Development of Eating Behavior by Japanese Toddlers in a Nursery School: Relation to Independent Walking

Abstract

The eating behavior of 32 toddlers in a nursery school at 10, 12, and 14 months old was observed in relation to the age at onset of independent walking. With increasing age, the frequency at which the toddlers ate food given by a teacher decreased, and the frequency at which the toddlers ate by themselves increased. The toddlers who started walking earlier also advanced faster in the development of eating behavior. The time when the frequency of eating by oneself surpassed the frequency of passive eating coincided with the time when the toddlers started walking.

The road to conventional tool use: Developmental changes in children's material engagement with artifacts in nursery school

“…In recent years, several studies have begun to shed light on the issue. For example, Koda et al (2006) observed the eating behavior of 32 toddlers from 10 to 14 months of age in a nursery school in Japan. They found that as children grew older, the rate at which they ate by themselves using tools increased.…”