Now that your child is starting to grab those crayons and is getting better at using utensils, you might begin to notice that she favors one hand over the other. Kids first start to show their hand preference around age 2, though they're likely to experiment by switching back and forth. By the time they're 3, most are fairly consistent in which hand they use to draw, pick up a cup, even reach and wave.

Handedness appears to be an inborn trait, which is why it's not wise to try to train your child one way  -- even though the world is designed for right-handed people! If you have a lefty (about 10 percent of kids are), make sure she has left-handed scissors, and seat her to your left so she doesn't elbow you when she eats. As she draws and starts to write, position paper closer to her left side so she doesn't have to hook her arm across the top to see what she's doing. She may also need help learning to write from left to right without smudging  -- but for now, just make sure to wipe off her crayon-covered left hand before she moves on to something else.

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