Chopstick Library: Chopstick Q&A

Expand your baby's taste buds to prevent picky eating. The weaning period is an important time when taste buds are formed. Exposing your baby to a variety of flavors during this period will help prevent picky eating. Utilize baby food to help develop a rich palate.

It's also a good idea to reconsider your spoons and other eating utensils. Simply buying new utensils can make a surprising difference in the taste and texture of the food. The baby food spoon developed by Nonoji has a large, smoothly polished edge that fits gently in a baby's mouth.

Eating with your hands enough will have a positive effect later on! Eating with your hands is proof that your child is interested in food and that their brain is actively working. Supervise them as much as possible. Eating with your hands enough will have a positive effect on their ability to use spoons and forks later on.

Respect your child's desire to do things and watch over them! The "reluctant twos" is a time for them to practice self-assertion, so watch over them with a warm eye. Nonoji cutlery supports your child's desire to do things on their own with spill-resistant features, so moms and dads can enjoy their meals with a smile on their faces.

It's very effective for children up to about age 3! "When they do it, praise them extravagantly!" Children from the "terrible twos" stage until about age 3 will especially enjoy being praised extravagantly. It's also effective for adults to eat something with relish to stimulate a child's curiosity.

Let your child use a spoon and fork without forcing them to do so. Being able to use a spoon and fork well leads to being able to use chopsticks well. Don't force your child to use chopsticks while eating, just play around with them.

Don't rush, start relearning from elementary school! There are many opportunities to use chopsticks at school lunches, and some elementary schools hold classes to teach children how to hold them properly. You can relearn how to use chopsticks after you start school, but it can be difficult with regular chopsticks. In such cases, relearning using practice chopsticks is effective. The experience of being conscious of chopstick use when eating out can also motivate children.