Water

Water's kind of boring. You can get some 100% juice and put like a couple of tablespoons in the water for interest if you're worried about hydration. Otherwise, try a different cup. I like the Nuby ones with the super soft silicone straw. My son took to it like magic at 6-7 months or so.

Hi E.,

I also have a 10 month old, and she is doing OK with the sippy cup. She will drink from it, but them also likes to give herself a shower with it, and occasionally share with the dog..... :) However, I was successful with giving her water with just a bit of juice in it. Maybe that will help.

I wouldn't sweat it, when little ones are ready they have a way of letting us know. Good luck and take care!!

L.

Just give it some time. The fact that you keep introducing her and trying it is good. She really does primarily need the milk/formula until she's at least a year (or so my pediatrician says.) I have D-3 kids: 5, S-almost 3 and S-10 months. You're not behind...just be patient...every baby is different and has a different learning style. :-)

In his book "Touchpoints" Dr. Brazelton discusses this issue. he says that people shouldn't be overly concerned about whether a child will use the sippy cup or not that it is more important that they like to drink and so if a bottle works better, use it. you can keep giving the sippy and see how baby does and then give the bottle for real volumne.

our ped says that water isn't necessary if they're still getting formula/breast milk, which at 10 mos i'm guessing she is. with that said, i found sippys to be a game of trial and error. we have (not exaaggerating) 5 or 6 different types of cups and now (she's 14 mos--we started introducing them around 6 mos and she didn't "get it" till she was around 10 or 11) she'll drink from all of them, but earlier it was a total guessing game. i have some friends who's kids really like the nuby ones w/ straws. if it's the water, you can always try putting breast milk or formula into it so it's something she likes/is used to drinking.

in the end, i'm guessing your ped will try to have your daughter off bottles entirely by 12 or 15 mos, so if you can get her to drink from the sippy, that's good. you could try to have her drink tiny ammounts from cups and skip the "sippy" part of it, but i'd recommend trying lots of different types of them... many are hard to drink from (i've tried all of them).

good luck!!

Sippy cups arent often pushed until 12mos, even 15mos is ok. Relax. Tell your MIL that her suggestion is taken but you have your own ideas and your son will be just fine. My nephew is 18mos and gets one at bedtime everyday. What's the harm- really? My own was off them at 12 mos and that was fine too.

As for water drinking, a lot of kids dont like water. Do you water down juice? What about making water fun? But at 10mos I wouldnt worry about it. Offer water first, instead of juice, or water the juice down, and relax. Someday she'll drink it. My 2 year old has loved water since day 1- its just her. She drinks it at every meal, only drinking 4 oz juice (though thats the maximum kids are supposed to drink anyway) and 8-10 oz milk everyday. Everything else going in her is water. Do I expect my second one to like it so much? Impossible I think.

I don't think it's too late. Maybe she just doesn't like the sippy you offered her.My 12 month old will drink water, it's the only thing he gets in a cup, but sometimes he doesn't want it and throws it at me lol. I would advise you though not to put anything in a bottle except formula, doing that will make it harder to take it away when you are ready to stop the bottle.

With my son we started introducing water when he was eating by sing a spoon...he thought it was the most fun thing ever and after a week or so would drink it out of a cup. Good luck!

Have to say I always thought people were crazy when they said to start a kid on a sippy at like 6mo. I Never did w/ either of my boys. I let them have the bottle till they were a yr old. Around 10-11 mos I would start to use the sippy at like meal times occasionally to get them used to it then at a yr old w/ just got rid of the bottles. Well almost I would let them have the bottle for naps or bedtime till they were about 13-14 mos but I still would continously offer it you know.
My 1st son did perfect w/ a reg. sippy my 2nd though was just too lazy to tip the cup up, so I got those sippy that have the straw so all he had to do was suck on it like the nurser bottles he was used to. Good Luck!

Hi,

No, you haven't missed your window for introducing the sippy cup after all she is only 10 mos old. From what you said sounds like your doing what your suppose to be doing by introducing the cup and she is doing what she is suppose to be doing by throwing the sippy cup. I have 4 kids my oldest is 11 yrs old & my youngest is only 6mos old, and not 1 of my older kids started really drinking from a cup until they were 1yr old or more. So don't stress she'll do it when she wants whether it be now or a little later.

Definitely let her take the lead on this one. Most pediatricians say you should start weaning from the bottle around age one, but I think as long as she's weaned by age 2, she'll be fine. As to the water, from what I understand she should be getting all she needs from the breast milk and/or formula, especially since it's still cold out and she's not sweating a great deal (I assume!). A great book for feeding issues is "Child of Mine" by Ellyn Satter. It takes you through newborn, transitions to solids, up to preschool and beyond. It may be a great reference for the water question. Good luck!

10 months is a great age, just enjoy her and don't let anyone steal your joy. I'm sure your heart will lead you.If she wants water she will drink it. I always put an ice cube in its more interesting.

Yes, relax. She will do it in her own time. She is getting plenty of liquids through her bottle and she is only 10 months old! Keep giving her the sippy cup when she is eating...if she prefers formula in it then give her a little of that until she starts using it regularly then you can start in with the water a little more. I introduced the cup around 6 months and he didn't really start using it much until he was a year or so. As long as she isn't using a bottle until she is 3 or something, it'll be fine. You might want to encourage her to try to hold her own bottle just to begin to encourage a little independence on her part.

I wouldn't worry about the water so much now. The best advice I ever got was to take the bottle away at a year no later than their first birthday. Then only offer a sippy cup and he will get the hang of it with in a day or two. It's amazing what they can learn when they have to. Then if your worried about water put a tiny bit of juice in the cup so it has a little flavor. Follow your instinct you know your child best.

I would and have just let them do it at their own pace. No sense in stressing yourself out over a not that big a deal. Every kid is different and will do things at different ages. Just give her the bottle if that is how she will drink...who cares! She won't go to school using a bottle! By the time she is 4 years old, you won't even remember at what age she gave the bottle up! Good luck and enjoy your little girl while she is still a little girl!! :-)

E.,
I agree with the other moms, 10 months might be to soon for her. She might use the bottle as comfort like most use a blanket.My oldest had his bottle till he was 2 and my younest was an older 1 but he had a blanket which he is 6 and still had that blanket. Good luck and try again in a couple months. ANd when your MIL ask if she should have a sippy say yes in a couple months.....

I'd try just a splash of juicy juice natural harvest in the water (the juice and the veggie drink) or the V8 fusion... just for a tad of flavor.....or the 2nd thing is ice cibes in the cup... my son loves ice cold water vs, just the water. good luck

I'm a SAHM too. I say relax and let her do it at her own pace. It took my trio longer than what is considered "normal" to transition to sippy cups and to want to drink water but now they do both and they haven't been harmed in any way because it took a littel longer. I pretty much tuned out the questions as to why they weren't doing this or that and did what I was comfortable with and what my children were ready for.

Your little one might resist the thought of feeding on her bottle by herself at first but eventually she will want to do it on her own. All babies realize their independance sooner or later. One thing that did help me when they were ready was by putting them in their toddler chair/rockers - they would sit there and the rocker position seemed to encourage them to drink on their own.

Hi,

Wouldn't worry about it. My sons both breastfed or breastmilk in bottle(They are 6 and almost 4). We introduced sippies way after 10 months and no problems. Maybe take a break and try again later. Hope this helps.

S.

Ditto to the person who suggested having her drink from a regular glass. If she sees you doing it she might get excited that she gets to drink like a big girl. We don't have any sippy cups and my 11 month old drinks from glasses that we offer her when she has her meals. She is just starting to get the hang of drinking from plastic cups on her own (with a lot of spillage, of course). It is extra work but it sounds like you don't mind it if you're offering her a bottle.

Also, I've heard that you should start offering your child water when they start solids. Obviously from all the other posts that's not a do-or-die rule. But that's what I was told.

Also also, don't let your MIL get you down. She has her own set of expectations that have nothing to do with you and your daughter. Relax! Enjoy! You're doing a great job!!

E.,

I don't think you missed your window. Each child is ready to give up the bottle at a different time. If she as not started to get her teeth yet I would not spend a lot of time fretting over it. If she has some teeth it is time to slow down the bottle use because of tooth decay. Have you tried talking to your Doctor. He is a couple other suggestions:
Let her make a choice: Try Taking her to the store and let her pick out the sippy cup she would like to use. Kids like to be involved with choosing what they will be using.
Take her around children her own age that use sippy cups and point out how they no longer need a bottle at lunch time.
Lastly if she throws the sippy cup across the room, set it up on the counter (where she can see it)don't give it back to her til she asks for a drink. If she throws it again do the same thing. Remember never get mad to the point of raising your voice. Always speak to her in a level voice. Example: "We really should not throw things is the house so we will leave the cup here til your thirsty. She will use the sippy cup if she is really thirsty.

But I bet it is she is just not ready. We want our children to grow up so fast. My baby is now 17 years old, 6'3" tall and getting ready for college, and I wish I had to fun times back. You know your child, don't let your MIL rush the process. Enjoy you daughter.

E., how delightful that your daughter has a sense of humor! Does she also model you when you drink from her sippy cup during your game? Enjoy her! ENjoy yourself! She'll drink from a cup. Maybe not today. Maybe not in another 10 months, but she will.
I often fear that everyone else knows better than I what to do for and with my children. Truth is, you have a great deal of wisdom inside you. Trust yourself. And your daughter!

I've never heard of a kid going off to college not having mastered drinking from a cup. Relax and tell your MIL that she will drink from a cup when she's ready. She obviously doesn't want or need water right now. She's getting enough hydration with her formula or breastmilk from her bottle. She will eventually feed herself. You are doing fine and haven't done anything wrong. Have fun with your daughter. It sounds like she's a lot of fun.

I started my son off slowly. He would just get it with meals and then progressively he only got a sippy cup when he was up and about. I let the bottle become only for quiet time, like before naps and bedtime. He seemed to take to that cause he still got the comfort of the bottle when he needed it most. Eventually, it just sort of phased itself out. His doctor made a big deal because he was still getting a bottle before bedtime when he turned 2, but really what is the big difference between them sucking on a cup or a bottle. They eventually grow out of it. If you don't mind, let her pace herself.

My son wasn't too keen on the whole water thing either so I tried to mix his water with a lil juice or kool-aid something to give it a lil flavor. Also my son didn't start drinking out of a sippy cup until closer to 1 but most people say it's good to start weening them off the bottle by the time they are a year old. What kind of sippy cups do you use? My son didn't go for the plastic ones at first so we bought the rubber topped ones and he started to drink from them.

First of all, who says a 10 month old needs water? I never gave my children water at that age and they've turned out perfectly fine. Secondly, transitioning from bottle to sippy cup is not an easy task. We started with both our daughters around 9 to 10 months trying to sneak it in between bites of baby food, but they just weren't ready to give up their bottles yet. Let your daughter play with the cup and always offer it, but I wouldn't push the issue. You don't want it to become a negative. If she is over one, then your mother in law can start questioning (they were parents too long ago to really remember - haha)

I have a few thoughts for you. Most children aren't interested in water until they start playing outside in the summertime...that is when they come inside and need something to drink right away. With my children I gave them watered down juice (apple, orange). The juice alone is generally too strong for them when they are little and they loved the watered-down version. What you don't want to do is give them sugar because when they start eating or drinking things that contain sugar, they will gravitate to that and good luck getting them to go with anything that is good for them (I have seen this over and over again). They still need milk however you can get them to drink it. As for drinking out of a cup, they get to a point where they see you drinking from a cup and they want to do it too...that is the time they are ready (my two children were ready at about the one year mark.

Hmmmmmm, I have a 10 month old and haven't even considered the sippy cup yet other then the one I give her to play with as a toy because she likes chewing on it. I've tried giving her a little water in a bottle but it always makes her spit up. In my opinion, I'd say relax. She's not even a year old!

you could try putting in a little bit of crystal light. maybe your water just doesn't taste "good" to her. kool aid singles are made with sugar (if you don't want to give her fake sweeteners) but since one packet is for an 8 oz glass, you'll only use a tiny bit so the sugar consumption will be minimal. or try different cups with different kinds of tops. i think walmart carries one with a very soft silicon-type top and it's almost bottle-like. avent makes a sippy top for their bottles so she may think it's a bottle! those disposable cups are great too, but she may be too young - the top on those is very hard plastic. good luck!
-S.

As a health and nutritional professional, all your baby needs for the first year of life is breastmilk or formula, no water (no juice) is needed, honestly. Please do not give sweeteners to water to "force" her to drink it, you'll create an expectation that water is made to be sweet and she'll never drink water. Juice typically has no nutritional value (just a bunch of sugar) and once again, no need to be giving them juice the first year of life, but if you really want to give it to her, use 2 parts water, 1 part juice. Watch for the artifical sweeteners too, they just came out with a study that people that consumed drinks with artificial sweeteners tend to be more overweight and with kids today, they don't need it. My rule of thumb is breastmilk or formula for the first year then milk and water from 1-3yrs. Plus you save yourself some money!

And there is no need to force the sippy cup either, people forget that babies will let you know when they are ready, us adults may think the are ready and if you don't mind feeding her from a bottle, that is a-ok! So take a deep breath, you are doing fine. Family needs to resepect the way you want to raise your child...g-parent's had their time. Good luck

I did not introduce a sippy cup till close to 1 or a little after because I bf and all that juice is unneccisary to me. But your probably talking about milk and a drink with her meals. Keep her formula in a bottle and just try a different cup maybe, or you drink out of it to show her. Just keep bringing it out she'll eventually want it just dont give the option of juice or water in it.

We didn't have to try too hard to get our daughter, now 3, to drink from a sippy. It was my husband's crazy idea to put a somewhat melty slurpee in the sippy, and she wanted it so bad she learned to drink from her sippy that night! As for drinking water, another suggestion is the water bottles with the sport-top.

When my daughter was 1 she wouldnt drink water so the doctors had me put Karo Syrup in the water and it sweetens it up a little so they will drink it but just a tbs in each bottle

we introduced a sippy cup right around this age. My son was not totally off his bottle until after his first birthday (not to far after though). That is a judgement call. I wanted my son to get off the bottle so I only gave him milk in a sippy cup since he liked that better than formula, it was a natural switch. As far a water goes try putting ice cubes in it, my son loved to hear them rattle around and loved the sensation of drinking ice cold water. Hope this helps.

I read the other responsed after I commented and you got some great advice here. Good Luck!

I'd say let her go at her own pace. My son was the same way (he didn't even like juice at first), and we tried a couple of different styles of sippy cup and that really made a difference. Now that we've found a style he likes, he's fine with it and does a pretty good job. I'd try a different style and see if that works a little better.

My sister-in-law was still using a bottle with her daughter and she's 19 months old. A few of us asked why she didn't have her on a sippy cup and she didn't even realize how old she was still sucking a bottle. So she tried the cup and her daughter wouldn't take it. So I told her to put her favorite juice in the sippy cup and keep offering it to her all day. Make sure she got her solids during the day for nourishment, but not to give her a bottle. If she cried for one then hand her the cup. If she threw it then calmly and sternly scold her and tell her no,no. Put the cup in view and every time she asks for juice or milk or whatever, then point to the cup. Just keep telling her that bottles are for babies and she's not a baby anymore...she's a big girl. After about two days of that, she relented and drank from that cup. We didn't worry about her getting dehydrated because she was still eating plenty of fruit, applesauce, and soup for those two days. She gave up and drank from the cup...after a week she never even complained.

Be sure to keep all bottles out of sight. My SIL just kept telling her nicely that she was a big girl and big girls use cups. And she didn't give in.

PS I work with 3 year olds at church...I find it so disturbing to see a three or four year old walk into church with a bottle/pacifier. They typically are way behind their peers in maturity, social skills, and independence. Most will scream for an hour for mommy when she leaves them, they won't play with the other kids, and they don't even know how to talk as well as the others. I don't know why... maybe it has to do with how a mom relates to a child with a bottle and thus how they act, but who knows. Most I've come across also have lots of cavities (partly because if they still use a bottle they still use it at night too...bad for the teeth) That's just my observations after a few years working with small kids, but I could be wrong. Just a thought.

HI E.,
Try giving her the water both at room temp like at night and then cold like at meal times. the trick is to not give her a drink for about 2 hours before she get the water. If she doesn't like milk try the ENSURE in the milk place its kind of exspensive but worth it. T. D

We started the sippy cup (filled with formula) at about 10 months, but she didn't really get the hang of it until over a year old (when we dropped the bottle). I don't think you need to worry about it. The sippy cup was used as a toy for a few months before she actually realized that it was a feeding device. The whole idea is for them to figure out what it is--introduce it, but don't expect it to be used properly right away.

Try some flavored waters or diluted tea. She's playing a game of baby wins it sounds like to me. Why don't you try a straw? My kids saw daddy and I drink thru straws and wanted to be like us. It can't hurt. When you're sipping, make sure you make the sounds.mmmmm, ahhhh, nummy nummy nummy. Tease her that your cup is for big girls. Good luck honey

My son never drank from a sippy cup (wouldn't or didn't like it) and enjoyed his bottle quite a bit. I introduced him to a cup with a straw (at about 9 or so months). He really liked it and still uses cups with straws now (with milk or water!). Good luck!
T.

Skip the sippy cup! Try moving her to small cups (so the spills aren't so big). We even have a collection of stainless steel shot glasses. They liked the 'adult cups' I called them and it really taught them to drink without spilling.

Good luck!

Just keep offering it and avoid keeping soda or much juice around as she gets older. Mine are 21, 18 & 16 & they drink what is available. I always have bottled water. Soda & juice is for special occasions only. I recently attended a workshop given by a natural Dr who claimed most disease could be relieved or resolved by drinking more water. I follow the advice I heard a few months ago to try to drink half your body weight in ounces of water. In the first month I lost several pounds effortlessly!

My son is 18 months old and has never had an interest in water. He drinks a lot of milk, little interest in water.

As for the MIL (aren't they great), tell her thanks for the input. Every kid is different. My son started using the Nubby training sippies (available at Walmart) at 10 months or so, a regular sippy at 11 months and off the bottle entirely at 1 year, two weeks.

i waited awhile with my son too - he was bout your childs age. the best thing to do is just take them away all together and put them away out of sight ... its hard at first i'll admit but its worth it. i have a friend that her 2 year old is still on a bottle. you cant just give her a bottle at some time of the day and then not the rest its not fair and stresses the child out. if she's thirsty enough she'll drink from it.. braeden would give up and take a sip, notice that i was watching and threw the cup and cried ... lol they'll get over it

I used sippy cups with my first daughter, then read all of the scary stuff about plastics (endocrine disruptors, etc.), and threw it all out. I have a metal water bottle that I bought at whole foods and keep it in my bag at all times, and we all drink from the same one (i have 3 kids).

At home, my kids use real plates and real small glasses (often small jars). Your daughter might be excited to drink if you let her use a "big glass", and then hold it for her. After a month or two (maybe), she'll hold it herself. When she is not drinking, don't keep it on the high chair. you give it and take it away.

Does she nurse? if so, then water is an extra at this point, only for fun and experimentation. Tell your mother-in-law thst she is only 10 months old and should not be developmentally drinking from anything but your breast or a bottle anyway- then shock her in a month or two with her "real glass" skills. It really works-my kids do great with it. Maybe one or two breaks total. You can also do some google research on plastics/endocrine disruptors/toys and teethers/pacific gyre and give it to your mother-in-law. when she sees what plastic exposure cando, she'll leave you alone!

Also, when she is in serious teething mode, instead of giving her some plastic thing, try a stick of celery or a chicken leg bone (stripped off of all stuff. they can go in the freezer for extra relief- also frozen peas a few at a time. good luck!

put a lil cyrstal light in the water so they see color...and it has no suger

I didn't read the responses but your baby at 10 months old doesn't need water. Formula or milk is the only thing that is needed at this time.

E.,

First, dont sweat this too much. Water is not a must at this age. If her primary food is formula, so be it. Just offer formula in the sippy cup, and try various cups. If she is eating foods, always just offer the sippy cup and then try maybe working up to only bottle at bedtime. It's about timing more than rules. If you offer formula in her cup and she finds a cup she likes, it will eventually come together. Oh, and also sometimes, those sippy cups require much more suction to work than you might think. If it's one of those that has the insert that applies the suction, only put a little liquid in there and let it dribble out. Only a teaspoon or two to start. Then, as she gets on to the cup (maybe try one yourself- for her to immitate) add back in the suction insert. Mother in laws aren't necessarily trying to hurt, but they do want to help. Let her feel a part of it by helping with the cup. Sometimes they actually can trick baby into trying something you have been killing yourself to get her to do! My mil was wonderful and always there when i needed a mommy's day out or a nap after a long night.

have you tried to put just alittle bit of sugar in it?

Try a different type of sippy cup. My son hated the one we first got him. He loved it as a toy but WOULD not drink out of it for ANYTHING. I waited a few months and tried a different style (he likes the cheap disposable type ones) and he'll drink out of it just fine. He also did not like to dirnk plain water all that much if you mix like one ounce of juice in with it helps, still gives them the water they need but adds a bit of flavor that encourages them to drink.