KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

Hi, Parents. Does your kids know how to use chopstick? My DS1 is in P2 but still dont know how to use the chopstick. We bought him those kids chopstick which has a holder behind so that it is easier for him to control. But when he tried the real chopstick, he just cannot open it. Is there a way to teach children in using chopstick properly? Thanks.

I feel that those training chopsticks are the worst kit to teach children how to use chopsticks. have you tried giving him real chopsticks to practice? stop giving him training chopsticks and use normal ones. show him the correct way...cos even some adults also dunno how to use it correctly...and keep using the normal chopsticks until he grasp the technique.

I guess it is practise makes perfect. Thanks foe advise.

should practice more...I used to give my boy training chopsticks,he held it awakardly...and after a few times, I gave up and give him normal chopsticks which he asks for...and now at 4.5, he can use chopsticks to pick up food.

smum wrote:I guess it is practise makes perfect. Thanks foe advise.

Again, it's all about motivation. My son learnt to use chopsticks sometime in P2, but that's because we never really encouraged him to do so. My daughter picked up her skills when she was 3.5 years old... just so she can keep up with her brother when eating noodles.

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In our Montessori classrooms, we have in place chopsticks of different
lengths, different make > ie. melamine, glass, wood (etc) and different
colours to entice children... especially the young ones to work with.
ie. Learn thru' play. As in all our Montessori activities, we try our best to
source for materials in complete sets to provide opportunities for easy to
difficult range, on our shelves.


However, if it's for simple home use... just use whatever material you
have to work with your kiddies. Like these few below..


Just like introducing the pencil grip for the first time, we should
allow for opportunities where children can exercise their pincer
grip with varied materials prior to the actual pencil...
like painting with paintbrushes, painting with pegs & sponges,
cutting exercises (etc).





Ideally, we will provide slightly bigger items first for the children to lift
with their chopsticks. Like rubber balls, because they can almost like
stick easily to the chopsticks... then mebbe plasticine/dough balls...
followed by styrofoam or those colourful wool pom-pom balls... then
upgrade to marbles and glass pebbles.





When the children have enuf practice with a handful of similar items
transferring, ie. from one dish to another or from one bowl to another...
without intentionally dropping them... ( yes, the items must be lifted...
and transferred carefully and softly into another bowl ), then we allow
for extension variations. By this time, our children would've better grip
on the chopsticks and we will let them do sorting. Can be colour sorting
of rubber balls, to sorting different coin denominations, plastic chips (etc)..


After which in our classrooms, we also have the occasional surprise
of bringing in party noodles for snack and let them all practice with
the chopsticks! To ensure it is a non-threatening activity
whereby they aren't forced to perform or show they MUST or they
CAN work with the chopsticks, we also place a plastic spoon and fork
set for them to use in case they get tired using the chopsticks. 8)





And do bear in mind too that while it's a normal practise to write
and hold chopsticks, each person will have a different hold on
it... so it doesn't matter what style they hold it as long as the pincer
grip is good, not too awkward preferably, and that they do not drop
anything they eat... especially noodles... it can get messy.


This is how my young one holds it. She's 5 yrs old.
*The initial shots were of the jie-jie's firmer hold.

smurf wrote:I feel that those training chopsticks are the worst kit to teach children how to use chopsticks.

Hi smurf,

Please share why you think t is the worst kit... will it retard some development or something?

I was looking for it for months and was so happy I found it!!... it's not :moneyflies:I bought a pair 2 weekends ago and saw that my DD1 was so proud of herself when she could feed herself effortlessly with it.. so I went to get 3 extra sets for my DD2 and nephews!!!

As a matter of fact, I was about to come here to inform anyone who is interested that it is available in Kiddy Palace ($12.90 - now with 20% discounts for members, 15% for non-members). They even have it for left-handers!

Please share. Thanks.

Hi Chief...your reply made me feel better...
Cos I also never really insist my son uses it...he's now in P1. So he's really bad at it and we normally just obtained fork and spoon for him, even for noodles. He ever told me he does not see a need to learn to use chopsticks! He's one who can be quite stubborn when he does not see the need to. We let it be for now...hehe

training kit and normal chopsticks are different. a child with no experience of using chopsticks would use the training version easily. but with normal chopsticks, if he is used to training kind, when he started using normal ones, he might feel frustrated and unwilling to try since normal ones are more difficult and definitely need more time. if he can use the training ones easily,why would he want to try something more difficult.

I feel that although it takes more time to train using normal chopsticks, it is better than having to use training ones and then have to un-learn it to transit to normal chopsticks.


2cts.

A tip for parents. My DS1 has been "training" using those special chopstick with the holder behind. So it is very easy for him. But I have so much difficulty trying to switch him to normal chopstick.

Then accidentally in a concentration class that he attends, the teacher gave them normal chopstick. And he was able to pick up marbles! I realized that those normal chopstick is those wooden square type. I think because it is square, it makes it easier to pick up things. We tried it out at home and he really is able to use it. Suggest that parents let the kids try using normal chopstick that is square instead of round. It does makes a difference.