“Practicing with Chopsticks” explained in 4 pictures

Sometime after turning 2, our child suddenly started paying attention to our chopsticks. Until then, they had been eating with a spoon, but one day they stared at my chopsticks and reached out with their little hand. Of course, their grip was still all over the place. Rather than chopsticks, it was more like they were just holding two thin sticks. Even so, they seemed to think they were doing the same thing as us, and they looked just a little proud.

🤔 Have you ever felt your child’s growth in a moment when they wanted to imitate you?

When we prepared a pair of training chopsticks, our child held them happily. But picking up food was harder than expected: tofu crumbled, carrots rolled away, and grains of rice went everywhere. I couldn’t help wanting to say, “Why don’t you eat with a spoon?” But our child shook their head and, saying “By myself,” challenged the same side dish again and again.

🤔 Have you ever wondered how far to go along with your child’s “I want to do it myself”?

Around the time our child turned 3, that moment suddenly came. At dinner, they gently pinched a piece of rolled omelet with their chopsticks and carried it all the way to their mouth. It was just one small bite. Their grip still wasn’t perfect. Even so, when I saw the look on their face as they realized, “I did it,” it felt as if the air around the table stopped for just a moment.

🤔 Have you ever felt your own heart fill up over a small “I did it” moment?

Even after that, it didn’t go well every time. On tired days, they went back to using a spoon, and on rushed mornings, we parents sometimes helped. Still, with the chopsticks they had once only been able to grip, we began seeing more and more attempts to pick up food little by little. Looking back now, even the spilled grains of rice were part of a record of growth that felt very much like our family.