Sippy Cups

It just crossed my mind that we will probably have to stop using sippy cups at some point. When is that point? We're clearly not ready yet, but I'm just wondering!

 

Well when the twins started 1 day a week preschool program right before 2.5 they had to start using cups. Carlie was fine with it, Baylie not so much. So right at about 2.5 she was begging for a sippy having a HUGE fit because she didn't want the big girl cup. So I said FINE! I got a garbage bag put all the sippy cups in it & stuck them on the porch telling her that I gave them to a baby, because she's not a baby & doesn't need them. She cried for a few minutes then went & played... by that night she was trying to drink out a cup. With my son it was never an issue I just stopped giving them to him around that age, but he also isn't as stuborn. Now keep in mind I did bring them back after a few days. We still use them in the car & if the are sick so they can lay with it.

I think every kid is different, but with the twins I have found going cold turkey works the best... they are ready, just stuborn!

 

I was just wondering this myself. I will be interested to see what everyone posts.

My 2 can definatley drink from a big cup. Although, I usually give it to them with a straw just to prevent such a mess. BUT....we still use sippie cups around here for the most part. I mainly just give them big cups at mealtimes. I should probably start increasing the use of them.

 

We still use them! They can drink from a real cup and are fine with it, but I prefer for them to use sippies just because there is much less risk of a mess. Especially since DS is a natural clutz and tends to make a mess at meals. They use real cups when we go places, but still use sippies at home.

 

We switched around age 3.
What I did first was get them used to putting their sippy cups back on the kitchen table after they'd had a drink (I've always had a drink available to them throughout the day). That way they were used to always having the drink in the same place, because until they were about 2 1/2 I'd just let them have their sippies in whichever room we were in. I also let them practice with big cups at mealtimes so I knew they could handle them well. After switching I just told them that they had to stand at the table to drink their drink, no carrying it around, and use both hands to hold the cup. They had to be reminded a couple of times but generally did really well. I didn't put more than an inch or so of liqud in the cups to start off with, I figured it's easier to refil twice as often than have to clear up a huge spill!
Also we didn't totally get rid of the sippy cups at that point, they still used them for going out, for the bedtime drink of milk so they could snuggle on the sofa with it, and for the overnight drink of water next to their beds so they didn't spill.

 

We started having them drink from a regular cup every now and then a few months before they turned 3 since we knew they would drink from a regular cup at preschool. We stopped using sippy cups all together at 3.5 years old. It is so nice not to use them anymore or wash them out. :Clap:

 

We stopped at 2.5 years old right about when we started PTing. I didnt want them to have access to liquids all day. We still get the occasional spilt drink at dinner, but it's much easier than filling those sippy cups all the time.

 

We still use sippies the majority of the time, or use cups that have tops and straws. They drink out of regular cups at families homes or when we go somwhere. I'm not in any hurry to get rid of them honestly. I know they can drink out of regular cups if they need to.

 

Great Question Erin, I was just wondering this myself. At the moment my girls get regular cups at meal times while they are sitting at the table, but we use Sippy cups the rest of the time. :good

 

My girls started in PT daycare when they were 22 months. There they used little Dixie cups, not sippy cups. So a couple months later (right after they turned 2) we got rid of sippies at home too. But mine don't walk around with an open cup, they have to be in the kitchen (normally at the table).

 

We still use them. :blush: They are more than capable of drinking from a regular cup, but they always seem to forget about it not having a lid and knocking it over and I hate the mess. :blush:

 

We started practicing with open cups around 22 months when one of my girls was in EI because they used open cups there. We have been without sippies for most mealtimes since around 2ish. When I'm lazy, I give them one because like Brandy, sometimes I just don't like the accidental spills. :blush: We still take a Nalgene sippy of water when we're out of the house for a while. I have a sippy of water, so they do too.

 

We got rid of the sippy cups shortly after their 2nd birthday. They don't get to walk around with them, they have to stay at the table with their cups. An accident happens every now and then, but it hasn't been too bad.

 

We're still using sippy cups, heck we just dropped their last bottle about a month ago. My girls do ok with regular cups but still tend to play with them and make a mess.

 

Good question Erin! We picked the boys up today from MDO and they were both wearing their spare pants from spilling at snack time. (Although I always have a sippie cup in their bags, per the "required supply list" :unknw I should have inquired further when she said they use cups w/ straws, so I don't know if they expect them to drink out of an open cup w/ a straw or if there's some sort of lid (because whenever we go to a restaurant w/ a straw and lid combo they ALWAYS tilt the cup like a sippie) But it's clear we need to start working on it. I just have been dreading it since they are ALWAYS playing w/ their cups at the table, knocking them over, spinning them around, etc.. and it drives me insane. The thought of them having "real" cups just seems like a disaster plus then they'll never get anything to drink! ugh... what fun! :wacko:

 

We started converting to mainly straw cups about 6 months ago, then once they started preschool they had no choice but to learn how to use open cups. I give them open cups occasionally at meals, though I find they don't drink nearly as much milk as I'd like them to when it's in open cups (they'll down every drop of juice without spilling any if I give it to them in open cups, though! ). I don't let them use open cups anywhere else in the house since they still spill occasionally, and I also give them sippies of milk if I feel they haven't had enough from their open cups.

 

We switched to all straw cups at about 2 or 2.5 then about three started using open cups sometimes at dinner. Then we gradually shifted to open cups for meals at the table. We still use the straw cups with lids if they are going to be up and down with it. We'll eventually get them each their own water bottle to have whenever. I'm all about balancing teaching them independence with the work it makes for you (cleaning up spilled messes!).

 

Same here. :good: I made sure they could use real cups blush: ) but still use sippys around the house because I don't feel like cleaning up messes. ardon:

 

Same here (with straw cups) and my boys are 4.5.

Mendy

 

Ours still use theirs when it's something that stains. Otherwise, they use regular cups. I think we switched over to this completely when they were 2 or 2 1/2.