Getting a 6 Year Old off of a Sippy Cup...

Updated on July 09, 2010
D.M. asks from Forney, TX
17 answers

does anyone still have a 'closet' sippy cupper...??? He won't let his friends see him drink out of one, but when I try to throw them out he picks through the garbage to get them back...so clearly he is not prepared to let go. It is not a need as he does perfectly fine with grown up cups...I was hoping the dentist would tell him they were bad for him and back me up- she did not- she just said don't worry about it. But he is 6...most kids, including my older one, were done with sippys at maybe 3 or 4 ....am I worrying for nothing...?

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So What Happened?

OK- it is agreed I am stressing about silly stuff..and in answer to one question (I have noooo idea why it bothers me, probably because he gets sooo upset if all his sippies are in the dishwasher and I 'insist' he uses a regular cup)..but I like the link with the playtex cups so we are going out later today and I am going to give it a try- it looks just like our grown up coffee cups etc (but those spill- I tried that approach already) so I am thinking the Playtex will be a winner!! Thanks everyone!!

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D.W.

answers from Gainesville on

My 5.5 year old still uses a sippy if we are on the go. His resemble a more grown up version. Here is what he uses:

http://www.playtexbaby.com/CupsMealtime/Coolster-Tumbler-...

He also has some of the FooGo Thermos straw thermos cups

5 moms found this helpful
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H.S.

answers from Detroit on

Put the lids in the trash (or the whole cup if it's a twist on); I have Tupperware so I can use the cups w/o the seals and take the entire bag to the dumpster, but don't let him see them. When he asks for one, just tell him that they're gone, he's a big boy and that he needs to use a real cup and yes, it will affect his teeth.

1 mom found this helpful

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N.S.

answers from Chicago on

I wish my 9-year old drank out of sippies because we'd have less spills!

Why don't you get him a more "grown up" version of the sippy cup? They have neat water bottles with straws that pop up or sippy-type lids.

He may just feel comforted by his familiar cups. I still get nostalgic when I go to my parents and I see the old cups I used to drink out of.

Put the cups in a plastic bag and store them away for a month where he can't find them. If he asks tell him they're gone. He'll probably be upset but he'll get over it. If he's over it in a month, then throw the cups out. If it turns out to be trauma, then bring the cups back and wait for him to give them up on his own!

4 moms found this helpful

L.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Relax.. if he has sippy, he's not spilling...
YMMV
LBC

3 moms found this helpful
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A.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

Have you drank out of one lately? lol not really BUT me and my sisters always had our certain drink that we enjoyed more out of the tuppeware sipper cups all the way into high school, and without embarrassment. Mine was chocolate milk. I think it was that it crept out slowly and you were able to enjoy it. I always looked at it like they wouldnt make a mess. I still give my 7 year old cousin one on occassion. Its really not a big deal, dont sweat it.

3 moms found this helpful

S.K.

answers from Kansas City on

I think you are worrying for nothing. When I was a kid we LOVED our silly straws. Kids have always loved funny shaped cups or strange straws. My 9 year old loves drinking out of sippy cups. She can drink out of a normal cup just fine and she doesn't care if her friends know she drinks out of them. Don't we adults carry water bottles around? Water bottles come in many shapes and sizes with many types of spouts. What am I missing? Why does it bother you? Does he do other babyish behaviors like whine and suck his thumb?

2 moms found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Houston on

throw them away right before the garbage gets picked up,,,,,no cup, no habit

2 moms found this helpful
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D.S.

answers from Dallas on

Do you have any friends who have kiddos who are about the age to start using sippys? My girls are clothes hounds and they try to wear things that clearly do not fit them any longer. The way that I have gotten them to part with these things is by saying something like "little Jane would really enjoy that dress!"

This way they don't really feel like they're losing it. You may want to tell him how much he would be helping "so and so" by letting him have his sippys. It's amazing how a child's attitude changes when they find out they are contributing.

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G.A.

answers from Dallas on

Tell him this is the day we are getting rid of them and do it. Cut off the spout and take them to McDonalds dumb or some place he can not go through the garbage. This is rediculous. No way. I had a two and three year old drinking out of sippy cups in my day care and then found out at home they never use them. I gave on a sippy cup then one time forgot to put the lid on and she drank fine. I do it only when kids continually spill. I never do it past 3 or 4 yrs old. I also have a 5 yr old mom wipes his butt when she comes and she said how do I get him out of her bed. Well she created it figure it out. He is starting school and all day I never wipe his butt. G. W

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R.O.

answers from Dallas on

It's time to go cold turkey and throw those out. Tell him it's time.

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N.G.

answers from Tucson on

Try straws or recycle water bottles.

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A.P.

answers from Dallas on

I know you've already decided, but I thought I'd throw a couple more cents into the don't worry about it camp! My son is 8 and still uses sippies almost exclusively (as do my 4 yr-old and 20-month old) -- they like to have a drink in the living room and a regular cup would definitely get spilled for sure! I say why traumatize him by throwing them out all of a sudden if you don't have to. And before I read all the posts, I immediately thought of "grown-up" sippies! I always have a plastic water bottle of some kind with me. Put a "green", "helping the earth" spin on it if that helps. My son used those Playtex cups you got the link about. They're great and work exactly the same as the others. Anyway, don't worry!

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

I actually preferred anything that would help prevent spills. My sister (even as an adult) is a natural spiller. Some how, some way, if any liquid is within 12 feet of her - it gets spilled. Given the choice of keeping a sippy cup or buying stock in a paper towel company - the sippy cup wins. It's a short hop from a sippy cup to a sports bottle - and grown ups use them every where.

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A.K.

answers from Dallas on

My 5 and 1 year-old boys both use these.... http://www.amazon.com/CamelBak-0-4LKIDSBOTT-0-4-Liter-Kid...

They are definitely cups that adults use (well, a smaller version of the adult "better bottle), so he can use them forever!! My kids love them!

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K.S.

answers from Kansas City on

Maybe he just finds it fun! I remember when I was around 5 or so, my brother and I would, for the fun of it occasionally drink out of a bottle.

Maybe he is one of those who has a hard time giving things up. Maybe it's the sentimentalism in him and he'll be an heirloom collector! :) I wouldn't stress over it, it's kind of cute that he hides it from his friends I think.

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L.F.

answers from Dallas on

Dear D.:

I can remember as a child myself and my siblings all liked sippy cups at the same age as your son. My mother simply put the cups up and restricted their use to special occasions. It eventually was only for road trips, you know, back in the days when there weren't juice boxes, et cetera.

We only used them around family and eventually grew out of them. It's not damaging teeth and it's a harmless habit, so if it's bothering you restrict the use and let him keep the cup.

L. F., mom of a 14-year-old daughter

E.C.

answers from Dallas on

D.,

I am sorry I dont have time to read everyones stuff here but You need to take them all and throw them in a walmart bag and chunk them in your trash outside and put your foot down. Just being blunt. I have a 6 yo daughter and could not imgaine her having a sippy cup. She takes her own showers (washes her own hair and body), been using a microwave and tying her shoe since 4, writes her name since 3.... they are 6 and dont need a toddler sippy cup.

I use to run a daycare with 300 kids. At 18 months-24 months the kids go on regular cups for a reason by 2 years old a child SHOULD not have a sippy cup. Its one thing to have a straw cup or sports bottom top cup in the car but at ALL other times they should have a regular cup.

YOU are just inabling him to continue to have a sippy cup. Sorry wasn't trying to be mean its like seeing a 4 yo walk around with a paci.

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