When should I stop letting my girl use sippy cups? she also uses cups with lids and straws, but she often has spills with them (the most recent was chocolate milk all down a white shirt while at a restaurant!) because she tries to tip the cup. should i skip the straw phase and go straight to a regular cup so she can tip it? when i've given her a regular cup in the past, she drinks a little from it then pours the rest down her chest/stomach. help please?
well, this past weekend i had her use a "big girl" cup and she did alright, so i decided that i'm not going to be concerned that she CAN'T. so i let her have the sippy cups, but they're typically ones that will drip if tipped over, because she needs to drink a bunch of liquids during the day. Plus i know her birth mother isn't going to have her use a regular cup (she was still giving her a bottle a year ago!) so thanks for the advice and you guys were so helpful and i learned so much!
I have the same problem with my 4 year old daughter. I've tried using the straw cups with the lids. At dinner time she has to use her "big girl cup". I'm hoping this will help her get used to using a regular cup! I hope this helps.
A.
My daughter is 3 and has know how to use a regular cup since she was 2 which she does for meals and snacks at the table but she loves to drink constantly so she still uses a sippy through out the day. I have seen children far older than 4 using sippy cups so personally I woudln't worry about it. If it is easier for you then let her keep using them.
Don't be concerned! Our little guy is 4 1/2 and still using sippy cups at meals (after all, mommy and daddy deserve a peaceful meal as well) until he gets the other ones right.
Happy sipping!
Christina,
I have the sippy cup issue at my house, too. I have a two and a half yr old, and a three yr old who both easily drink out of cups at the table (but they think that since they are open at the top they can play in the juice, milk, water...) Anyway, my girls are used to having drinks easily accessible to them throughout the day, and we have been unable to "dump" the sippy in the playroom. Everytime we try cups, even with water, it ends up dumped over sofa, rug, child, and even me. I just wanted to let you know that it is not as easy as some of the respondants would make it sound. I will say that straws seem to be a more difficult concept than you would think to master. Neither of my daughters can seem to get that they need to keep the drink DOWN to get the juice, and I don't think helps in the steps toward using a cup. Your next step is to take the stopper out of the sippy cup so it flows faster, but is still directed where you want it. When she does that without a mess, take off the top, but don't fill the cup. If the cup is heavy, it is harder to control. And don't use ice! It slides forward on them and they don't know what to do with it. Besides...ice is one of the FUN things my girls find in their cups to play with...I hope these little tricks help you at the dinner table. I am still working on the rest of the day myself. :o)
S.
4 seems far too old to be still using a sippy cup. I would stop sippy cups & cups with straws & just let her get on with it , yes she is going to spill it sometimes but she has to learn , if you are that concerned about staining her clothes then start with water. My son & daughter were both able to drink from normal cups by the time they were 2 1/2. I would say she's probably more than ready to 'feel like a big girl'.
Good luck.
wow, I don't know. I started my girls on sippy cup around 6 months and now my oldest, who is 3, is starting to use a regukar cup at times. I have just recently started the straws and cups wiht my 20 month old and 3 year old but they do fine. I would think thta by 4 most of the time she would be able to use a regular cup but I don't know becasue you did it opposite than me
I think that 4 is too old to be using a sippy cup regularly. Its fine to be using a straw cup in the car, or playground, etc. However, for meals and snacks at the table, a regular cup should be used. Yes, there will be spills BUT this is the way they will continue to learn their fine motor skills and how to balance and hold a cup. Everyone makes mistakes when learning something new - kids and adults alike - so you just have to be patient with it...
Good luck.
I transition all my kids (I am a Mom of 3 and a daycare Mom) at 2. Are there spills? OF COURSE. But the kids learn at handling them. I do have rules that they need to keep all cups at the table or if it is just water, they can have it in the kitchen. When they are at the age of transition, I do have extra clothes for them to change into, but after a very short while, they are on regular cups.
Kelely
I have two girls(4.5 & 2.5) that use both normal and sippy. We take sippy with us out and use the other at home. You mentioned about the tipping the cup over. We had this happen too with my younger daughter. I started to carry flexy straws and would use a knife from the restaurant to cut it down so the tipping wasn't needed. I also bought the Tupperware cups that are kid size. They work well for the girls and their friends firstly because they hold less and secondly they have a fluted edge and smaller opening so it fits their mouth better. Hope this helps.
My girls (ages 5 and 7) constantly ask me for something to drink. Every morning I fill 2 sports bottles with water and put them in the fridge. When they're thirsty they know where to go. I figure sports bottles are more grown up than sippys? At the table they use regular cups. I guess that part just takes practice!
4 is too old not to know how to use a regular cup. I would start with ice water in a regular cup to minimize damage to her clothing and surroundings.
I think sippies should really be "travel cups" by this point.
My daughter is 20 months and isn't skilled with drinking from a glass, but really wants to do so, to be like Mom and Dad. Let your daughter try to drink and spill. She will get the hang of it quickly enough.
You could also let her practice drinking when she is outdoors or in the bath.
Good morning
I'm a mother of 4 youngest being 5 I have two words for you
Family Dollor - grate store thay have spill proof cups, thay have this one I love. Its a cup with a straw and it has a flap on it you can close off, you have to suck through the straw you cant shake it or poor anything out. Thay also have the cups with the sprouts on them thay dont leek. (sippy cups are for babys she needs a big girls cup) Babys enjoy turning ups up and shaking cups, get her a big girls cup and when she makes a mess get two paper towels one for you and one for her and help her clean it up. When its an accident you clean it up alone. teaches her 1.) the difference between an accident, and on purpose. 2.) That big girls clean up behind themselfs.
I gave them ice water, half full and let them drink from a normal cup and didn't worry about spillage since it was water.
I did this around 1.5 yrs old. I think 3 is a bit old to be using a sippy, unless it's in the car or in bed with water in it. (noticed a prior poster said 3 or 4) but if it works, it's not a big deal to me.
I'd rather pick on something much more important to judge someone on! However, I think it aides in development to have them do some things at a younger age, like using utensils. I think the Montessori method also encourages it.
My daughter is almost five and we just recently got rid of the sippy cups. But we did get some sports bottle type of cups at Target in the toy section. It's the same thing, I think, but there seems to be some kind of stigma on sippy cups. Sippy cups are great for car travel so we held onto them maybe a bit longer than we should have. Luckily I have an easy child and she made no fuss when we gave the cups to her "little sister" (very good friend's child).
Start your girl out on clear liquids at the table. She might be "purposely" spilling so she can keep her sippy cups. She's obviously still uncomfortable with regular cups. My vote is that you give her some time, say six months, to get comfortable with cups, at the table with clear liquids, then tell her she's a big girl and she can give the sippy cups to another child who needs them. Insist on the big girl cups at the table.
-S
Ive had the same problem as you. I have a 4 1/2 yr old daughter and a 3 yr old son. Sippy cups work FOR ME, Id rather use the sippy cup then have to change clothes and wipe up the floor and table. When the kids are eating at the table at home I give them their milk/juice in a small size cup, but when we are in the car, or out and about they have either their sippy cups or Capri Suns drinks. You have to go with what works best for you.
Most all children are capable of drinking out of a regular cup at age 3. There is a learning curve. Remember she has spent all her life thinking that you have to tip up a cup straight up to get anything. If you keep letting her try she will get it, and at that age it will probably be fast! Good luck!
My daughter is also 4. I am getting rid of sippy cups. I let her drink from a regular cup (with very little in it) to get used to it, but I have switched to cups with straws instead. It lets her feel a little more grown up while keeping her clothes and my house or car less wet (lol)
