From early on, my husband and I had a pretty good idea our youngest son was a lefty. When he started using a spoon, it was in his left hand. When he reached for toys or zoomed cars along the floor, it was with his left hand. When he learned to colour, he was all left. And when we handed him a hockey stick, he immediately held it in his left. When we gave him a ball and glove and he wanted to throw AND catch with his left hand, it confirmed it for us. We quickly returned to the store to buy him a new glove.

With back to school just around the corner, many of our kids will be asking for increased freedom as they advance a grade; freedom to walk to and from school alone, freedom to bike to the park alone, even freedom to cross the street without holding your hand (cue sobbing).