It won’t be long until your baby is ready for their first sippy cup—and this can feel like a big step! Some babies learn to use a sippy cup quickly, while others need some encouragement and practice. Here’s what to know about when to introduce a sippy cup to your little one, and a few tips to help them master this new skill.
When Should My Baby Start to Use a Sippy Cup?
Once your little one starts eating solids (typically around 4-6 months of age), start introducing a sippy cup filled with a few ounces of water as part of their mealtime. While they probably won’t drink much water at first, offering a sippy cup is a great way for baby to practice hand-to-mouth coordination and give them a bit of independence during mealtime.
Experts recommend weaning your baby off of a bottle and to a sippy cup (or directly to an open cup) between 12-24 months of age to avoid baby bottle tooth decay. Breastfeeding babies can go directly to a sippy or open cup once they start solids — no bottles required!
What Kind of Sippy Cup Should I Buy?
There are a lot of different sippy cups on the market with different features—handles, straws, even some without a true spout—that serve to help baby learn to drink on their own. Though not all parents choose them, a cup with a spill-proof lid is helpful for baby to learn how to drink without getting soaked…and even still, they might find a way!
While your little one might start off with a cup that has a built-in spout, experts recommend transitioning to a cup that uses a straw or even an open cup around baby’s second birthday to further prevent tooth decay.
What Should I Put in My Baby’s Sippy Cup?
You can fill baby’s sippy cup with water, breast milk or formula, depending on what style of feeding you and baby use. It’s your call, mama! A good guideline is to only offer a sippy cup filled with breast milk or formula during meal or snack times. It’s completely fine for baby to sip on a cup filled with water throughout the day, especially if you’re outside during the warmer months. It’s important to remember — your little one should never take their sippy cup (or bottle) to bed with them.
Don’t put cow’s milk or juice in your baby’s sippy cup until baby is at least 12 months old. Even then, it’s best to serve these liquids during meal or snack time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting juice to, at most, four ounces a day for kids ages between 1 and 3, and 16-24 ounces of whole milk a day for children ages 1 to 2 years old.
How Do I Introduce a Sippy Cup to My Baby?
The truth is that introducing a sippy cup is different for ever baby. Some babies pick up a sippy cup and drink immediately without missing a beat—others might take a bit to figure it out. Here are a few tips that may help your baby find success faster:
- Try a flexible spout: A sippy cup that has a soft, flexible spout might feel more familiar to your little one than one with a hard spout or straw.
- Do some demonstrations: help your little one hold the cup, put it to their mouth, and tip upwards to drink. And let them watch you drink from it, too. After all, “monkey see, monkey do.”
- Give it time: During the first few introductions your baby might play with the cup, ignore it completely, or give it a shot. Give your baby their sippy cup here and there, but don’t force them to drink from it if they aren’t interested. You may unintentionally create a negative association with the cup.
- Try other styles: There are a lot of different sippy cup styles and spouts. If you’re not having much luck with one kind, give another type a shot.
- Stay consistent: If you start giving baby a sippy cup during specific meals, don’t switch back to a bottle. As your baby starts to master their new cup, add it into other meals or snack times.
- Celebrate them: As with most new skills, babies love encouragement. Cheer and clap when they drink from their cup successfully.
My Baby Won’t Use a Sippy Cup—What Should I Do?
If you and your baby are getting frustrated, or your little one still won’t use their sippy cup after a while, consider the following:
- Try other drinks: Some babies simply won’t drink formula or breast milk from a sippy cup. If this isn’t successful, try offering only water. Experiment with different temperatures of water—room temperature through cold water—to see if baby prefers one over the other.
- Check the flow: Some sippy cups have valves that control the flow of liquid. This can get frustrating for baby if they’re unable to figure out how to easily get a sip. Take off the valve and see if baby has more success.
- Switch halfway through: During a feeding with a bottle, give half of baby’s ounces in a bottle then the second half in a sippy cup, switching halfway through. You can continue to hold them like they’re bottle feeding so that it still feels familiar.
- Just switch to an open cup! If all else fails, skip the sippy cup and introduce baby to an open cup. Put only a few ounces of liquid in the cup and show baby how to hold and tip the cup towards their mouth. You might be amazed at how coordinated your baby is! There are even open cups designed specifically for babies and toddlers that are weighted at the bottom to prevent tipping.
As with any new skill you teach your baby, do your best to stay calm, have patience, and try to have fun with the process. Your baby will get there in time, mama!