My oldest child is left-handed. What are the factors that determine if you are right or left handed?

Answer 1

I had read once that left-handedness is dominant, but that wouldn't go along with Her HIghness's family unless one parent was genetically left-handed but wrote with their right anyway.

Also, about the percentages of left-handedness increasing as age decreases...left-handedness was once thought by many to be evil or satanic and many young left-handed children were not permitted by their teachers or parents to write with their left hand and had to learn to use their right hand instead (these individuals often have poor handwriting)..

Answer 2

I believe it is for the most part cosmic.
People who are left handed tend to use the right side of the brain, which is associated with abstract things, creativity, imagination, etc, while right handed use the left side of the brain,
which is more logical, and common sense oriented.
I.E. A right handed captain of a ship (say from 100's of years ago) would make sure he had all the charts and wind readings and latitude and longitude figured out about his course before setting out on a long trip, where as a lefty would just know which direction he needed to go, and map his trip by the picture in his mind of where he is in relation to where he's going,and go that way, compensating for error along the way.

Answer 3

We live to the fullest, conquer and die young (for the most part).
Handedness is mostly genetic and partly environmental.
In the early days when left handedness was considered to be associated with Satanism the percentage of the population who were left handed is low. Now that the oppression has lessenned more leftys are showing up.
You should find a lot of info on,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-handed

Answer 4

Both of my parents are left handed and so am I. Out of 3 children I am the only one that is. Out of my 3 kids, only my middle son is left handed.
They say that left handed people are more intelligent and more creative. As a left hander myself, I can argue the intelligence part but unfortunately not the creative part.


From Wiki:
Approximately 8 to 15% of the adult population is left-handed.[1] Studies indicate that left-handedness is more common in males than females.[2] Left-handedness, in comparison to the general population, also appears to occur more frequently in identical twins,[3] and several groups of neurologically disordered individuals (epilepsy,[4] Down's Syndrome,[5] autism,[6] mental retardation,[7], dyslexia, etc.) Statistically, the identical twin of a left-handed person has a 76% chance of being left-handed, identifying the cause(s) as partly genetic and partly environmental.[8]

Statistics show that older people are less likely to be left-handed than their younger counterparts — the percentages of left-handed people sharply drop off with increased age. In America, 12% of 20 year olds are left-handed, while only 5% of 50 year olds and less than 1% of people over 80 are. These numbers are surprisingly divergent — how can they be explained?

A common belief suggests that left-handed people are more intelligent or creative than right-handed people. While there is an unresolved debate within the scientific community on how to operationalize both intelligence and creativity, some studies have demonstrated a small positive correlation between left-handedness and creativity/intelligence.

BTW: Right handed scissors are a *****!!! But I learned to use them ;)

Answer 5

There are no pre-determining factors that make a child right or left handed. I have four sons and only one was a lefty and his dad and I were both right-handed.

Answer 6

I am not really sure to be honest. My son is left handed also. In my family if your name is Robert you are left handed. Its weird.. its almost as if the name decides. I have 2 grandfathers 1 uncle 1 cousin and a son all named Robert all left handed. Not one other person in my family is left handed.

Answer 7

Most of the time it is which hand they feel more comfortable with when are young and learning, and it sticks, or the way you teach them. Your child is lucky, recently "experts" are saying that left-handed men and women are more successful and earn a better living and bigger paycheck.

Answer 8

i think it's just how you present things to him when young. if you always hand it to the baby's left hand, he'll grow accustomed to it and use it more often.