Jay & the Chopsticks

It is very important for a Chinese toddler to learn how to use a chopstick. It is not easy to train, but we have to use our best efforts to train our boy to learn this traditional arts.

Today, we are very proud of Jay as he knows how to ask for chopsticks to eat noodles, kuay tew, and use the chopstick to pick up the meat, fishballs, etc. He started this since he turns 2 years old (last October).

The mommy saw this training chopsticks from Combi, and bought it. And ever since then, we trained Jay Jay to use chopstick. 

Well, it is not that you ask Jay to use, he would listen, you have to spent some times and some patient too... Here is the drill...

1. Best start with friend bee hoon. Don't cut the bee hoon.
   
2. Every time we eat we use chopstick. And when we do, we show Jay Jay the wonderful things you can do with chopstick, pick up a piece of food on the table, pick up his finger and pretend eating the finger.
   
3. Introduce "Copy Cat" concept. Do an action, and let him follow. then say "Copy Cat".
   
4. Soon, after a few weeks, he felt fun to "copy" every action that you do, and you award him with the "copy cat" title.
   
5. The Combi training chopsticks is the only chopsticks that I see on the market.
   
6. Take note that, up until now, Jay is holding the chopsticks the other way. (like holding a torch light or knife). But he is able to pick up a fish ball using this way. So be it, let him use his own way to use the chopstick. The first step is to provide him the concept.  He will change the style once he found that he is wrong in future. So there is no hurry to change him. I actually prevent the mommy to correct him. This is very important.
   

And now, from time to time, you notice that he is trying to correct his way of holding the chopstick. So, that is kind of success already.