When will i know whether my baby is a righty or a lefty

Baby's preference for her/his right or left hand may start to appear as early as 6 to 9 months of age. Even so, we won't be able to determine true right- or left-handedness until your child is 2 or 3 years old, when she/he will begin to favor the same hand consistently. And some children may be ambidextrous (using both hands equally) until they're 5 or 6, when they finally make a choice.

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. About 10 percent of people are left-handed.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. If your baby seems to be using one hand exclusively before she's 18 months old, however, talk to your pediatrician, as early hand dominance may be a sign of motor development problems.

As you watch your baby's motor skills develop, remember that it's not a good idea to attempt to influence her hand preference. While genetics alone don't entirely explain why someone ends up right-or left-handed, hardwiring of your child's nervous system is at least part of the reason. 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.