Seeking Advice Re: Sippy Cups

Will she drink water out of a sippy cup? If it's just milk that's the problem I just put a drop of milk in water and slowly increased the amount of milk to water until it was all milk again. There are also some very soft top sippy cups that are good for the transition. We used Nuby: http://www.diapers.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product...

Have you tried warming the milk in the sippy cup? That's the only thing that worked for my son when he was that age. Good luck!!

try a sippy cup with a soft top more like her bottle. I had the same issue with my twins and that did the trick. J.

Try Nuby cups. They have a soft top like a nipple and are easy to clean. My daughter liked them best when we made the swich and I like them better too. K

Just don't give her a choice for a few days...she will be fine if she does not get her "daily allowance of milk" for a period of a few days (and you can give her yogurt and other dairy products to make up for some of it anyway). After a few days of ONLY offering sippy cups, she is most likely going to switch - realizing that milk now comes from a cup. Also, try a few types of spouts (soft, hard plastic, straws...)

She is not too young. Both our kids started using sippy cups at 9 months.

She will switch if it's all that's available! Seriously, she is not gonna wither away if she doesn't drink milk for a few days. Take all the bottles in your house and gather them in a box and explain to her that the babies need her bottles, but when she goes to sleep they will come and bring her a surprise. Then get rid of all the bottles and put some pretty sippy cups in the box for her to discover in the morning.

Get rid of all the bottles for real though. Don't just hide them somewhere. If they aren't there, she can't use them and you can't give in.

Hi R.,

Our little ones are all about texture at this point - as are adults. It has been said that it take exposure to the same texture about 20 times before we begin to accept it. This goes for food and items we touch - how many people do you know that can't stand wool, beards or foods like oysters, cottage cheese - it is a texture thing, usually.

Keep offering the different textures to your little one, be calm and matter a fact about it and soon she will accept one or maybe even a few into her life.

Another note - this is only the beginning of her having a preference to items - get ready to choose your battles - you will wear yourself out if you choose to fight them all. Our littles ones have opinions/preferences too.

Positively,
M.

Keep trying and don't stress about it! We started giving my daughter a straw sippy around 10 months and she still does well with it. She can use an open cup but it's still messy and she does better with a straw in an open cup. Talk with your pediatrician and ask for their advice/suggestions about how to transition. They may well tell you to just go straight to an open cup so be prepared for that.

If you really want the bottle gone soon, let her keep the bottle for water, but give her everything else in a cup. She may not have her daily milk for a day or two, but she'll be okay with that especially if you give her a little extra yogurt or cheese. Allowing her to keep her bottle for water should help ensure that she's still getting the fluid she needs.

R.,
Have you tried a cup with a straw? Kids LOVE them! I do not think it is too early, my Dr. says bottle gone at 1 yr.

K.

My daughter refused to make the change - a complete and utter melt down - I held off a few more months and did it when she was ready - she had been still cuddling while drinking and I think that was the issues - once she stopped cuddling and walking around then we made the change. I know it's not what you are suppose to do but it worked.

R. M Try making a game out of the switch play like trade her the cup for her bottle then trade back soon she will won't you to keep the bottle so she can have the cup all to her self just try it it may work it may not.
J.

Hi.
You've gotten great suggestions for sippy cups.
I just wanted to add your child might be getting enough calcium/protein/dairy from other sources and thus may not need as much fluid milk as you might think.

Here is some additional information for nutrition in toddlers:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/toddler-foods.ht...

Keep trying different types of cups and tops. Try the kind with straws. My daughter was done with bottles at 12 months. So, I don't think its too soon. There are a lot of different sippy styles.
Good Luck

Lots of wonderful advice and suggestions!

You might want to practice using an actual cup. Our pediatrician recommended us start using an open cup as early as 6 months because it helps them recognize the concept of regulation and is highly recommended for mouth development. We purchased some paper cups and used them once in a while with water; our daughter is two now and can handle an open cup very well.

As for "sippy" cups. They do not teach regulation, they act just like bottles in the sense that the child has to suck pretty vigorously to actually get the fluid. The NUBY brand ones might be good for a transition since they have silicone nipples for spouts.

Also AVENT makes ones that you can use their bottle nipples on, but they are "sporty cups" that have handles that could also be removed. They come with rubber spout sippers, but are interchangeable with their nipples. That might be a good transition, use the nipple first and then gradually switch to the spout, etc.

First of all , it's not too early to do the switch. The advice I've read said to start this transition at a year. That being said, my daughter was really hard. She never took the bottle, didn't want a cup or sippy cup. What i did was to keep trying different cups until we found one that she liked. It sounds like a pain, but take her shopping and let her pick one out. Also, the soft tip sippy cups are an easier transition than the hard tip ones. If she has friends that can show her that may help also. Seeing other kids her age using various cups may inspire her to do the same. Just keep trying. You don't want her drinking from a bottle until she hits school. She take to the sippy or open cup eventually. Good Luck!

It's tought to make them do something that seems so natural when the other kids around yours are doing it. Stick to it! I just know you can help her eventually. (And she will figure out eventually that the milk comes from the sippy and nowhere else...) I'm sure that you've demonstrated over and over again. Is there another beverage that she really likes, but that you limit that could come from the sippy cup? Have you tried a different brand, etc? Good luck!

My son was the same way. He was breast fed until he was a year old, then I gave him a bottle for his milk, and a sippy for juice and water. I found that the Nubby brand sippy cup was a nice transition for him (he was probably between 16 and 18 months old). It has a soft top like a bottle, but a different shape. We used them for a while, until he chewed the tops and ruined them. Then we told him they were broken and switched to the hard topped Gerber cups. He is almost 4 and drinks from cups just fine.

Hi, R.! I had good luck with my first child when I bought her a straw cup. She loved it, and then made the switch to cups pretty easily. Good luck!

K.

My son refused a cup but it was obvious he no longer wanted bottles so I just kept giving him the cup. Eventually they learn to like it. Now if she doesn't know how to use it that is different but if it is simple refusal just remove the bottles. If she isn't ready you don't have to press for sippy cup usage but it's all entirely up to you and what you're willing to go through.

First thing is, what kind of bottles are you using right now? alot of bottles they make now like the avent ones have handles that you can add to the bottle. that would be your first step. let her have her bottle but put handles on it and get her use to that. then alot of people first introduce a sippy cup and only but one thing in it. like for you if you don't like to give them juice then only put water in it till she drinks out of that with no problems then every bottle offer it in a sippy cup and if after 30 minutes she hasn't drank any then put it in a bottle. but just keep trying every time she wants something to drink. her is a link to the best sippy cups I found to introduce them to your child to me they are most like a nipple of a bottle then they think they are still getting a bottle

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3393933

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3393932

here is what the nipple of a sippy cup should some what look like. they are soft just like the bottle nipples I haven't met a kid that didn't like them when first starting out.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2661904

except they are usually clear like the other 2 photos. you might have to copy and past the links if you can't click on them. good luck
one other thing, I don't know whree about you live but I just boxed all my training cups and bottles up that Hayden won't use any more.I would be more then happy to donate so that you aren't wasting money buying 15 different ones. they can get expensive. email me if you are interested

It will be a struggle. You have to be persistent. She will be okay without milk for a few days if she refuses to use the sippy cup. But you just need to throw out the bottles with her and show her that you are making a transition, and let her know that if she wants milk, it will be ready for her in the sippy cup. She may fight it for awhile, but will eventually give in! There are other good sources of calcium and vitamin D, if you are concerned, like: yogurt, cheese, & eggs. You can do it!

I had the same issue and my son has a speech therapist that used the straw cup with him and it worked. Once he was drinking from that he started drinking from the a sippy cup but only would drink from the Nuby cups because they had a soft top. He also would only drink water at first from the cup. We tried the cold turkey thing and it was a nightmare and both his therapist and Dr agreed at least with him it was not a good idea.

Hi. The advice here is great. I have to admit that my kids used bottles until they were 2. At around 2 they lost their last bottle and it was done. It was trial and error though to find a sippy cup that they would use. We have 4 different kinds in our cupboards from our 4 kids. They used the sippy cup and bottles and then eventually just sippy cups and now we are moving into open cups, but they are over 4 before this happened. It will work out. Don't stress.

Keep trying. My daughter was the exact same way. In our case, I began to only offer the sippy cup during the day, even during the times that I would give her a bottle - morning, naptime, etc. We kept the night time bottle until she was 18 months. Anyhow, it took about a week and she finally figured it out. In the meantime, I supplimented her dairy level with extra yogurt, cheese, etc. Then at 18 months, when I took away the final bottle, I gave her a sippy cup of at bed time. That transition was much easier.
So, it might take time, but eventually it will happen. It is just a huge change for them. The feel is different, the flow is different, it is not as comforting.
But don't stress out too much if it doesn't happen until she is a bit older too. Everyone recommends off the bottle by 18 months, but you know what, you know your daughter and do what you feel is right.

Try a straw. They have many that are curly cued so she can watch the milk twirl up the straw. You won't get her to take as much from a cup as she did from a bottle. Her milk is justa liquid that goes along with her solid food intake now. If she still needs a large amount of milk, the bottle may still be your only avenue. But if you only want to see about 2-4 ounce of milk consumed at a meal, then try a straw if the sippy cup won't work. How did you transistion from the bottle to begin with? Will she take water from a cup? There are cups that have straw holes in them that are leak proof. I think you can find them at Toys R Us or the Merry Go Round in Bellevue. Lots of luck!!

Hi R.,
I just went through this myself. My daughter is 22 months and I had the goal of getting her off the bottle by 2. I was going to try earlier, but I thought, what is the rush. She likes it, it gives her comfort and they are only little once.
Well, we had a good friend's princess sippy cup on our counter. (By the way, my daughter has always taken a bottle for milk and a sippy for water. She never really got into juice and I didn't push that.) The princess sippy has been there for almost a month! After nap one day she saw it and wanted to hold it. I asked her if she wanted milk in it (here's my chance!) and she shook her head yes. Since then, we have not had a bottle! I think it was also "out of sight, out of mind."
So, maybe something else you could try is to get a sippy that has a character on it that she likes, or get one from a friend that she loves. The princess cups that we had from the friend (I was going to give it back since she accidentally left them here but kept forgetting-which worked in my favor!) are at Target. My daughter LOVES Elmo and they had Sesame Street cups there too. She chose the S.S. cups but loves "Cassy's cup" too (her best friend).
Good luck!
C.

We started my daughter on the sippy at 6 months. You could give her a cup as a toy in the bath tub. A few times she'll pour it on herself...but eventually she'll learn how to control it. If she's "drowning" herself there are sippys w/ little stoppers to slow the amount that comes out. Or, you can find sippys that work like a straw, those were my daughters favorites.

I had eventual success with my daughters by giving them the option of a bottle of water or a tippy cup of milk. They did try to negotiate this, but I stayed firm in my resolve (eventually) and they finally warmed up to the tippy cup. Blessings to you and yours! :)

Hi R.,

Your little girl isn't to small for a sippy cup. She just might be really attached to that bottle. My daughter started using them at around 8 months. She never was much of a bottle baby, but she didn't like the hard tipped sippy cups either. So the ones I found the best are the nubby cups. They are a very soft nipple almost the same texture as a bottle nipple just larger and of sippy cup form. I have had other friends who's little ones loved their bottles like your little one and using the nubby cup as a transition really helped them. Now their little ones will drink out of any kind of sippy cup. So will my daughter now, but she prefers the nubby for her milk.

My 18 mo old refuses to tip the sippy up so tha the juice will flow. But I got a Fuggo straw sippy & he loves it, btu she has to master the straw to use it, then it;s easy. But daily allowance of milk? Please don't go for that one....kids dont need cow milk unless it's breast milk you're talking about. ANyway, try that sippy, eventally she'll get it.

You could try having the Bottle Fairy visit! Get her involved in putting the bottles in a bag and put them in the mail box...then a few hours later have her go check the mail and in there she should find a brand new big girl sippy cup and a treat (you or a family memeber/friend of course acting as the bottle fairy. you can sprinkle fairy dust all over the mail box to show she was there...it is easier for them to go without a bottle if there isnt one in the house. She migth go a few days without milk, but she will eventually give in! Good luck!

I don't think that is to early to start. My daughter is 7 months now and I have been giving her water and juice in a sippy cup since she was 6 months. She only gets her bottle when she gets formula. She is still learning how to use it but she will get it eventually. I think the best way to start is to use the straw like the other response suggested. My daughter loves drinking out of regular cups to. Hope this helps. I think it just depends on the person/ child

My oldest switched to a cup at 9 months without any problems. However, my daughter refused to drink milk from a cup although she would drink water or juice. I just kept giving her milk in a bottle at meal time until she was two or so. When I took away the bottle she stopped drinking milk. She is now 7 and still doesn't drink milk. She loves cheese and yogurt, though, so I don't worry too much about it.

Try one of those straw cups. They are just as spill proof and my girl took to them faster than the sippy.

Try a soft spouted sippy cup that's more like a bottle. We like the Think Baby Trainer Cup. I sell them in my shop and online at this site: http://www.simplecloth.com/Bottles___Soothers.html

Good luck! ;)

Who really cares? Are you feeling guilty because some people say you should take them off a bottle at a year? They recommend breastfeeding for 2 years, so why take away the bottle so young? In my opinion there really isn't much difference between a bottle and most sippy cups. Don't stress about what other people say, let her be a baby a little longer if she wants. Before you know it she will want to be a big kid and you will miss these days. But, if you really do want to get rid of it, my experience has been you will have about 3 really hard days, and after a week it won't even be an issue anymore. (I have 2 boys, one turned 3 in January and the other will be 2 in April and I'm thinking about taking away his bottle and binkie soon). Just remember the most important things: Is she happy? Is she healthy? Are you enjoying your time with her or making things harder than they need to be? Good luck, being a parent is the hardest job most of us will ever have!

Hi R., We just went through this with our little one at 15 months. She was down to only one bottle in the morning. One day we just put her milk in a sippy cup. She pretty much completely refused to drink from it. My husband was pretty freaked out about her not getting enough milk. I pointed out to him that we feed her cheese at least once a day as well as yogurt at least once a day. We talked to our pediatrician about this and he thought it was fine but to continue to offer the milk to her in a sippy cup. It's a few weeks later now, and she is starting to accept milk in a sippy cup. So I wouldn't worry too much if she is drinking water and other fluids as well as getting calcium in other forms. Good luck to you. Hope this helps.