I would love for my 22 month old to use straw cups. He doesn't know how to suck through the straw?? He tips up the cups with the straw in it and basically lets it drip in his mouth. He is a preemie and is still little for his age. How do you teach a child to drink from a straw- it makes me worry since I see other kids his age drinking from them. He uses the sippy cups with the plastic lid-the toss and take ones? Please any advice is appreciated.
Hi A.!
I bought the Playtex ones that has the soft straw included that you can close up. When my daughter would tip it over, it's sealed so nothing comes out. I also just let her play around with it as well and she eventually got it. Yes there were a few instances with water or juice in the face, but with the Playtex ones I didn't have a problem.
Best of patience,
K. :~)
There are a few fun ways. Hold your finger over the top so a little liquid remains in the straw (with something fun like yogurt shake, juice, etc) Put it to your son'd lips and let him get the feel of it, letting the liquid slowly go.
Once he master's that, you can add more liquid teaching him to suck. Use very small (or cut big straws) initially so there isn't much work for him.
You can also play games with a straw to get him comfortable using it -like blowing a cotton ball - to get the feel of it.
It took my daughter until about 2 1/2 to drink from a straw! We tried to teach her, but she just couldn't get it. She just figured it out one day. It is frustrating, isn't it?
Good luck!
I just sort of let my daughter play around with a straw cup of water. Yep, it got all over her, but increased her interest in it. Also, Capri Sun makes a flavored water, and you could try that like the juice box. I think it is trial and error though...
E.
I'm not sure if I can explain this through writing but I will try. When you get a pop with a regular straw in it put your finger on top of it, take it out of the cup, put it in your sons mouth but don't take your finger off the top of the straw. He'll have to suck the pop out of it in order to get it. I did that with my son and he drank from a straw very early. They can taste the pop so they know some is there and they want it so they will normally find a way to get it.
Honestly, my four 1/2 year old starts out OK with a straw, but when the cup is half empty, she'll tip it also - it's apparently a tough skill!!
The juice box idea sounds great except that I don't do juice until potty training. Just thought I'd let you know that it took a long time for my 1st son to get it as well. We just kept trying and he finally got it. I was very surprised that our second son got it at just over a year. But I think it was about 2 years old for our first to get it.
The straw cups are highly overrated. All they do is leak if you don't close them and how do we expect little ones to close it everytime. My son used to use them and that is all he would use. They absolutely drove me crazy. Tipping the cup is a completely normal habit for them to do since they have to do that with a sippy cup. I would not worry about it too much. I don't think there is anything wrong with your son at all. He just knows how to drink from his sippy cup. Keep with them in my opinion. Then when you are out, as a treat, he can try to drink from a straw. It will come in good time!
My son turned two in May and we have tried a couple of times to"teach" him with no success. Finally just last week I gave him a smoothie with a straw and he seems to be starting to get it. Although he is still surprised when he actually gets something in his mouth. I will have to try the juice box idea...but maybe when he is outside swimming because I know he will be covered in it when he learns it comes out with a squeeze!
We taught my 9 month old. put the straw in the liquid, Something REALLY good like lemonade or juice(even a little soda.) it has to be something they really want to drink. put your finger over the top so the liquid stays in the straw. put the straw upright over thier mouth so they have to suck downward, not up, which is harder. Let a little bit( just a taste from the straw) into thier mouth so they taste it, then let them put thier mouth on it. They'll suck on it to get the liquid out, especially if it's somrthing really good. Do it quite a few times to practice. Once they get the hang of sucking out of the straw you can try it in a glass the right way.. Also, cut the straw so they don't have so far to draw it up and it takes less suction. Once they get really good at it, you can switch to a regular straw. good luck!
Juice boxes help teach the sucking since you can squeeze the juice into there mouth a few times and he will figure it out that if he sucks the straw he gets more. Good Luck!
