Does your child pick up a crayon with their left hand, then swap it to their right? Do they eat with one hand but throw a ball with the other? Perhaps their nursery teacher has suggested encouraging them to use their right hand before they start school.
Should you intervene, or simply let nature take its course?
The answer is that hand preference is part of normal childhood development, and children should be allowed to discover which hand works best for them. For most people, the nervous system has a preference though - to be right handed, hence most of the population are.
There is, however, much more happening beneath the surface than simply choosing which hand to write with!
Why do we have a preferred hand?
Most people eventually develop a dominant hand, which they use for more precise activities such as writing, drawing, brushing their teeth or using tools. The other hand usually takes on a supporting role.
Think about opening a jam jar. One hand holds the jar steady while the other twists the lid. Or cutting paper, when one hand operates the scissors while the other moves and stabilises the paper.
This ability to coordinate both sides of the body is known as bilateral coordination.
Hand preference develops through a combination of brain development, movement experience and practice. It is not simply a habit that parents or teachers need to teach.
At what age should children become left- or right-handed?
Children develop at different rates, but there are general patterns to look for.
Birth to 12 months: Babies gradually develop reaching, grasping and transferring objects between hands. Both hands should be involved in exploration and play.
1–2 years: Toddlers become increasingly skilled at using their hands together. They may choose whichever hand is closest to a toy or object.
2–3 years: A preference may begin to emerge, although changing hands is still common.
3–5 years: Many children begin showing a more consistent preference during drawing, eating and other everyday activities.
5–7 years: Hand dominance and fine motor control often become increasingly established, although some children take longer.
These are approximate developmental stages, not rigid deadlines.
A child who changes hands at four years old is not automatically showing signs of a problem.
What matters is how their skills are progressing, whether both hands function comfortably and whether everyday activities are becoming easier.
Should parents or teachers encourage right-handedness?
No. There is no developmental advantage in making a naturally left-handed child use their right hand.
Historically, left-handed children were sometimes discouraged, corrected or even punished for using their preferred hand.
Fortunately, our understanding of neurological development has moved on!
Left-handedness is a normal variation in human development. It is not a defect, disability or sign of poor coordination.
Forcing a child to use the opposite hand can make tasks unnecessarily difficult and frustrating. It may reduce their confidence, particularly when learning to draw or write.
Instead, observe which hand they naturally choose when carrying out different activities.
Place crayons, toys and utensils directly in front of them rather than consistently on one side.
This gives the child the opportunity to choose without being influenced by where the object is positioned.
The aim is not to make the child right-handed. It is to help them become confident, coordinated and capable with the hands they have.
What if my child keeps swapping hands?
This is particularly common during the preschool years.
A child may start colouring with their right hand, become tired and switch to the left. Another may use their left hand for drawing but their right hand for throwing a ball. Some children also use the hand closest to an object rather than reaching across their body.
Gayle herself was especially ambi-dextrous as a child and has maintained much of this function as it is a HUGE advantage when treating clients!
This brings us to another important developmental skill.
Crossing the midline: a small movement with a big role
Imagine an invisible line running from the top of your child's head down through the middle of their body.
This is called the midline.
Crossing the midline means reaching across that imaginary line to the opposite side of the body.
For example:
Reaching across the body to pick up a toy.
Drawing a large horizontal line across paper.
Using one hand to wash the opposite arm.
Reaching across the body during action songs or games.
As children develop, crossing the midline becomes increasingly natural.
Some children avoid doing this. Instead, they may swap hands when an activity moves from one side of their body to the other, or turn their whole body to avoid reaching across.
Occasional behaviour like this is normal, particularly in younger children. However, persistent difficulty with crossing the midline, especially alongside problems with coordination or other everyday tasks, may be worth investigating.
What do balance, posture and the nervous system have to do with hand development?
Quite a lot!
Using the hands efficiently depends on much more than finger strength.
A child also needs sufficient trunk control, shoulder stability, balance, body awareness and visual-motor coordination.
For example, a child who finds sitting upright tiring may have difficulty concentrating on the small movements required for drawing or cutting.
Another child may struggle to use one hand for precise movements while keeping the other hand steady.
The brain must coordinate information coming from the eyes, joints, muscles and other sensory systems to organise movement.
This is why fine motor development is connected to broader physical development, including crawling, climbing, reaching, balancing and playing.
These systems develop together, although a difficulty with one does not necessarily mean something is wrong with another.
What about primitive reflexes?
Primitive reflexes are automatic movement responses present during early infancy. They play a part in early neurological development and gradually change as voluntary movement becomes more sophisticated.
Some reflexes, including the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR), involve coordinated changes in head, arm and leg positions.
If a child has unusual movement patterns, persistent asymmetry or difficulty coordinating both sides of their body, a clinician may consider their neurological development as part of a wider assessment.
However, it is important not to assume that switching hands, difficulty crossing the midline or poor handwriting automatically means a primitive reflex has been retained.
These difficulties can have several explanations, and evidence that reflex-integration exercises improve handwriting or hand dominance is limited.
Six playful ways to help your child's hands develop
The good news is that many everyday activities help develop hand skills without turning playtime into therapy!
1. Playdough adventures
Rolling, squeezing, flattening and shaping playdough develops hand strength and finger coordination. Try rolling a long sausage with both hands or using one hand to hold the dough while the other works.
2. Drawing big shapes
Use chalk on a wall-mounted blackboard or large pieces of paper. Encourage big circles, rainbows and sweeping movements that travel across the midline of the body.
3. Building and construction
Blocks, magnetic tiles and age-appropriate construction toys encourage one hand to stabilise while the other positions pieces.
4. Kitchen helpers
Mixing cake batter, rolling pastry and holding a bowl steady are excellent opportunities to develop two-handed coordination.
5. Climbing and crawling
Playgrounds, soft-play equipment and crawling games provide opportunities for weight-bearing through the arms, shoulder control and whole-body coordination.
6. Action songs and movement games
Try clapping patterns, patting opposite knees, reaching across to touch shoulders and other playful activities involving both sides of the body.
The key is enjoyment, variety and repetition.
There is no need to insist that a child uses a particular hand when their natural preference is still developing.
When should parents be concerned?
Most variations in hand preference are completely normal. However, certain observations deserve closer attention.
Signs worth investigating
A baby consistently favours one hand before their first birthday, particularly if they rarely use the other.
A child appears noticeably weaker or stiffer on one side.
One hand remains persistently clenched or is rarely involved in play.
A child regularly drops objects, struggles with basic hand movements or appears unusually clumsy compared with their overall development.
Persistent difficulty coordinating both hands interferes with dressing, feeding, drawing or play.
A child experiences pain, marked fatigue or increasing frustration during everyday activities.
Previously acquired skills are lost.
A strong hand preference before 12 months can occasionally indicate a neurological or movement difficulty and should be assessed promptly.
If your child has delayed milestones, unusual stiffness, weakness or pronounced asymmetry, speak to your GP or health visitor or make an appointment to see paediatric Osteopath - Gayle Palmer. BOOK HERE They can arrange appropriate paediatric, occupational therapy or physiotherapy assessment.
Loss of previously acquired abilities also warrants prompt medical assessment.
Remember, these observations do not necessarily mean something serious is wrong. They are simply reasons to investigate rather than assume everything is fine.
How can osteopathy help?
As an osteopath with a particular interest in children's development, I look at how the body moves and functions as a whole as well as focussing in to smaller anatomical areas.
When a child is experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort or movement difficulties, an assessment may include:
Posture, spinal mobility and trunk control.
Shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand movement.
Muscle tension and joint mobility.
Movement symmetry and coordination.
How the child uses their body during everyday activities.
Relevant developmental history and previous injuries.
Where appropriate, osteopathic care may help address musculoskeletal pain or restricted movement that is affecting a child's comfort and participation.
It is equally important to recognise when the primary concern is developmental, neurological or related to fine motor skills. In these situations, assessment by a paediatric occupational therapist, physiotherapist or another appropriate specialist may be the best next step.
Osteopathy does not change a child's natural handedness, and left-handedness is certainly not something that needs treating!
The most important thing to remember
Children do not all develop at exactly the same speed, and that is normal.
Some will choose a preferred hand early. Others will take longer. Some will use different hands for different tasks throughout life.
Rather than worrying about whether your child is left-handed or right-handed, consider these questions:
Can they use both hands comfortably? Are they gaining new skills? Do they enjoy exploring, drawing, building and playing? Are everyday activities gradually becoming easier?
Give children time, movement opportunities, encouragement and suitable tools.
And if something doesn't seem quite right, ask for advice.
Concerned about your child's movement or development?
At Living Elements Clinic, near Chichester, I offer osteopathic assessment and care for babies, children and adults.
With over 35 years of clinical experience and a special interest in paediatrics, I consider the wider picture of your child's musculoskeletal health, movement and development.
To make an appointment go to: https://living-elements-clinic.au1.cliniko.com/bookings?appointment_type_id=342129
Where appropriate, I can also advise when assessment by another healthcare professional would be beneficial.
Find out more at www.livingelements.co.uk.
Gayle Palmer
Copyright Gayle Palmer D.O. All Rights Reserved 2026
Health is not an accident. Giving children the opportunity to move, explore and develop with confidence helps lay foundations for their future wellbeing.
Clinical references
The following sources support the main developmental advice in the blog:
Manchester NHS: Hand Dominance and Motor Skills. Hand dominance commonly develops around three to five years and should not be forced.
MFT
Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS: Handwriting and Fine Motor Skills. Particularly relevant for local early-years educators.
NICE: Cerebral Palsy Assessment Guidance. Explains why unusually early hand preference and movement asymmetry warrant investigation.
NICE
Alder Hey Children's Hospital: Fine Motor Skills. Practical activities for bilateral coordination and fine motor development.
Alder Hey Children's Hospital Trust