Daughter Won't Drink from Sippy Cup. Help!!!

My son is 15 mos. I tried to transition him at about 13 months and I could get him to drink water out of the straw style cup, but he didn't like it for milk. I think it was because he was used to drinking his bottle lying down on the floor and he couldn't do that with the straw style cup. I then tried the Nuby cup with the soft spout and handles. He didn't like that either. Finally, we hit the nail on the head using the Nuby cup without the handles. It was the closest thing to his bottle. He can now finally drink his milk sitting down tilting head back as opposed to lying on the floor. Another thing that helped was my husband and I would drink out of water bottles with a really exaggerated tilting head back motion and give him an empty bottle and he would do the same. That's how he finally grasped the concept of tilting his head back to drink. BTW, I got a knock-off version of the Nuby cup in Toys R Us for about half the price. They come in two-packs.

Dear E., Is it very important to wean her off a bottle now? Babies obtain comfort from sucking on a bottle. It passifies them. When she matures a lttle bit more, the bottle will become less interesting. In the world, on an average, cildren are not weaned until they are 3 years old, and a majority of those are breast fed. Nature has a wonderful way of taking care of things on its own time, which is usually perfect timing. She will give it up soon enough, dont worry.

I used to buy those little cups at wal-mart that look like a bear and they have a straw that flips up. If you can't find those try anything with a straw- I heard it's better for their teeth too.

there is a cup sold at walmart (bright colors) and it has a soft nipple on the sippy cup... That worked for my son.

We use straw cups around here. My twins never got the hang of a regular sippy cup. And I tried them all!

Another option would be those "Take and Toss" cups. They don't have a silicone part (like most sippy's) to slow the flow.

My favorite straw cups are the Playtex Insulated cups. I use Dr Brown's tiny straw bottle brush to clean the straws after each use. I found those bottle brushes at Babies R Us and Toys R Us. They come in a 4 pack.

I had the same issue. My little one is now using sippy cups, but after trying 3 or 4 types, I finally found the kind she prefers. Of course she prefers a cup with a lid and straw. But of course, that can be dangerous! I would take a new sippy cup, and decorate it, make it special, show her, cover it with stickers or markers and tell her it's a new magic cup or whatever you like, and make it really special. Maybe that will help her to try the cup! Also do a "farewell ceremony" for the bottles, have her watch you 'dispose' of them, if there are none in the house, it will be easier.

sometimes the sippy cups with the no-leak devices work so well that they are very difficult to suck out of. I always used to remove the no-spill device from inside the lid and that worked well for my daughter. Hope this helps!

My son never used a sippy cup. He went from the bottle straight to a travel cup with a straw. He hated the sippy cup so much he would scream when he saw it (he was just too lazy to lift it). So I tried the travel cups with the straws, it worked. I had him off the bottle at 9 months. He just really liked the straw it was much less work to get a drink. Weaning at 1 is not too early, the sooner my son lost the bottle the sooner he spoke. I was guilted into thinking I pushed him too soon (inlaw opinion). But, every kid is different. If you feel it is time, then go for it, try a straw, the best ones are the clear soft rubber ones that are locked into the cup.

Hi E.:

My daughter was the same way and my friend told me to start her out on a straw first. I'd hold the cup for her and let her drink with the straw. It worked. When I moved to sippy cups, I made sure I used one that was easy to suck from, just so she would get the concept. When she had mastered it, I moved to the "spill proof" ones, since they are harder to suck from. You may have to hold the cup for her at first so it doesn't spill everywhere, but she will eventually get it down. Good luck, hope this helps.

E.,

I would try different kinds of cups. They have kinds made by NUBY with soft spouts. My son loved those. My 4 months old is actually able to drink from those too. It's really an easy transition. The spout is more like that of a bottle, but it's still shaped like a cup. They sell them at Walmart for under $2. If that doesn't work I would just try different ones. It is different with each child I think. Some kids like the kind that have a staw better.

I had a similar problem with my son, he is now 16 mos old and I was finally able to get him off the bottle a few weeks ago when a friend told me about "Nuby" brand sippy cups. They have a soft spout similar to a bottle. The first time I offered these cups to my son he refused, I figured out from my older 3 yr old son that it was hard to get the liquids out of the spout so I cut a bit larger hole in the spout and that did the trick. After a couple weeks on the cup with a larger hole I offered another "Nuby" cup without making the hole larger and he has taken that fine. I'm sure the cups are sold at several stores but I found the best selection at WalMart. Good Luck!

My daughter doesn't like regular sippy cups either, but she will drink from the sippy cups with straws instead of spouts(the ones designed for older toddlers). She is 16 months but has been able to drink from a straw since she was about 7 - 8 months and I guess the straws are easier for her (have you ever tried to drink out of a sippy cup? I have and it is HARD).
If your daughter can't do straws yet you can probably teach her pretty easily. Get something she likes to drink (preferably something thick, like a milkshake or frosty), suck it into the straw and then cover the top with your finger so that she will be sucking the drink down the straw and gravity can help you. Make sure you keep your finger in place at first so she gets the idea that she has to suck the straw to get the contents out. Once she has the idea of getting things out of the straw this way, it's much easier for her to suck things UP the straw, since she already has the basic idea of how to suck on the straw and make it work. That's how I've taught all my kids to use a straw and they were all able to drink out of a straw very early...it made my life much easier, especially if we went out somewhere and I forgot a cup for them, I could just grab milk or juice for them and use a straw.
Good Luck

Hi E.,

Ok I have a 9month old daughter and I remember that when she was about 5 months I had started to give her a sippy cup. But actually we have the Advant Bottles and they have rubber sippy cup top that can replace the nipples. That way my daughter sill thinks she is holding her bottle and drinking from the sippy lid. It works like a charm. She loves her little cup toppers only because she still has the comfort/feel of her bottle and yet has no problem trying to drink form it! If your brand of bottles have a sippy lid attachment you may want to try "tricking" her into believing that she has her bottle and get her to drink form the cup. Or when all else fails.. try the straw!!! Good luck!

You know I had the same problem with my son....I was tryin to get him take to sippy cups and well all he does is tosses them on the floor.... Have you tried the cups with straws?? Gerber has one where if she doesn't want to drink anymore of it you can close it and the straw bends with the lid so that you can keep that part of it clean...Try giving her drinks from the straw cause she may end up taking to the straw..I know my son did.