Toddlers and Dropping Everything Phase

don't give it back. Maybe pick it up the frist time and give it back but tell her that if she drops it again you will keep it. Kids learn fast and 17 months is old enough to understand action and consequence. She'll probably learn pretty quickly that her game is over. Also, you could explain to her where she can put it (on the cart seat next to her, maybe) when she doesn't want to hold it... giving an alternative (and praising her when she uses it) might bring about some change. Good luck!

I agree to NOT bring a bottle or sippy with you to stores, etc. Give her a drink when she has her meals or a snack. She doesn't need to be chugging at a bottle or cup all day anyway.

If she doesn't have it, she can't drop it. :o)

Can you tie it to her or the cart and then have her pull it back? If she fusses, then this is not a good idea, but some kids would like it. It just depends on the personality.

And you've called it yourself - It's a phase and it will pass. (along with several thousand others to come)

Just don't bring it in the store with you/her.

It is the routine you have or not, with your kid.
Or use a bottle leash for it.... they have straps for bottles/sippys. Which you then strap onto your stroller.

good luck,
Susan

LOL.........hate to laugh, but they are just so darn good at pushing buttons aren't they! LOL I'm not real sure b/c mine didn't ever do that. But, we have these cool rubber bands that have our kids name on them. We used them when they had bottles in daycare & then their sippy cups & now we use them on their water bottles they take to school. You can find them at www.inchbug.com. They are their bumpy name orbit labels. If you had them on her sippy cup, you could use the little plastic linkadoo things and link her cup to the cart! Just put a link around the orbit label and then attach a couple and then link the last one to the shopping cart. =0) Just a suggestion. My kids are 6 and 4 and we STILL use those orbit labels a lot! So, they are worth the $13. =0)

my one year old does that, and we have a three strikes its out rule. he drops it he can have it back but if he drops it more than twice he is not getting it back because he obviously doesnt want it that bad

It's part of her development. She drops it to see what happens to it. When you pick it up, she sees the effect, and no, she is not trying to annoy you with it. Try not to give her the sippy cup in the store if it bothers you that much. That might be her way of telling you "I don't want a sippy cup to keep me distracted while you shop", however, she does know the sippy cup is useful for her drinks, so when she is done with it, it served it's purpose and she doesn't want it anymore. You might want to talk her into giving it to you or buy a disposable one when out so when she drops it you can throw it away.

My kids used to look down at the floor with something in their hand and say "uh oh" and then drop something to the floor. All of my kids did this. It is just a phase. I would suggest that you not take cups into the grocery store. Leave it in the car. You are most likely not going to be the grocery store long enough for her to die of thirst and it will be available when you leave the store. You may have to convince her that you don't have a cup the first few times you do this, but she will quit asking after the first few trips. Open your purse and search while she is watching and say I can't find it, I guess we don't have one today.

In the baby stores or (probably easier) online, they make a product that looks like a ribbon with 2 velcro ends, and then it velcros to the sippy on one end and then to to the stroller, cart, whatever on the other end. That saved me. I forget what the product is called, but it worked for me.