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Sippy Cups: Is Your Child Ready?
Filed under: Toddlers Preschoolers, Gadgets, Mealtime, Gear Guides: Toddlers & Preschoolers
There are lots of options when it comes to sippy cups. Credit: Getty Images
Sometime before their first birthday, typically when they are around 9 months old, children may be able to hold a sippy cup and drink from it, says Ying Tarantino, marketing manager for Chandler Ariz.-based Boon Inc.
"Sippy cups are a great transition from bottle to cup," Tarantino tells Parentdish. "It's a great item until they are ready to take on a cup."
When babies can hold a cup up to their lips and drink from it, they are ready to use a sippy cup. Some things to think about include whether the cup is made using bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical used to harden plastics and prevent bacterial growth that some sippy cup makers have moved away from. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents look for ways to avoid the chemical with infants and young children.
Most manufacturers recommend washing the cups in the top rack of the dishwasher and discarding them at any sign of wear. Based on your child's preferences, you can choose from models with handles, no handles, thermal, stainless, soft lip, firm lip and, of course, a variety of colors and designs.
Once children are around 3 or 4 years old, they may be ready for a traditional cup and a new transition starts. But, until then, you don't have to worry about wiping up any spilled milk.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-09-2011 @ 4:24PM
Michelle said...A regular cup at "3 or 4"?! Seriously? Why do people treat their children like babies for so long? We barely even used a "sippy cup", my son could use a regular cup by a year and completely refused a sippy by 18 months! A sippy cup is not much different than a bottle, why not just use a real cup?
Reply
2-10-2011 @ 1:34PM
Alicia said...Agreed. All you need fear with real cups is breakage, but that's easily fixed with plastic instead of glass. No one in my family had ever wasted money on sippy cups until my cousin's wife insisted on them and her six year old won't drink a thing unless it's out of a sippy cup or a straw. To me, that's incredibly unhealthy.
2-09-2011 @ 9:12PM
charles said...sing it michelle! really people? do you need to buy more things for kids that though might make a mess of things at first will figure things out soon enough. my kids drank out of cups right off of the nipple.
Reply