Development
Child development says that they will discover their hands before they discover their legs. It’s even longer before they are able to figure out that they can move and make that connection that they created that action. They also eventually figure out that they did it and they can do it again. This creates what we call ‘muscle memory‘. This eventually leads to muscle control and is important in things like writing, picking things up and so on.
Songs
Kids learn through actions and there are plenty of kids songs download to find since kids songs are very popular. Kids respond through movement, especially if they have a lot of energy. Part of the reason why kids can’t sit still is that they have so much energy they need to release in a constructive way.
Particular
One of the songs in particular that helps with children learning left and right is Here we go Looby Loo. This song encourages body action and hand motion as well. The song is very catchy and kids can’t help but dance and do the body action. This depends on their comprehension as well. Most two to four-year-olds can follow simple instructions. A parent can say to a child, “Put your coat on the table.” The child can follow those specific instructions once they understand what is being asked.
It Happens
It’s true that a child doesn’t begin to develop left and right-hand preference until they are older. The range is wide; some develop a preference when a child is one and a half, while other babies don’t show which hand is dominant until two or three. Everyone is different and that’s okay. Some children really won’t care. They will continue using both hands (called being ambidextrous) until kindergarten or first grade. It’s fascinating how babies develop, so if are observant, you can begin to tell which arm or hand your child prefers. This can be immediate or take a while.
Permanent
Nothing is really permanent when it comes to dominant hand or arm. Things can change quickly and maybe not be able to use the dominant hand for a while, like a broken bone. The brain and body compensate for this time as the other arm or hand heals. It’s certainly a challenge for some people to write with their left hand, partially because you have to think more about what to do. Those muscles don’t know how to do what you want them to do. You can practice, I suppose if you really think it would be helpful someday. Here we go looby loo would be a great song to sing anytime, whether you are with kids or not. Almost everyone has a dominant hand, though, just to be clear.
Hands are wonderful things and can do quite a lot. You quickly can’t do some things if your hand or arm is broken. Not many people think about what you often have to do with both hands working together.