Overview

Hand dominance is when your child consistently uses 1 hand instead of the other for most activities. The dominant hand is quicker, stronger, and has better dexterity. Your child’s dominant hand is also known as the lead, or doing, hand. The non-dominant hand becomes the helper, or supporting, hand.

Around 9 in 10 people are right handed and 1 in 10 is left handed. A small number of people can use both hands for skilled activities. These people are called ambidextrous.

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Why hand dominance is important

Having a dominant hand helps your child do fine motor activities faster and more accurately. This helps them with more precise fine motor skills, like printing, drawing, or using tools. Dressing, using utensils, and grooming activities are usually faster when done with the dominant hand. Many activities your child will learn as they get older, like cooking, cleaning, hobbies, or using tools require a dominant hand.

How hand dominance develops

Hand dominance is something that your child is born with but it doesn’t become clear until they are 4 to 6 years of age. Your child needs a lot of practice with activities that use 1 hand to lead and the other hand to support before they’ll discover their dominant hand.

Until your child is around 2 years of age, they’ll use both hands equally. As their skills grow, your child will start to use 1 hand more often for activities like dressing, feeding, throwing, or picking up items. This is known as hand preference and will develop between 2 to 4 years of age. Your child’s hand preference may switch when they are tired, learning a new activity, or as they explore what hand they want to use.

Your child’s dominant hand is usually clear between 4 to 6 years of age. You’ll notice that your child uses the same hand for activities like brushing their teeth or holding a crayon. Your child’s other hand is used to help or support.

Issues with hand dominance

Showing a clearly dominant hand means that your child has built strength and coordination in that hand. They’ll also be able to use that hand to cross midline. They should use their other hand as a consistent helper hand. If your child is struggling with grasp patterns, crossing midline, or bilateral coordination, it may be more challenging to discover hand dominance.

If your child is struggling with hand dominance, you may notice:

• they switch hands with everyday activities like eating, playing, or brushing their teeth
• their hands get tired with fine motor activities
• they look awkward when learning new skills that require 1 hand to do the activity and the other hand to support
• they forget to use a helper or support hand