13 Month Old Learning to Use a Straw

Both of my kids learned to use a straw in milli-seconds when chocolate milk was in the cup. That is a major treat for them, so they were highly motivated!

I agree with you - it gives lot of flexibility in restaurants.

Good luck,
L.

Seems like all 6 of my grandkids go the hang of it by 14-15 months. It depends on how well they are using their tongue and eating I think.

Lots of great ideas - if he's a juice drinker (or would probably work with whatever he drinks), might want to put a little juice with your fingers on the tip of the straw where his mouth goes. Once he tastes that, he'll want more and will likely accidentally suck one of the times that he tastes it. Once he realizes that sucking gets him the juice/drink, he should be good to go!

Put something thick and yummy in the cup: my daughter went for Jambu Juice and my son went for milkshakes. Once she "gets" how a straw works she'll probably be more willing. :)

I wouldn't worry too much about it. When he's curious enough he'll figure it out

Ok guess I'm freaky. while kids were in tub, I got straw and blew bubbles, then I sucked some water up & blew it on their bellies. They loved it & played & played. Used them all the time after that. Good luck.

Try showing him how to "kiss" the end of the straw until he gets the liquid to his lips. It worked for my kids. They do get the hang of it.

My 3rd son also refused to learn how to use a straw OR a sippy cup. Then we invited a friend over who had a daughter the same age who was efficient with both...my son couldn't stand that she was getting stuff he wasn't getting. By the time she went home (about four hours later) he was able to use both. We still tease him about Mary teaching him to drink from a straw.

VickiS

The only way I got my son to use a straw was to use a milkshake. He had never tasted one before, so I sucked it up to the top of the straw. He could taste a bit without having to do anything, and the taste gave him the motivation to do it by himself!

I second using the juice box. Both my children and all four of my nieces and nephews learned to drink from a straw by first squeezing a bit of juice from the box.

Fool proof method ( I used that one on countless kids and they had it down within 10 seconds).
You need :
A juice box with a straw ( any juice will do)
You insert the straw into the box and then stick the straw into the kid's mouth. Then very gently press on the box so the juice goes up the straw and into the kids mouth. Little bit will do it. Kid taste the juice and wants more. You squeeze more and get a little more juice into the kids mouth. Now something great happens and that is the sucking reflex is kicking in and presto kid learns to use a straw. Works every time.

you might try to hold the cup up to his mouth like you would yours with the straw between two fingers and put the end of the straw in his mouth and kinda tap his mouth with the back of your fingers. i did that with my kids and they picked up on it quick now i cant seem to get them to drink out of a cup without a straw