My daughter started drinking out of a big girl cup, starting at age 3. She had no problems with it. She was allowed a sippy when we were in the car or running around at a park (in the summer). Now that it is winter, we don't go places as much, and she just turned 4. When she drinks out of a big girl cup, she only drinks at most 2-3 oz, three times a day. That is the only fluids she will drink!! I know this isn't enough. I stuck with just big girl cups for about a week straight, and she didn't change her amount. She just recently asked for a straw in her cup and I gave it to her. With a straw she will drink 9oz at a time (normal for her) and she drinks a lot more during the day. So my question is, should I allow her to drink out of a straw all the time? Is it okay not to force her to drink from a big girl cup. The cups with straws are just regular cups and then a throw a straw in them.
Thanks for putting my mind at ease:) I will continue to allow her to drink from her straw cups. She loves having them and being able to get them whenever she wants. I tried a regular cup at one meal, but she didn't drink any of it, and then after the meal she went to the fridge and got her straw cup and downed it:) I guess she just prefers the straw:) I was just worried it was bad for her to have the straw, but I'm not any more:) Thank you all again for the help of putting my mind at ease:)!
Straws are okay but do not give her a sippy cup. The straw will allow the drink to by-pass her teeth. Good luck
I think using straws is fine! If thats the only way she will drink a good amount and as long she knows how to drink out of a cup there isn't anything to worry about. If it would ease your mind you could always offer the big girl cup at meals and then let her use the straw during the day.
She knows how to drink out of a normal cup, so I wouldn't push it. Using a straw is something most adults do when they eat out, and it is easier to drink fluids that way. If she was having an aversion to a cup in general I'd be more concerned and advise you to do some training with the cup.
My kids (5 and & 7) get a glass of milk with breakfast and dinner and a cup of juice with lunch. These drinks are at the table with a meal, so they are in a regular juice glass. I think a straw would be fine. The rest of the day, they drink water out of a water bottle. They have a few different kinds of water bottles - those aluminum ones, plastic with flip top lid, etc, but they are not sippy cups. At their age, they are responsible for filing up their water bottles and keeping them in the fridge if they want them cold. I also let them take their water to bed at night. Also, if she eats alot of fruit she will require less water. My daughter is like that.
As a parent, step-parent, grandmother and nurse I think that however she drinks fluids is fine. I think you're making too big of a deal out of it. And I don't know of anyone who keeps track of the amount of fluid their child has each day at that age. At 4 years old she's old enough to know if she's thirsty or not. If you're concerned with the amount of fluid, just make sure that there's always some available for her....leave a cup of water (or whatever) out for her at all times or on a shelf in the fridge that she can reach by herself. That way it promotes some independence on her part, too...she can just get the drink whenever she's thirsty by herself. So whether it's a cup, sippy cup, sports bottle, whatever doesn't really matter, but she'll get the fluids she needs.
D.
I still drink out of a sippy cup. It is proper for ladies to always use a straw. In public, one should not drink from a glass directly. Men drink out of bottles, ladies use straws.
We've been doing the straw thing a lot more at our house. We'd gotten the Danimals smoothies, and straws worked really well for our kids (3.5 and 22 months).
So, I honestly don't mind them using a straw with their cups (it's honestly better for you anyhow because it doesn't expose the mouth/teeth to as much of the liquid).
We still use Sippy Cups when we're out running errands.
That's just one mom's opinion. Hope that helps.
I don't see any harm in using a straw. I have water bottles for my older girls for outings. They have straws in them too.
I see no problem in letting her use a straw. As long as you know she is ABLE to drink out of a cup then that is good. We still use cups with straws in the car, at activities, etc. and my kids are 5 and 9. I believe anyway to keep your children hydrated is best. We used sippy-straw type cups for sending milk to school in lunches for awhile too--until I got the Thermos style ones this year-but they have straws too! If it's really a concern I would let her use the straw for most of the time and then set one particular meal as a no-straw meal and see how that goes. Good luck!
