This may be a sign that your child is having difficulty crossing the midline.

What is midline crossing?
Midline crossing refers to the process of moving the arms, legs or eyes across the middle of the body to the opposite side, for example; touching your right ear with your left hand, sitting cross-legged on the floor or following a pencil with your eyes from one side of your head to the other.

This skill begins in infancy, when babies learn to reach out for objects with both hands. As their skills develop, the baby will reach for items slightly to one side of their body. Bilateral (both left and right) arm and leg movements are important aspects to helping a child develop their skills in crossing the midline, as are opportunities to track movements with their eyes.

Why help our children develop midline crossing?
Crossing the midline is vital to developing the use of both sides of the body together for activities such as writing, reading, cutting, and putting on shoes and socks. Midline crossing exercises promote coordination and communication between the two hemispheres of the brain as well as encouraging fine-motor skills.

How do I know if my child has successful midline crossing?
These are subtle skills and the human body is very clever at compensating if a particular skill is underdeveloped. If you are unsure, and would like a professional opinion, why not make a time to come in and learn some fun activities you can do with your child to help them thrive?

Alternatively, check out this article by “OT Mom Learning Activities” sharing some fun midline crossing activities https://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/activities-for-crossing-the-midline.html