Question about toddlers!

I have a simple question about toddlers, when do they start displaying "handiness"? The reason I ask is because I babysit a 17 month old, who is advanced for his age, most people think he's two! Anyways, when he eats, or draws(with big crayons of course), he seems to be naturally ambidexterious. He doesn't seem to favor one hand over another, yet, I just wonder if this will carry over when he is older.

My 2 year old still uses both hands mostly. I think I detect signs of right handedness, but it's still too soon to tell for sure.

...my older daughter would draw with both her right and left hands, now that she's 6, she sticks with her right hand.

I think toddlers tend to explore different ways of doing things to see what works best for them. It's possible that your little guy is doing the same thing.

He ate with his left hand, scribbled with his left hand, and reached for things with his left hand. His pediatrician told us that it "appeared" he would be left handed and that left handed children tend to make themselves "known" at an earlier age, while right handed children are amidextious sometimes until the age of 4 or even 5. :hi:

Your young friend will probably favor one hand over the other eventually. Most kids take their time deciding. Some use one hand for some things the other for other tasks. My very right handed brother throws and shoots better left handed. He is in his 60s.

Little kid watching is an adventure I recommend to all with time and patience to do it right. One can learn much about the human animal watching wee folk.

OK, I thought it was too early, though it would be cool if he stayed like that, I guess he will figure it out soon enough.

and put utensils or crayons down check to see if he reaches across his body or uses the hand closest to the thing he wants.

Up to a certain point, they'll mirror what a person across from them does, but I can't remember what age that is.

who eats, throws, reaches with his right hand.

My ambidextrous daughter didn't pick a "hand" until she was 7 years old. She would scrawl her name to start with her left hand, change over to her right hand in the middle of her middle name and finish with her left hand.

She would do the same with pictures, homework, notes etc. She would scrawl half the message in one hand and then change hands like the one hand was tired. It was wierd!

She ended up left handed for writing although she still does some shit right handed (tennis, golf, chopping vegetables etc.).

I really wanted to know what the hell was going on and at the time did a lot of research.

If the person in question does a lot of stuff ambi for a long time, it's possible you have a true ambi on your hands. My daughter verges....