The AAP recommends and encourages babies to be introduced to cups starting at 6 months, when they start solid foods and can sit up in a high-chair.
One thing that I want to point out is that sippy cups were invented by an engineer who was tired of cleaning up his toddler’s spills. So while many parents think that a sippy cup is a natural transition from a bottle or breastfeeding that is actually not the case. It is completely fine to skip the sippy cup and go straight to open cups.
Many experts actually caution against relying on a sippy cup. Extensive use of sippy cups can cause oral motor delays. That does not mean that you can’t utilize sippy cups, but should try to limit its use and find an alternative for everyday use.
Here are the different type of cups you can consider for your little one (including traditional sippy cups).
Related posts: 5 Newborn Necessities No One Told You To Buy, 0-3 Month Baby Necessities for a Minimalist
Straw cup:
A straw cup has a straw drinking piece just like a regular cup with a straw. The straw often comes apart for easy cleaning. Flip-top lids cover the straw and decrease spills when not in use. Some straw cups have a weighted straw that allows drinking out of the cup from any angle. These cups are usually leak proof and can be purchased with or without handles.
The type of straw cup you choose will depend on the age of your child. If you are giving an open cup to your baby, you would want to consider a leak proof option that is easy to hold.
Soft-spout:
A soft spout sippy cup has a drinking piece made of soft silicone or plastic, similar in texture to a bottle nipple. The cup has to be tipped up in order to make the liquid come out.
Hard- spout:
A hard spout sippy cup has a drinking piece made of hard plastic. The cup has to be tipped up in order for the liquid to come out.
Flat lid (360 cup):
This spoutless cup mimics an open cup, but without the spills. It supports dental health all at once because drinking from anywhere around the rim, like a regular cup, helps support normal muscle development in a child’s mouth
Open Cup:
Open cups are just small cups. I have linked a few above, but you can also use any small cup or a shot glass.
A benefit of a cup like the ez pz cup is that it has a weighted bottom and is made of silicone.
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My Personal Experience
I started with an open cup for my baby, around 8 months, and assisted her drinking from my straw before that. I can admit that it was a mess most of the time, but I did not take her long to catch on. By 1 she could drink from an open cup, but for my own sanity she usually carried around a leak-proof straw cup.
Now at 2 years old she uses an open cup most of the time, or an open cup with a straw. But if we need a spill proof option she uses a stainless steel tumbler or water bottle.
At 2 I weaned her from breastfeeding and would give her soy milk in a 360 cup. That way I could still hold her while she drank it. She will now mostly take her milk in an open cup, but chooses the 360 cup on occasion.
Hopefully, sharing my experience and the types of cups available to you will help you decide where to start with your little one.
Every baby and toddler is going to have a difference experience, so please share your experience and advice with us below.