Tip: Try carrying a set of chopsticks with you when you need your young child to focus on eating. Yesterday I took her to lunch at a Vietnamese noodle house—and it worked!

It seems my child will eat anything if it's delivered to her mouth by chopsticks. Twice now she's eaten mountains of chicken, broccoli, and other veggies—things she usually takes only a few bites of—when I've fed them to her with chopsticks. She thinks it's so cool. I'm going to stow a set in my bag for those restaurant situations when we need her to be quiet and pay attention to the meal.

Last night, in fact, she asked me to switch places with her so she could finish my noodle bowl with chicken, broccoli, and orange peppers. I'd had enough, so I agreed. Wonder if she actually thought I was cool with finishing her meal, which you can see in the foreground of this video?

(I'm in the market for a new camera...sorry for the darkness and pixelation.)

Of course, she can't really use the sticks, so she eventually gives up and uses her fingers. Which is fine by me if it means I get to eat in peace. Mama Fu's, Pei Wei, Panda Express—plus mom and pop noodle houses—here we come!