Sippy Cups Explained

I don't think there is a "next level" - there are so many choices because so many kids are so picky about what they will drink from. I agree on the Take n Toss, though - they are the closest we've found to real drinking because there are no valves. They also leak, so they're practice for both of you on not carrying them around! But to the extent you need real cups that don't leak (which is a while yet for a lot of reasons -- water during the day, restaurants, etc.) just pick one your child likes and buy several so you can mix and match.

The first step is to start teaching your baby to "fix" their cup when they knock it down. It will take a while of showing and putting the child's hands on the cup as you turn it over, but can be taught with repitition just like every thing else. When the child is a little older, I LOVE the Tupperware Bell Tumblers for transitioning. They are small plastic cups with snap-on plastic sippy lids that are not spill-proof, so it helps the child learn to keep their cup upright. I start these with my daycare kids when they leave the high-chair to sit at the table, usually around 2. Then, no later than 3, I simply remove the sippy lid. By that time, they've had a chance to learn to keep their cups upright and you won't have as many spills. Good luck!

I remember when my best friends daughter was sitting at mytable drinking from a real glass at dinner. She bit the galss into 3 peices and cut her mouth open. So, always use appropriate cups...I learned the hard way. We use the take and toss becasue we can throw it away and not loose much investment. We also use the Platex tippy cups because we like those valves better, they seem to last longer and stay "one way".

Hi There,
Drinking from a straw is actually more difficult than drinking from a regular sippy cup. There are many cups out there, with or without valves, it doesn't really matter which one you use, as long as your child doesn't have difficulty transitioning from the bottle to a sippy cup (sometimes some kids take to different mouth pieces/valves better during the transition). Basically, I make sure my kids know how to use a straw and sippy cut, and once they are a little older I give them regular plastic cups when they are seated at the table for dinner, with just a little bit of water. They will figure it out pretty quickly, especially by watching the rest of the family. There is no problem letting your older toddler use a sippy cup or straw sippy for a while, as long as you are teaching them to use a regular cup as well. Straw cups are generally better for oral motor progression than sippy cups, but at your child's age, you don't need to rush into using a real cup, just introduce it to her gradually and she will get it!

It really is a matter of personal preference.

The great thing about sippy cups is the lack of a mess (in most cases). The bad thing is you get really accustomed to them and not having to clean-up messes.

We have a 3.5 year-old and a 22 month-old. At dinner, we let them drink from a real cup (with or without a straw, we let it be their preference). That way, if they spill, it's in a controlled environment.

When we're out publicly, it's easier to take a sippy cup. At some point, we'll need to stop for our older child. You may want to look into other brands that you can take with you that don't have the straw as I've found them more prone to leaking.

In the end, try different brands - you'll quickly find what are your personal favorites. There really aren't any standards to follow on what kind to use and when. Go with your instincts - they'll almost always lead you in the right direction.

Slowly introduce your child to a big kid cup. Explain and stress very firmly that the big kid cup can only be left on the kitchen table. When they realize what a big kid they are drinking from a cup like mommy they usually transsion quit well. After they get use to drinking from them. Throw a little sippy cup throwing away party and let your child throw them away themselves.Make a huge deal about and give her/him a surprise for being big like there own little cup just for them. I would only give her/him clear juices until they fully understand that they must sit at the table to drink and not walk around with it until they are much older. When they realize what a big kid they are its actually pretty easy. But, in my experiance its best to let them throw the sippy away it makes them feel big and they feel like they have accomplished the next step them selves. Good luck and keep us posted.

Another thing to consider is that the sippy cups with the nub on the top can exacerbate an overbite. My daughter, who's almost 3 1/2, drinks from a topless cup at the table, but now uses only sippy cups with straws (we also like the Take n Toss cups) when not at a table. The pediatric dentist said I should start seeing a change in her overbite over time as long as she doesn't use the nubby tops.

My children rarely used sippy cups, except for going out, and never for anything but water because they are so difficult to clean. Once they started wanting to feed themselves, we brought out small plastic cups with small amounts of water and always at the table. Of course there were messes (even now at 3 and 5, though not so often!) but if you want your child to used a regular cup, they will. If you want them to use a sippy cup, they will. They are quick learners and will follow your lead!

Most speech-language therapists agree that no-drip sippy cups cause more harm than good. Using a "straw" cup might be a good choice when you are out and about. Otherwise, teaching your little one to drink from a cup at this age is a great idea. Help her keep her chin tipped down, and make sure the cup is touching the "corners" of her mouth before the liquid is tipped up.

Sippy cups are bad bad bad for a childs teeth. Do NOT use one. The straws are better but the child tends to suck instead of drink and any sweet liquid just sits in the mouth. Most children suck away at a sippy cup and the constant sucking also causes the teeth to get out of alignment making orthodontists VERY happy. They sell small plastic cups in character designs. Get a few and only fill them with a 1/2 inch of liquid at first. Water is less messy. He will soon get the hang of it then you can fill it more, but never more than halfway to save yourself messy cleaning. Its a lot easier to add more than to mop it all up.

My daughter has been able to drink from a cup that someone else hold since she was 9 months old, but we haven't really given her her own regular cup until just recently. She is now 27 months old. She does a fairly decent job, but making sure she keeps it at the table is a must! She is so used to carrying around a sippy cup (straw or otherwise) that she thinks she can do about anything with it and we've had a few messes.

If your little one is ready for a regular cup, use whatever cup you think he/she can handle. We just bought the Take N Toss cups and they work great. They fit in cup holders of her carseat and they don't have handles on them so she learned how to hold onto a regular cup early.

I skipped the sippy cups completely. I gave my kid a regular cup to drink out of, of course she tipped it to far and she was soaked lol. After changing and moping up the water I gave her the same cup with water and presto she was carful not to tip it too far and drank her water. She also liked to drink with a straw once in a while. The mess was well I would say regular. There were knocked over cups once in a while but that is easily cleaned up. I also have a " we eat and drink at the table" rule that save so much clean up of crumb trail and juice dribbles all over the house.