About five percent of children are left-handed. You can notice it even at a few months of age, when the baby uses one hand more than the other to pick up his toys or while playing or trying to put something in his mouth. By the age of one year, the left-handedness becomes quite definite. Left-handedness seems to run in families. Many parents make efforts to change this by repeatedly stopping the child from using his left hand. It is not a defect, only a difference, so nothing should be done to change it.
Often a friend or a relative visiting you will remark ‘oh, but he is left-handed.’ Make sure that such remarks do not affect the child in any way. He may have problems learning games, throwing a ball or even playing a musical instrument, but it will soon pass.
Some children have difficulty in learning to write, but most children manage without any problem as soon as they can keep the book in a convenient position. Most left-handed children can use their right hand much better than the right-handed ones can use their left hand.
