Cup drinking is an exciting milestone for our little ones.  In fact, pediatricians recommend weaning your baby from the bottle and switching to a cup by 12 months age. 

Drinking from a cup supports appropriate oral motor skill development.  It also supports the development of a mature swallowing pattern.  Transitioning from bottle to cup (for all liquids other than directly from the breast) will allow your baby to exercise her face muscles (lips and jaw), tongue, and soft palate, all of which are connected to speech and feeding. 

However, all cups are not created equal and it’s important to understand the best type of cups to introduce to your little one.  Skip the sippy cups and 360-degree cups altogether.  Use of these cups are not ideal for oral motor development.  Instead, teach your baby to drink from an open cup and straw cup.

OPEN CUP:

• Start at 6 months of age.
• Help your baby drink a few sips of water from a small open cup at each meal. 
• Start small both in size of cup and amount to liquid.  Small cups that hold 1-3 oz are easier for your baby to hold (see EZPZfun.com for an example). 
• Make sure baby is sitting upright.
• Bring a small cup with a bit of water to your baby’s mouth.
• Tip it slightly for only a couple of seconds and then take it away.  This prevents your baby from getting too much water too fast.
• Say “ahh” in hopes that your baby will try to mimic you and say “ahh”.  This will encourage them to swallow the water so they are able to do so.
• Once your baby is approximately 9 months of age, he may be able to drink independently from an open cup with minimal spillage.

 STRAW CUP:     

• Start at 9 months of age.
• Start by offering a liquid with thicker consistency, like purees or nectar, then move to milk/formula and finally water.  Think liquids are the hardest for babies to swallow safely.
• Some children initially struggle drinking from a straw.  Here are a few steps to help you teach straw drinking:
• Take the straw and place the end of the straw into the puree (or liquid) then cover the tip with your finger. This will draw a small amount up into the straw.
• Place the end of the straw towards your baby’s mouth, but don’t put it in their mouth. Encourage your child to lean toward the straw to independently place their lips on it.       
• Then slowly release your finger so they receive a tiny sip. This will help your child to have good lip rounding while learning to swallow from the straw.
• Practice this strategy a few times until you feel your child actively sucking from the straw. Then place the straw back into the cup and encourage your little one to try drinking from it.