Wielding Sticks
There comes a time in every Asian girl’s life (even if they don’t look Asian) where she must learn to master the use of one very important tool- Chopsticks.
I was reminded of this a few months ago while visiting a good friend in New York City. During one of my usual 24-hour stealth visits to Manhattan, my friend and I strolled into Chinatown to seek out some, uh,… *ahem*…“designer inspired purses.” As we walked deeper into the maze of filthy streets lined with roasted fowl hanging in windows, I saw a little child squatting at a storefront. A little boy perhaps just a few months older than my daughter. He sat atop an empty white bucket turned upside down. In front of him, a tall cardboard box with a tall Chinese take-out container, full to the brim with piping hot noodle soup. This tiny child manipulated a set of long, wooden chopsticks as if they were just an extension of his hands. Not a drop of noodle or broth fell to the surface of his makeshift table.
Then I did what any parent would do after witnessing something like this. I went home and stuck a pair of chopsticks into my own child’s hands. Well, technically it wasn’t until a few months later that I felt brave enough to hand over two elongated, potentially eye-poking weapons to my toddler. I mean I’m talking about a little girl who can barely wield a spoonful of macaroni from her plate to her face without losing 95% of it along the way. Was I skeptical? Heck yeah!
I use chopsticks regularly at the dinner table, but I knew my nearly foot long utensils would be tough for a beginner. So I poked around online, Googled for “trainer chopsticks.” And I was surprised to see how scarce the options are for kids. Okay, so maybe I was being a wee bit over protective, and I probably should have just handed the kid a pair of those disposable chopsticks that you tear apart at the top and be done with it. But then I heard my mom’s voice echoing in my mind “Sandy… don’t you dare let your chopsticks fall on the ground! It’s bad luck you know!” (just a tiny glimpse at the roots of my madness).
Finally, I found these at KangarooBoo.
How cute is that?! They have a little boy version too. Leave it to an Asian mom to stock a decent selection of kid chopsticks at her online store. I knew my daughter would be too distracted by the cute little pink kid than to want to gouge out her eyes with the sticks. So last week, I cautiously presented them during lunch.
Initially, she seemed a bit baffled.
“Mommy, whaz dis? My fingers work fine wif deez fish sticks.”
Too easy? That’s my girl!
I took it up a notch and put out some slippery, cheesy veggies and pasta.
Me: “Here honey, watch me. Use them like this.”
“Whatevah lady….If you say so.”
….and tried.
Until finally….she caught something!!!
Steady….
S-T-E-A-D-Y…
SUCCESS!!!!!!
Toddler: “Okay mom, bring on the hot noodle soup! Check me out and my new chopstickin’ skillz…”
Toddler: “I can rival any kid in Chinatown now.”
Me: “Sure sweetie. Mama needs a new ‘designer’ purse anyway.” 
You are invited to my house warming party here (remember to pick up your door gift):
http://www.lovechildrenright.com/2008/03/house-warming-party.html
and here (another door gift for you):
http://www.dineandtravel.com/2008/03/house-warming-party-buffet.html
and here (a third door gift for you):
http://www.childrenloveplay.com/2008/03/house-warming-party-games.html
Please drop by. Waiting for you.
Jo-N’s last blog post..House Warming Party
March 25th, 2008 at 1:41 am
She’s a natural Sandy, success at the first attempt wowwww….
I can use chopstick but the way I hold it is weird and maybe wrong but hey anything works as long as I can hold my food with it
)
ecky’s last blog post..SJP is “Unsexiest” Woman
March 25th, 2008 at 1:43 am
A Hello Kitty plate? Are you trying to kill me? And I find it hilarious that you got it from a shop called KangarooBoo, seeing I am Australian and my son is Boo…
Now I want some. For my husband
Kelley’s last blog post..Movie Night!
March 25th, 2008 at 3:03 am
aww well done Ella! I still haven’t mastered using chopstixks, although I do try with *almost* every meal we get from the Chinese takeout down the street…
Marylin’s last blog post..Birth stories galore!
March 25th, 2008 at 3:22 am
sandy, very good!! u never leave behind ur asian roots.. proud of u.. which country were ur parents from? china? hong kong?
i think i shd get my children such chopsticks..
wen’s last blog post..Heavy and Expensive Dinner
March 25th, 2008 at 3:40 am
Those are SO darling. I think I might get a pair – for me! Do you think I could talk Ella into giving me a lesson?
Kelly’s last blog post..My Inside is Outside – 2007 in music
March 25th, 2008 at 4:13 am
Yay! Such a clever girl.
Now I need to learn how to use them properly.
Veronica’s last blog post..How To…
March 25th, 2008 at 4:43 am
Way to go
I’m pretty good with a chopstick *ahem,ahem*. But it’s good to know of other form of eating tools …
Nick Phillips’s last blog post..Life Should Be This Easy!
March 25th, 2008 at 4:44 am
Haha!! Way to GO!!!! Such an excellent tool! Come to think of it.. I have no idea how I learnt how to use the chopsticks.. Hmm… *scratch* *scratch*
LB’s last blog post..Bye Bye Alessi, Hello Pot
March 25th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Way to go, girlie! She’s so doggone cute too.
Sister Honey Bunch’s last blog post..What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?
March 25th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Very cool!! Those chopsticks are adorable!! She’ll be an expert in NO time!!
Sadie’s last blog post..Taking a 24 hour break.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:04 am
How cute. And nice camera work. I’ve always been a nightmare with chopsticks. Of course, trying keeps me from eating too much. BTW, I tagged you for a meme over at my blog. If you aren’t into memes don’t sweat it. My feelings won’t be hurt. I mainly wanted to send some of my friends your way because I like your blog.
Heather’s last blog post..Tag, I’m It
March 25th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Sandy,
Super cool that you are instilling heritage into your daughter. Personally, I can’t get past the fact that she willingly eats broccolli. I’d have to use those chopsticks to pry open my boys’ mouths to eat broccolli.
KEEP BELEIVING
Angie’s last blog post..Brian is diagnosed – the first night. Miracle Monday
March 25th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Love it. I am getting the blue ones for my husband who has to ask for silverware at one of my favorite restaurants…
HRH’s last blog post..Building a better girltrap…
March 25th, 2008 at 8:51 am
WOOHOO!!! GOOD JOB ELLA!!! She’s a NATURAL!!! But I bet she have a VERY good teacher;o) I could NEVER quite figure the chopsticks out and have LOW patience when it comes to eating my food. I want it in my mouth NOW! lol! Does your husband eat with them too? I think it’s NEAT!! Have a good day!!
March 25th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Love it! She is precious!
Queen Mommy’s last blog post..Different isn’t so bad after all
March 25th, 2008 at 9:20 am
I love the tenacity of toddlers – they’re really remarkable in how much and how quickly they learn things! I’ll bet Ella loves using these!
Jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..Wijvenweek/Shopping: How to be a Lady at a Bookstore
March 25th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Those chopsticks are so cute. I am glad you got them for Ella. When you were talking about going online to find a pair of toddler friendly chop sticks I was thinking “I know where there is a great pair of chopsticks!” You guessed it. KangarooBoo! Every time I go to that site I think of getting a pair for myself. I should. It would be hilarious next time my daughter who is very skilled with her use of chopsticks, starts showing off those skills, I would whip out my sticks! Hahaha!
Christine’s last blog post..For Pity Sake!
March 25th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I can’t even use chopsticks! Lol. Good job Ella! Those are really cute chopsticks though.
Meagan’s last blog post..Happiness.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I am so close to ordering the chopsticks! I love them the moment I saw them in Jennic’s page months ago. Now I love them even more.
Ella is such a great model to advertise it. I really hope more moms will buy from KangarooBoo. It is a great product to teach young toddlers to use chopsticks properly and more importantly, safely!
Andie Summerkiss’s last blog post..A Birthday and a Lechon
March 25th, 2008 at 10:48 am
you have your work cut out for you because i’m still beyond pitiful w/the sticks! and don’t let me get a little liquor in me like the other night! wow… that was TOO sad. it was like chopsticks in the remedial class.
jameil1922’s last blog post..Work It!
March 25th, 2008 at 11:03 am
soup w/ chop sticks? Oh my that is talent…
I have picked up shirmp and rice..well one shrimp and the rice that was stuck to it…I may have used a fork too…I don’t know. I embarrass my husband
mp’s last blog post..both ends…
March 25th, 2008 at 11:14 am
I love this idea of trainer sticks. Also, I think she looks a lot like you. I’m not just saying that because you are one of my favorite internet people either. haha.
She does.
amanda’s last blog post..Moving Day & Introduce Yourself (partial delurk)
March 25th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I guess if I had to use chopsticks, I’d go hungry. I suck.
Ashley’s last blog post..I’ll do what I want…and so will you.
March 25th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
How very cool!!! Congrats to Ella on her success … to mom on her ingenuity (and photo skills) … and to the creator of these nifty chopstick contraptions ;–)
I’m not Asian … but I always use chopsticks when I eat Asian food … just because it seemed like the thing to do and I made the effort to master the skill.
Hugs and blessings,
storyteller’s last blog post..One Single Impression – A Colorful Offering
March 25th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I am so ordering some of those for my nephews. Their dad is Vietnamese but I don’t think they have any idea how to use chopsticks. Great post and cute pictures!
kspin’s last blog post..Ragnar Part III
March 25th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
As I scrolled down I was going to tell you about the genius pair of chopsticks my daughter has, but yours work on the same principle!
Love the progression of food to mouth.
Jennifer H’s last blog post..The house
March 25th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Those are adorable! I grew up eating a ton of chinese food but could NEVER use the chopsticks. I think my fingers are too fat.
Oh, and I am really impressed that she worked that hard for BROCCOLI!
March 25th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
We have something like those for my kids (a Nemo and a Shamu.) I thought they were only for us unskilled white folks. LOL!
Your daughter should be soooo proud of herself. She did a great job.
Christine @ Serenity How?’s last blog post..I’m It, You’re Not
March 25th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
That’s really cool. I should get some for my sons.
Yertle’s last blog post..Make A Wish Meme
March 25th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
So cute! I love those chopsticks. And she’s got a natural grasp on them as well. Do you know how long it took me to do that? Oh, wait, never! I wonder what the owners of the local Chinese restaurant would say when I walked in with a pair of those for myself.
Karen’s last blog post..PurseOnality
March 25th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
That has to be the cutest post I’ve read in a long time!!
Well done to your daughter to mastering the art.
March 25th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Those are awesome chopsticks! I use chopsticks *almost* everyday. My parents taught me how to hold it properly from long time ago, so I don’t know if I am still using them properly, but I’d like to believe so.
By the way, you received a tag from me, Sandy! Hopefully you can fit that into your busy schedule…:D
Linda’s last blog post..Six Unimportant Quirks About Myself
March 25th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
LOL…Both of my kids have been using (wielding) chopsticks since they were about 8 months. Oddly, my daughter could actually use hers by the time she was two and now she pretends she needs a holder.
My son, who refused to eat any Asian food forever, surprised us all back in October by not only eating unagi, but using his chopsticks to do it. Now, we’ve learned that if we want him to eat anything to put it on a chopstick. He hasn’t mastered the actual use of them yet, preferring to use them as drum sticks.
I was looking at the boy/girl holders the other day. There’s a place nearby that sells almost 100 kinds of chopstick holders, most of them for grownups who can’t use chopsticks.
faboo mama’s last blog post..Habitual Line-Stepper
March 25th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
So cute!! She looks like a natural! My girls always start off with the “kid chopsticks” at Asian restaurants but give up fairly quickly and ask for a fork. Me, I always use the fork!
amy’s last blog post..A Princess is Born
March 25th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I WANT ONE OF THOSE GIRLIE THINGS for the next time i eat out. just to see people’s reactions. that’s quite genius, though and congrats to her for picking it up so damn fast!
zoeyjane’s last blog post..Something Clever
March 25th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Wow!she did it!Geee!The chopstick is so cute.Cool
sweetiepie’s last blog post..Get things done
March 25th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
That is so cute! I want to get my Melo using chopsticks young, too. Even though we’re not Asian (don’t I wish!) we use them so much, I want at least one of my children to be proficient. Maybe she’ll actually eat sushi too!
Luv the Hello Kitty plate! I know who picked that out for her!
Nissa’s last blog post..Late but I think worth it.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
I love this. I still have vivid memories of Son impressing the pants off his Japanese great aunties by eating a giant bowl of noodle soup with chopsticks when we were in Hawaii. He was about 18mos old and we’d never given him chopsticks before — but he ate a whole huge bowlful. Now, of course, at age 4, he is nowhere near that good with them…but there was something wonderful about his being able to manage when it really counted! Good for your little one. I’m sure she’ll be a pro soon.
MommyTime’s last blog post..For My Darling Birdie
March 25th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
How cool are those chopsticks! And does it say they are for kids only? Just askin’.
Nola’s last blog post..On Awards and Discards
March 25th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Okay, Sandy, I’m just needing to ask: HOW did you get her to eat broccoli???
Anglophile Football Fanatic’s last blog post..The BiTcH is BaCk!
March 25th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
I am not really good with the chopsticks. I think I could use that trainer myself!
Kathryn’s last blog post..WW- The First Robin Of The Year
March 25th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
How cute are those! I love em’!
My daughter learned by me tying a rubberband around the top with some paper stuck in the middle. Kinda the same concept.
I’m really hungry for chinese right now! Darn!
Krissy’s last blog post..Guess what happens when I get tired???
March 25th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
OMG that is so cute…I want one, or two!
nap warden’s last blog post..A Real Nail Biter.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
hey sandy,
you crack me up how you write in the exact phrases that your little angel says.
whateva lady, if you say so
hahahahah
adorable!
kathleen
so grateful to be mormon’s last blog post..my name is kathleen … and i have ADMD! he he!
March 26th, 2008 at 1:03 am
AWESOME!! She’s a pro!! She even ate broccoli!!!
Grandy’s last blog post..The One about Grandy in the Trash
March 26th, 2008 at 2:16 am
The only thing I’m good at using chopsticks for is to hold my hair in a pseudo French twist.
Bonnie’s last blog post..don’t get alarmed
March 26th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Wow! It’s amazing! A toddler so patiently picked up her food with a pair of chopsticks. She is so good. I don’t remember when I started using chopsticks but definitely much later.
jesie’s last blog post..Millionaire Part II
March 26th, 2008 at 8:26 am
I love love love these pictures!! Way to go for leaning how to use them so quickly! (love the narration!LOL)
Kim’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday – Growing too quickly
March 26th, 2008 at 8:38 am
So much adorable in such a little body. Really. And I LOVE the Hello Kitty plate.
Burgh Baby’s Mom’s last blog post..A Letter for Two
March 26th, 2008 at 9:11 am
i think i will get that chopstick for my son.
nice one!
edna’s last blog post..How to hack IKEA.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Wahahahaha!! We recently bought the same thing! We have the boy one though. No luck. To him, it’s like “ok, the point is what?” Evidently, this thing works much better as a double food stabber.
BusyDad’s last blog post..Pop Quiz
March 26th, 2008 at 10:17 am
This is such a great series of pictures, absolutely marvelous!
Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be able to capture all of these moments? It’s priceless, believe me!
Jientje’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday Easter Bunnies in the snow
March 26th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
We have some trainer chopsticks too. Not nearly as cute though!
My poor husband is the only lefty in his family. His family only eats with chopsticks and it took him YEARS to master the art since no one could figure out how to teach him! Maybe that’s why he was so skinny as a kid
CC’s last blog post..Why “Wordless” Wednesday?
March 26th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Way to go! I only learned using the sticks after graduation. That’s laughable alright.
mama meji’s last blog post..Simply Irresistible
March 26th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Awesome… you can’t start learning that stuff too young
Aurora’s last blog post..Updates
March 26th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Ahhhhhhhhhh!! Pure cuteness!!! Great that you are starting to teach her how to use chopsticks! I’m Asian and I’m in my 30’s and my grandmother always shakes her head when she sees how horrible I am with chopsticks! When I taught in Japan, I had supper at a student’s house and her grandmother hit my hand when she saw how I was holding my chopsticks! Bad! Very bad! LOL!
Your post inspired me to show you the chopsticks that my student from South Korea bought me. It’s Korean chopsticks for kids. It’s a smaller/shorter set of chopsticks with a removable guide so that when your child “graduates” to the next step, you can remove the “guides”. I keep them on all the time…just because I’m hopeless.
I’ll post a photo for you sometime this week. The kids’ chopsticks I got are adorable.
Chrissy’s last blog post..I said I wouldn’t, but I did
March 26th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
I could use these. I mean, I need these.
“just a tiny glimpse at the roots of my madness . . . ” I’m learning so, so much about you
LaskiGal’s last blog post..Weekend Update
March 27th, 2008 at 12:24 am
I love the progression of pictures! What a great model and achiever! I cannot believe she eats BROCCOLI.
My folks used to say (and still do!) that it’s bad luck to let the chopsticks hit the floor too… you aren’t alone.
The KangarooBoo lady.
Jennic’s last blog post..Big Dreams
March 27th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Cuteness overkill
March 27th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Those are so great!!!!
I have to get me some of those.
March 27th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Oh, how great! My kids love to use chopsticks but they’re so hard – and I must admit, I still have issues using these, my fingers just don’t work right, maybe I shall pick up a pair as well
March 27th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
The tongue sticking out if is the best! Hard at work!
Autumn Dahlia’s last blog post..Thursday Thoughts for the Day – I’m a ramblin woman
March 28th, 2008 at 7:53 am
I’ve GOT to check that out…. I bought the kidlets some plastic ones that are just joined at the top, but this is too cute!!!
Only problem with my girlie is that at 3 she’s still only eating mostly milk, omelettes and mac and cheese. She’s soooo Asian LOL!
Your Ella is soooo cute, Sandy! I just want to pinch those cheeks — love her!
Karen MEG’s last blog post..Fashion Friday – Haiku
March 28th, 2008 at 4:39 pm