Did I handle too early?

We got our first baby leo a couple of weeks ago and the person at the pet store said to hold it for about 5 to 15 mins a day to get it used to you, so since day two, I've been picking it up and letting it crawl around my hands (I pick it up behind its front legs), but now everything I've been reading says to wait a week or two and to lay your and flat and let it come to you. Should I just stop picking it up and do the flat hand method? Should I leave it alone for about a week or is it too late for that? Is picking it up they way I am bad?

Thanks.

If your new leo has no problem with you handling it and it doesn't look stressed or anything.. then I think you should carry on handling him

They only say not to handle them so that you do not stress them out more, moving to a new home can be very stressful, especially if the leo is young.

If your leo does look stressed and doesn't like being handled.. maybe you should try the method where you just let it crawl on your hand in it's tank to get used to you

What will he look like when he's stressed? When I hold him, he will either stay in one spot and look around, or he'll try to walk while I put one hand in front of the other. Sometimes he tries to run like he's trying to get away, is that stress?

Running away is a good sign that he doesn't want to be there, or he's had enough. I have a leopard gecko that will climb onto my hand willingly, by himself, and sit & lay in the palm of my hand for 15 mins or so. When he's done, his way of letting me know is by walking around faster and faster. So that's when I put him back in his tank.

Different geckos act differently. If you find that you have to reach for your gecko to pick him up inside the tank, as he's running away from your hand or hiding, then it may be too early to handle him. Leopard geckos will get used to you eventually as the "food person" and they'll love seeing you. Often they get really excited when you approach the tank because they know it's dinner time. This behavior is what I usually suggest to folks to look for as when they should start handling their geckos.

People have different ways that work for them so I suggest to learn what your gecko likes/dislikes. They really do act different from gecko to gecko, and some days they just don't feel like to be handled.

Ideally you should of following what was read on the internet with waiting about a week before even trying to handle the gecko - this gives in time to get use to its surrounds and settle in.

But now you have done it and got use to handling it, as long as the gecko isn't showing any signs of ill health, stress or being scared or not liking being picked up I wouldn't worry to much and carry on with what you and the little gecko is use to