When to Start Sipi Cups

Teach your child to use a normal straw and a normal cup. It is better for their oral/speech development anyway. You can buy normal cups with really tight lids (the take and toss style) so you can still prevent spills. A sippy cup is just a glorified bottled.

Can't help you with stages of baby food. I think every child is different and at different levels of readiness for different types of food so just watch your child master purees and then gradually move on as he appears to be ready and hold off if he shows signs that he is not.

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My 5 month old drinks from a sippy cup. He wouldn't take the bottle so I tried a sippy cup and he likes it. The other kids started around 7 or 8 months. Whatever you do just don't wait until he is 1 year old. Do it much sooner.

Try to get him started drinking water from a sippy cup...it will make transtition from a bottle, if you're using one, SO much easier. They make them with soft spouts now that little ones really like. I think Playtex makes a two handled sippy with a soft spout.

Hi K.,
I started introducing the sippy cup to my son at 4 months with just a little bit of water in it. It took him a while, but he was interested in it. Good luck and have fun.

My personal thinking is to skip the sippy cups. Begin offering your child something to drink, preferably milk/formula (whichever he takes) or water, from a regular glass. I use a glass one that has a thin rim so it's easier for the child to get the drink out. You'll need to hold the glass for the child until he's old enough to handle it on his own... probably 15 months or later, but it's worth it to me to get the child drinking from a normal cup right away. Get a good straw cup for when he is old enough to carry water around the house with him. That will allow him to get a drink whenever he feels the need, but eliminate the mess of spilled water. It seems I've read somewhere that the straw cups are better for the child's mouth than the sippy cups... and frankly they are much less messy! My just turned a year old grandson is doing great on the glass. We introduced it when he was about your son's age. He can hold it on his own now, but we aren't just giving it to him without strict supervision because of how easy it is for it to be dropped and broken. I like using glass better than plastic, but we do on occasion use plastic too. For the one older toddler I care for, I'm using one of the little heavy glasses like you can buy Kraft soft flavored cheese spreads in. It has thicker sides and because the diameter of the glass isn't as wide, it will withstand a drop to the floor much better. Once the child is able to totally handle the glass alone, he can drink the liquid from the thicker walled glass without too much trouble.

When you start solid food, you can introduce a sippy cup. At your child's 6 month well check-up your doctor will be able to give you specific help. The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending introducing solid food (rice cereal) at 6 months. This is revised from when I had my 1st child three years ago. I don't believe there is a time recommendation on stage 3 food introduction. It just must be a progression from stage 1-2-3. I know on the outside of many stage 3 foods (Good Earth brand) that it should not be given to any child under the age of 8 months.

stage 3 baby food is for 9 months and older. I wouldn't really suggest moving them up because there are little chunks in it. At 5 months old he might choke on them.

% or 6 months is fine. They'll let you kbow if they are not ready for them. My son never took a bottle and went straight to a sippy cup at 5 and a half months.

I started my son on the Born Free (soft spout 6+mo) sippy cups at 6 months and he transitioned beautifully. Every child is different with how well they adjust to something new, so expect anything. We started my son on stage 3 food at 9 mos old simply because I was more cautious of the ingredients and possible sensitivities to them.

GL

My baby began using a sippy around 7-8 months but she started drinking from a cup around 6 months. My pediatrician told me I should have never started her on the sippy because of the damage it can do to her teeth. So if you are going to use if for just water then I guess that is okay but juices and milk can cause decay I guess. We still use one because that way my baby can drink without assistance, which she loves. As far as food goes, we were on stage 3 and even some graduates by about 9 months. My doc said to just try her on the thicker stuff with soft, small chunks and she would spit it out if she wasn't ready. I imagine this is a general rule. Hope this helps.