neatly With Their Lefts .
Kayla bush
2016-09-25 #43 Author.No You Shouldn’t
Latika Amos
2016-09-25 #44 AuthorNo you should not have to force a child to only use one hand. They should be able to use the hand of their choice rather it’s their right or left hand. Some even are good at using both.
Shelly
2016-09-25 #45 AuthorI’m a Lefty and even because of that, I wouldn’t give my child to write with their right hand. Whatever hand God has blessed vet to write with is perfectly fine with me.
Shelly
2016-09-25 #46 AuthorI’m a Lefty and even because of that, I wouldn’t force my child to write with their right hand. Whatever hand God has blessed her to write with is perfectly fine with me
Meghin
2016-09-26 #47 AuthorNo You Shouldnt
Koko Anthony
2016-09-26 #48 AuthorI absolutely believe a child should be able to use their hand they’re most comfortable with.
Pashae Moore
2016-09-26 #49 AuthorNo you shouldn’t
Rhea Banono
2016-09-26 #50 AuthorNo,its up to them what hands would they use as long as they know how to write 🙂
Brittani
2016-09-26 #51 AuthorI have a left handed son I just encourage him as long as it’s comfortable for him I think it’s fine
Danielle
2016-09-26 #52 AuthorNo which ever hand they are comfortable writing with that’s the hand they should use..!
Abrielle
2016-09-26 #53 AuthorI don’t believe that you should force your child to use one hand more than the other. My son’s father is right-handed and I’m left-handed so it’ll be interesting to see which hand will be most dominant.
Mr Samson
2016-09-26 #54 AuthorI think it shouldn’t.
Miesha W.
2016-09-27 #55 AuthorNo you shouldn’t as long as he’s comfortable with the hand he is using
Laeisha White
2016-09-29 #56 AuthorNo! In my opinion I think you should let the child explore and use whatever hand he/she is most comfortable with.
Stephanie Carwell
2016-09-29 #57 AuthorNo you should not!!! But my son is able to write with both of his hands.
Nikki McNair
2016-09-29 #58 AuthorI wish my mom had’ve allowed me to be left handed. She said she switched the pen to my right hand and forced me to write with it. I’m so glad my little one is left handed. I think left handers are very smart.
Marquita
2016-09-30 #59 AuthorNo you shouldn’t force your child to write with their right hand. Allow them to write with whatever hand they were born to write with. More than likely it won’t work if you force them to use their opposite hand they will still switch to their other hand. My son is left handed and has been since he was able to hold an object. I tried to switch him in the beginning but it didn’t work.
Jamya
2016-09-30 #60 AuthorShould No Child Have To Be Forced To Write With There Right Hand You Should Be Able To Accept Which Hand They Write With .
Clevana Jordan
2016-10-03 #61 AuthorNo you should not make a child use their right hand whatever comes naturally should be allowed that’s messing with the child’s learning ability
Clevana Jordan
2016-10-03 #62 AuthorNo you shouldn’t because it will mess with the child’s learning ability
Chante Pray
2016-10-06 #63 AuthorI don’t think you should force a child to use their right hand. Let them explore the feel of both of their hands and make their decision. Eventually they’ll recognize which hand is stronger and more comfortable for them.
Charmin
2016-10-11 #64 AuthorNo
Jasmine Bohanan
2016-11-01 #65 AuthorI feel like moms should let their child choose which hand they want to use