Cup Suggestion

I'm sorry, I can't think of a more grown up leak proof cup. It seems like he's old enough to make a few messes and mistakes though! By depriving him of the ability to make a mess you also deprive him of the ability to learn to keep it neat. My oldest at 6 was pouring his own juice and milk (provided the bottles weren't full) and learning to spread peanut butter on toast. The sense of accomplishment your son will have from handling his own cup is priceless.

Maybe you could buy a new stain remover, set limits on where he can drink anything other than water (ie not on the carpet) and curtail purchasing drinks that stain, instead of buying new cups?

At Target we found these no-leak cups that have a lid with a self-sealing hole for a straw. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of them and it's not on the cup. They cost about $12 for four of them, but they have worked great in lunchboxes for three years now. My son got asked about them by the other kids and said they were like a McDonald's cup because of the straw. That helped him stay "cool."

I pack my son's lunch and let him buy a milk in the cafeteria. Or get you son a sports bottle for school.

At his age, he definitely should not be drinking from a sippy cup, and he's definitely going to be made fun of especially if he's using a baby bottle with handles! At some point, you need to let him drink from regular, albeit plastic, cups. He needs to learn how to use them. Spills happen.

I agree with the other moms that say just give him a regular cup. He is 6 years old he needs to know how to drink out of a cup. What do you do at a restaurant? Take his sippy cup with him? My kids have water bottles that they may take with them in the car if we are going out for the day, other than that they drink from a child size cup at the table. My 3 year old with special needs has mastered the cup without spilling all the time. He has to learn.

he is six, give him a regular cup and let him spill. you can clean it up, just make sure that he is at the table when he drinks. he will never learn how to be careful when drinking, if you dont give him a chance. start by just putting a small amount of liquid in a cup at a time, and let him have refills as needed. if you just cant deal with a few spills, you could try a sport top type of cup, or a straw, but you will have to let him try a regular cup at some point.

The sports bottles have worked great with my girls because they do hold a lot. I also love my Tupperware drip-less straw seal tumblers. The 16 oz. ones are on sale right now 4 for $17.50 (yes I'm a rep if you need), but I have had mine for over 3 years now and my girls love them and they fit perfect inside cup holders and lunch boxes.

you need to have him practive more often with a regular cup or he'll never learn. if he makes a mess have him help clean it up. if he needs drink while you're our, why not give one of the insulated cups with a lid that adults use for coffee.

We use travel mugs with lids. My kids are 14, 11, & 10. Each has their own mug that THEY picked out for themselves. We adults even benefit from having our own mugs. First of all, it's summer, & the flies & bugs are everywhere! Keeps them out of your drink. Second, I am very clumsy myself so I cut down on my own messes! :-) Hope this helps. K.

maybe one of those plastic cups that has a built in straw. Of course, there are reports out now that plastic isn't good for us to drink out of. I have a metal travel mug that has a lid that would work for cold drinks and wouldn't spill.

There are lots of plastic or metal sport bottles out there that could work. Whole foods has some of the really nice (and expensive) metal ones. They don't leak like the cheaper ones.

Your six year old is probably not careful with a cup because he has never learned to use one. If you continue to give him the cup he has no reason to be careful. Six is definately too old for a "sippy cup" of any kind. School children can be cruel and they will hurt his feeling constantly. I know it is hard to clean up spills but you need to bite the bullet and give him a real cup and let him learn. You may be cleaning up spills but he is way overdue to learn this process.

Playtex coolster 10oz tumbler, a cup that looks like a grown up reusable coffee to go cup they are more sleek and have the lid with a slit spout but still have the valve that keeps them from spilling. Much more grown up! The cup and lid are all one color my son thinks they are super cool he is 4.
Choward

Hi G. E,
Here they have a drink called "Bug Juice" that they sell in convenience stores, and it is like kool aid in a small little sports bottle with that type cap on it. I buy those and reuse them, they go through the dishwasher just fine. I can put crystal light or regular kool aid, anything with color in it, and give it to my kids aged 4 to 11 and they love it, they think they are getting something from the store almost.
M.

My son loves the pop-top straw kind of sippy cup. You can buy them with soccer balls and bicycles on them, so they don't look so baby-ish.

I just posted to another mom this same suggestion - hope it can help you! First Years makes a so-called disposable cup that can actually be rewashed and reused many times. They make them with the spill-proof lid but also with a straw lid which is very resistant to spills. They are wonderful!

I'd try the one's with the straws in them. Some have a top that when you slide it closed the straw goes down into the cup. Other ones are just the cup part of a sippy cup and then a top and straw.

There are great sports drink bottles available at Wal'Mart that help in this very situation. My whole family uses these from time to time. They are great and easy to clean up. Some come with straps - a great help for busy hands. Some have prints on them, others don't. They come in many sizes too. You can find them in the housewares and sporting goods departments.

use a bottle, and by that I mean like a water bottle/sports bottle. The top is pushed down to close and pulled up to open. It's hard for me to describe. Go to target's website and look up "hipsips my stuff water bottle" by rubbermaid. I get my 4 year old these (or something similar). They make them with spiderman,etc. Look where the lunch boxes or food storage items are kept in your local store. I think these will work out great for you and for him.

good luck

He is probably ready for a regular cup. He may need to practice by limiting his drinks to the kitchen. My almost 4 yr. old has been drinking from the cup since almost three and although we have a spill every now and then, I have stopped fretting because thats what paper towels, shout, and resolve are made for.

He'll never learn to use an open cup/glass until he USES an open cup/glass. But, if you're insistent about using a closed container, how about a sport bottle. At least then he wouldn't have to be humiliated in front of his classmates.

Playtex makes cups for girls and boys that don't have handles on them but do have the leak proof spout. My daughter is about to turn 3 and she spills from a regular open top cup as well. They are easy to hold even without handles. I got the disney princess cups in a 4 pack from BJ's and I am sure there is a boy version with cars or something your son would like.

There are really cool sporty cups with built-in straws for kids, or just consider a sports water bottle. My favorite are the Thermos brand kids thermoses that have a flip lid and straw. They REALLY keep milk cold til lunch time, and they don't leak if the lid is on straight. They're expensive (about $15 at Target), but well worth it cause we use them every day. Sometimes I can find them at Walmart cheaper, but they don't carry them consistently.

And for at home, for practice, I would suggest a broad plastic mug with a handle (Tookies Toys has really cute ones with names on them). Then just put about an inch of liquid, and tell your son that you are confident that he is growing up and ready for a big-boy cup (restricted to kitchen). Let HIM clean up the spills (you can really clean later), and let the chips fall (or rather the milk spill!) Be patient, he may surprise you... but in any case, he'll learn to be more careful, and be proud of it.

I make my kids (4 & 18m) use regular drinking cups during meals - I just keep paper towels nearby. But for wandering around the house - I use these fabulous drinking cups. You can find them at kmart or big lots. Some are made by rubbermaid. They are small square containers, with a flip top straw. The kids love them and since it's a flip top the mess is limited. WE love them - and just buy enough so all the kids have to drink out of them.

Have you seen the drink cups that come with lids and a straw? They are kind of like a to-go drink cup but not disposable. Or the sports drink bottles? They will serve the same purpose but let the little ones feel more grown up!

Look for small size sports bottles. Try to find the ones that have his favorite sports team on them

Maybe buy like sport bottles or the cups with a straw no handles. He is being made fun of because it looks babyish. I keep drinks in the kitchen with my 6 year old and then i use smaller glasses for him. I started by buying like "shot" glasses..not like the liquor shot glasses but i dunno how to describe it. it is smaller and a little narrower easier for hands to get around. It has mickey on it. I would fill it just a quarter full at first and then as he got the hang of it we increased. at school he buys milk. His 2 year old brother uses the sporty type sippy cups. Anyway I would definitely get rid of the trainer cup which is what you described they are made for babies being introduced to the sippy cup from the bottle. If you still do not feel comfortable at least give him a thermos some come with straws or a sports bottle he can use around other children.

I use a cup that looks more like a sporst bottle, it still keeps the spills away it just looks more grown up. The top flips open and a straw pops out... We also have a drink up here in Canada called Powerade, I don't know if you have it in the states, but the bottles are great to keep and refill, again they look more big boy/girl!

Kids can be soo cruel, I hope you're able to find something he'll feel comfortable with.

E.

P.S. yes I'm canadian, I was invited to this group by a US friend :)

We use the take n toss cups for my 6 and 7 y.o.'s at home... they will still leak out of the top if you knock them over but at least the entire cup doesn't spill. They're at WalMart and Target. You can get them with a spout or straw.

http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Take-Spill-Proof/dp/B00...

WalMart carries a variety of water bottles that work well. I picked up some blue plastic bottles, 8-10 oz each, with no leak tops that are wonderful. I think they were only about a dollar each. Much more sophisticated than a sippy cup :-)

a 6 year old using a sippy?????? give him a cup! he will get the hang of it. you may have to clean up a few times but it will be ok.

I agree with all these mom's about using a more adult like cup, ie: the disposable ones with straws. The kids probably poke fun because Avent cups do look a little like the bottle. If you WANT your child to start drinking out of a regular cup, I would start with dixie cups. It is the right size for little hands and just fill it halfway or less. My daughter will be 4 in October and she can drink well from a regular cup, but she still gets sippys when we are in a no mess zone! Good Luck, and remember.. he won't be drinking from a sippy when he goes to college! ;)

There are a lot of cups out there that are leak proof and look a little "older". How do you feel about the ones with straws? There are ones that look like sports bottles (taller and with no handles). They all have a sliding latch that closes the straw into the cup for travel. I have seen ones that are plain or with simple patterns that don't look so babyish.
My son is 22 months old. We have been using the no handle, straw cups for a while now with no problems. All of these cups are in the baby aisle at the store.
Good luck!

Have you tried sports bottles for when he is in the car, at school or out with friends? These may be a better choice as your son is right in that he is probably getting a too old for the sippy cup. Then it is a matter of working with him on the spilling/being careful etc... with regular cups at home. Limit his drinks to water if stains/spilling are a concern or use straw type cups that can be controlled better and not spill as much. Good luck!

I also reponded to Katie- I have a 9 & 12 year old. We use Tupperware Tumblers. They are about 16 ounce cups with matching lids you use a straw with. I became a believer at a scrapbooking show when someone accidentally knocked their cup over on their album and not a drop of drink spilled. The lid is very tight fitting and through several "oops" I have yet to have to clean up anything :) They are a little pricey but well worth the investment- even my husband and I use the cups. I also think they come in a variety of sizes... but I cannot swear to that- I have had mine for over a year :)

He's six and still not able to drink from a regular cup? I did in home daycare and all of my kids had to learn (military base daycare rules) to drink from a "big boy/girl cup" by the time they where 3 years old. You start out by only filling the cup up about 1/3 full (that makes it easy for them to pick up and easy to clean up any spills), then you upgrade to 1/2 a cup and to a 3/4 cup. When they spill don't panic, just hand them some paper towels and 409 and act like it's totally normal.

Good Luck

Hi,
You could go with a "sports bottle". They make them in a variety of sizes and you should be able to find one that will fit in his lunch box.

I wonder if there is a bigger problem here, tho. It sounds like your son is very much interested in using a "big" cup, but is still spilling quite often. Could it be that he is having difficulty with motor praxis (the skills needed to know how far something is away and how much pressure is needed to pick it up etc) or perhaps the muscles in his oral mechanism are not mature and he cannot swallow from a cup with out some of the liquid "leaking".
Have your doctor refer your son to a qualified Occupational Therapist to see if there is some physical reason he is unable to use a regular cup without spilling.

Also, please check out the site: childrensvision.com and read about visual perception. This has nothing to do with visual ACUITY (the ability to see clearly) but everything to do with whether or not your son's eyes are working together properly. Perhaps he is seeing double when he reaches for his cup, or perhaps his eyes do not refocus from his plate when he looks for his cup. You will need an optometrist with the initials FCOVD after his/her name in order to determine if your son has some vision difficulties that prevent him from accuratly judging the distance his hand travels to pick up the cup.

An occassional spill from a cup is normal for a 6 year old, but if he is having to use a "sipper" cup on every drinking occasion, there may be something more involved than just not paying attention.

Please have your son's eyes and motor skills checked thoroughly. I don't want to scare you, but this may be just the tip of the iceberg. A problem with visual perception and/or praxis could effect your child's school success as well as his self esteem and social life.

Good Luck,
V.

I know it is probably not what you want to hear, but now is the perfect teaching time for learning how to be responsible with a big kid cup. Though I didn't want to do it at the time, I forced myself to let the spills happen in order to get through the first rough days. I also used a smaller, plastic cup, shaped kinda like those cups that you used to get in college with logos. I found some small ones that have only about an 8 ounce capacity in rainbow colors from walmart. I filled them with about 3 oz at first, and refilled multiple times during the meal. I also covered the table with a wipe clean cloth and covered my chairs as best I could. If you praise him for making it through a meal without spilling, figure out a small reward, and enforce the "rules" for big kid cups, he'll get it pretty quickly.

For my son, the hardest thing was to remember to put the cup back above his plate--not right at the edge of the table where his elbow would knock it over. We still remind him and my 3 year old of this, but both have adjusted to the big kid cups and don't spill any more than my husband or I do :).

If he hasn't already, he will run into big kid cups at school and birthday parties soon--better to let him practice at home where it's less stressful if he spills.

I hope this helps.

Try the disposable animal ones - the Zoo Pals or get the ones with the straws in the lids. OR let him spill and he will learn to be more careful. If you are concerned about stains and messes - let him drink water only.

Oh my.......6yrs old and using a sippy with handles?? I stopped using a sippy cup with my daughter at age 2! That's when the daycare started them on those little plastic dixie cups and they asked us to please use the same type in our home. My son is now 2 and we're doing the exact same thing with him. That's where the rule that drinks STAY in the kitchen comes in. If it's spilled...it's on the table or the hard floor and yes, you have to wipe it up, but that's the only way they'll learn how to control a normal cup. My 4yr old will still have spills, but heck......so do I! She's able to get a paper towel and clean up her own spills and we're teaching our 2yr old son the same thing. You have to give up your "gotta be clean" approach and let him learn cup control. Ditch those sippys, Mom! =0)

We use kid cups with lids that have straw openings, like the kind that are given to kids in restaurants. They work really well. Sigg also makes a drinking bottle that is environmentally safe and free of the chemicals in plastics. They are available for both kids and adults.

The sports bottles would work well or a kid cup with a lid and a straw. They don't look like a sippy cup.

I think the brand name is munchkin, but you've probably seen these reusable cups with lids and straws at the grocery stores and discount stores. These are plastic cups in 4oz and 6oz sizes and come in multicolored sets of 4. The straws are super thick plastic and very sturdy. Though the cups and lids feel a little flimsy and look opaque, all hold up well in the diswasher. We have some that we've used for over a year. They are very inexpensive, so if you lose one it's not a big deal. You can also look for sets with a sippy cup style spout for the 8mth old once he's accustomed to sippy cups and won't bite down so hard on them anymore. What I really like about the cups with the straw holes is that the straw and lid fit together so well, there is no leakage between the straw and lid. In fact, if you refill the cup (the lid and straw are already together) you'll want to remove the straw before replacing the lid because the liquid will spurt out the straw due to the air tight seal.

There are older kid cups with lids and spill proof lids. You can get them at Walmart, Target, anywhere. They are CARS or Spiderman, etc I would suggest that he only uses sippy cups at home in his house when he leaves the kitchen, otherwise, he should be using just a cup with lid and straw. He needs to learn to be more careful and this will help him learn. At school you can send the capri sun or juice boxes, no sippy cups. They have the water capri suns now that are healthier. If you do send a sippy cup, send a big boy one. :o) Also, ask him to go with you to the store and pick out what his friends have! :o)

Get a plastic mug with just one handle, that looks a bit like a coffee cup, and have something fun printed on it, or a cool sticker. He can still hold it woth both hands and will look cool ;)

There is a sippy cup out on the market without handles and a flip straw at the top. You may want to consider that as your transition into a big boy cup. Good luck!

a kids water bottle with a pop up straw

Your big boy is ready for a regular cup! Being messy or clumsy doesn't excuse you babying him. He's old enough to wipe up any spills he makes until he learns to be more careful. Start with small amounts of water in durable plastic cups. It doesn't stain and isn't sticky like juice. Just let him know that he's a big boy now and that mommy is going to help him throw away all those baby sippy cups. Children learn from making 'oopsies' so they can correct them. He will succeed if you give him the chance. Have faith in him =)

We use a water bottle type of cup. They don't spill and are used by all ages.

D..
http://www.BizForMomsOnline.com

How about using something like a sports bottle?

I went thru this with my son . I found him a "sippie" cup that looks like a sports bottle with a built in straw. It was spill proof and came in a bunch of different colors . We called it his big boy cup . He used it for a very long time , even after he didn't need it . It was great for trips in the car or picnics since they don't leak and nothing can get in it with out taking the lid off.Hope this helps your BIG guy show his classmates he isn't a baby that needs a sippy cup , he can use a big boy sports bottle .

The Take'n'Toss cups w/straws work really well and are very cheap. They come in packs of five, with lids and straws you can mix and match. You can also just use the cup portion when your son is ready.

How about a cup with a lid and straw? It looks sort of like a water bottle.

Try sports bottle they still have lids but don't look like sippie cups...... Hope this helps good luck