Alternative to the Sippy Cup?

I used the sippy cups until he was 1 and a half then switched to the cups with lids and straws I think they're called Take and Toss or Keep and Toss ?I really like them they hold up well, and if they get too dirty read left in Dad's car with a little milk in the bottom:( then they get tossed!

All of my kids used sippy cups. My 20 month uses a sippy cup and sometimes a straw cup now. I never had any long-term issues. In fact- as far as speech goes, I'm always amazed when I hear other kids talk compared to mine. Mine sound more grown, and less 'babyish' and never needed any help with their words. Drives me bonkers when I hear so many other 10 year olds still not using their 'R's' correct and sounding like babies. My two oldest used sippies until probably 3 years old and they were just fine. My 20 month old is talking up a storm already! We are definitely not lazy. In fact we are very busy. In fact, my older kids use the sports bottles a lot because we are always on the go. My tot has a couple of those also and loves those. I have definitely seen other things that parents do that are a lot more lazy than giving a sippy cup.

I started w/the sippy cup.

Now when we eat dinner/lunch at home he uses a regular, small kid cup and drinks out of that making a mess everywhere. ;) So I only put a teeny bit in at a time.

Now, I used the cup w/the straw for travel in the car or walks in the stroller.
These are terrific. Can be found anywhere I'm sure (found mine at Wal-Mart).

We started with the sippy cup, but I switched to the straw pretty quickly with my daughter. My son was a huge drooler, it was all the time. It only stopped once we started using a straw instead of the sippy cup. A mom on here suggested it to me. My only complaint about the straw cups is cleaning them can be a pain. So now that she has the hang of both and she doesn't appear to have the drooling issue like her brother, we use a sippy cup for milk and she drinks water from a funtainer thermos (straw). Juice is a rare treat, but it's usually in the sippy cup, just because those are easier to clean. Now that she is 2, she is using a regular cup at meal times. GL!

I just use a regular old Tupperware plastic cup,without a lid.

I only use straw sippy cups with my kids when we are out in the world. In our house, they drink out of plastic cup without a lid. They are perfectly able to do so, we have just become lazy with our kids, using things that just aren't necessary.

Hi A. - lots of speech therapists recommend giving kids a cup with a silicone straw rather than a sippy. The action of closing their mouth against the straw and sucking is good for developing the oral/facial muscles required for clear speech.

Just a thought. No reason not to start on a cup without a lid except that you will get some spills. I just started teaching my sons to use a cup using just a 3oz Dixie cup.

Both of my kids have used sippy cups and neither has any problem talking (they get LOTS of practice). One is three (end of August) and the other is seven. Today I gave them milk - lid for the three year old - no lid for the seven year old. The three year old spilled the seven year old's milk. I wouldn't consider using a sippy cup lazy - just easier. The three year old can and does drink out of a cup without a lid (and will fill up any container from the fridge now that she can reach the water dispenser) but it is just simpler to use a lid. I am not going to confine her to the table every time she wants a drink. My husband is a stay at home dad during the day, and they make enough of a mess without adding spills to the mix. I would encourage you to let your eight month old drink out of a cup without a lid for practice, and we love the pop up straw cups for non milk beverages. I don't feel like I can get them clean enough if they sit too long with milk in them, and they are expensive to throw away. Take and toss cups are great at home, but I use the spill proof ones for in the car.

Sippy cups were invented for travel, but in today's world we've all become lazy and allowed kids to use them. (companies are profiting off our laziness) Meanwhile, it takes kids much longer now to learn to use an open cup. Used to be long before they turned a year old. Now there's 2 year old who still can't handle an open cup. Then new moms come along and think that sippy cups is the way to go.

Bottles are only for babies who cannot old a cup themselves. Once they can hold a bottle and tip it back to drink on their own, the bottle is no longer needed. This is when the old fashion sippy cups come in handy. They had a weighted, round bottom so they wouldn't spill. The spout had holes in it with NO valve. The liquid just drained out. They learn very fast this way. Then an open cup is introduced with a very tiny amount in the bottom of the cup.

If new style sippies are used, they should only be used for travel or outside play. Too many kids today are wandering around for their snacks with a drink in their hand. They should be sitting at the table for each meal and each snack. Great habit to get into.

Kids in the past were taught quickly and easily to use an open cup earlier because that's all that was available. We need to stray away from the easy/lazy route.

If you can't find the old fashion cups, try the toss away cups. They will drain/drip out and have no valves. Once they learn to use these then take off the lids and you have open cups ready to go. If they still have to suck to get anything out, make the holes a touch bigger. Sucking is for bottles only.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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I generally feel like I'm fairly up to date, but in this case, I guess not...why is the sippy cup bad?

I would try the sippy cup as well as a regular cup. Both my kids loved to try and drink from my cup and they learned pretty easily. They couldn't hold it on their own, obviously, at that age, but could still drink if thirsty. You could also try straw cups. They have some, made by Nuby, that have a kind of valve so they don't leak, like a sippy cup does, which is helpful. I have heard of people skipping the sippy and going straight to a straw bottle and it seemed fine for them.

Whatever you choose, just keep at it and give it consistently. It will probably take a while for him to get used to it. My daughter figured it out and never looked back, but my son was a little more resistant to using it, so everyone is different!

I found out today that they have a coupon code for free shipping that is good until the end of the year. it is freeship2010 so if you want to try one, this will probably save you a few dollars.

We started with sippy cups and moved onto a cup with straw and lid as they figured it out...I think both kids were about 1 when the straw sucking was learned. I think it depends where you are at on what you use. We still use our straw with lid cups if we are out and about or not at the dinner table. At the dinner table we drink from open cups. Neither of my kids have speech issues. Both started drinking from cups without lids around 18 months. But, both bring water upstairs at night and it is usually in a sippy cup or water bottle, so we don't have to worry about accidental spills.