What should I do if my baby likes to use his left hand?

The older generation believes that left-handed people are the odd ones out and have bad connotations. Compared to most people, left-handed people also have some things in life that are not familiar to them. Plus, they themselves are not left-handed, so they have preconceived ideas and want to correct their left-handed baby when they see him or her. In fact, the left hand and the right hand are the same.

However, our dominant hand is actually a natural state. During the stage of growth and learning, forcing children to correct their left-handedness and use their right hand is equivalent to forcing children to do things they are not good at. It is easy to undermine children's self-confidence and even affect their willingness to learn new things. Parents really don’t need to force it too much. Why not let children develop freely by letting nature take its course!

Development of handedness

The age of 3-5 is the period when children develop their dominant hand. Before this, most children use both hands and do not pay particular attention to which hand they use. Parents can use toys, such as building blocks and puzzles, to promote children's sensory integration, hand-eye coordination and the development of small hand muscles.

When the child is 6-7 years old, the signs of the child's dominant hand will be obvious, and parents will find that the child particularly likes to use one hand. If the child goes to school early, group activities will stimulate the child's desire to learn and will also make the dominant hand show up early.

Are left-handed people smarter because their right brains are more developed?

According to research, the left brain has the functions of the right brain, and the right brain also has the functions of the left brain, but the focus of the division of labor is different. There is no definite evidence that left-handed people are smarter. On the contrary, statistics can show that left-handedness is somewhat related to genetics. If both parents are left-handed, there is a more than 50% chance that the child will also be left-handed!

How to make life easier for left-handed children

Nowadays, it is very convenient to buy tableware, scissors, and other daily necessities for left-handed people on the market. Parents can consider buying them at the right time. But in fact, even left-handed people can use right-handed tools smoothly after practice. Not only will life not be inconvenient, but it will also give people the impression of being very flexible. That is why we often see people who are obviously left-handed, writing and eating with their left hand, but using a computer mouse or playing tennis with their right hand.

The left hand is as good as the right hand

Whether left-handed or right-handed, letting children use their dominant hand can enhance their learning patterns and is beneficial to their brain development, and does not require deliberate correction. If children feel different from others and have a sense of inferiority after entering school, parents should encourage their children more and not dwell on the issue of dominant hand. They should help them discover their strengths and cultivate their self-confidence, so that left-handed children can also have their own future.