https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 03 May 2026 04:56:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-2028763 Sat, 17 Jan 2015 19:27:30 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2028763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Blue: I am right there with you momma ;) he can do it, but it requires so much of my attention that its just not worth it yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-2028760 Sat, 17 Jan 2015 19:26:12 +0000 Mrs. Blue 2028760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Switching to open cups goes in my file of "Things I Don't Want to Deal With." I gues I'll start around 2, but I'm dreading the mess. They do take drinks out of our open cups and we've let them do that since they were probably 15 months or so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-2028747 Sat, 17 Jan 2015 19:05:30 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2028747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use a plastic shot glass. It is much more appropriately sized for their mouth. </p> <p>But I am fairly certain it is the sippy cups with a spout and valves that they have to suck through that are the problem, not straw cups. We skipped sippy cups entirely and just use straw cups, and I am pretty sure they don't affect their speech. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-2028728 Sat, 17 Jan 2015 18:55:33 +0000 jhd 2028728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: awesome! I was planning to order one but it's good to hear you liked it. I trust hellobee people more than reviews on Amazon. Haha! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-2028720 Sat, 17 Jan 2015 18:52:10 +0000 mrsjazz 2028720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jhd: Yes, it took a few tries where she would spill on herself but she caught on quick. She's a master at the open cup now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-2028717 Sat, 17 Jan 2015 18:47:18 +0000 jhd 2028717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: I know this is an older thread, but you had good success with the Doidy cup? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075717 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 07:41:07 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1075717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We got this cup thanks to the suggestion of @looch. She can drink out of it, but plays with it more :( But the cup is great!</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Philips-AVENT-Natural-Drinking-1-Pack/dp/B006GYLL8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1378816690&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=avent+cup" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Philips-AVENT-Natural-Drinking-1-Pack/dp/B006GYLL8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1378816690&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=avent+cup</a> </p> [attach=1448/13/mswtwk.600x562.cup.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075709 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 07:32:56 +0000 lamariniere 1075709@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did it early, right at 1 year, mostly because DS never figured out the sippy and I didn't want to buy a million different ones before finding the right one. He had it down pretty well by 14 months. Of course, he did have accidents and spills, but it wasn't a catastrophe. I would just start introducing it slowly, maybe one meal a day and make it fun! Get him a color or design he would like and make a big deal about how he's drinking like a big boy/mama/papa. Also, only put like an inch of liquid in it at a time so that if is spilled everywhere, it's not too much to clean up or wasted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075513 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 22:59:02 +0000 skibobrown 1075513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 17 month old loves to dump out her milk and play with it, so I'm going to continue using the spill-proof sippies for a while. Maybe I'll try to transition her to an open cup around age 2? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075494 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 22:29:27 +0000 HLK208 1075494@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>E can drink from an open cup but she gets more from the zoli (at 15 months). I think by 20 months we'll try to use the cup more.</p> <p>DS could drink from a cup but wasn't full switched until 2! Maybe that's why he doesn't speak that clearly :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075491 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 22:16:57 +0000 luckypenny 1075491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is 16 months and kind of gets the idea but I don't trust her alone with one. Maybe by 2? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075422 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 21:10:50 +0000 tysonja 1075422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: good job during dinner tonight!! :)</p> <p>i guess there is pro's and cons with starting earlier or when they were older! earlier -- it takes forever to learn, but they don't really know any better.... and older -- should technically be faster for them to learn, but they've got tricks up their sleeves! :)</p> <p>hope it continues to get smoother as the days go by! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075421 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 21:10:45 +0000 tysonja 1075421@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: good job during dinner tonight!! :)</p> <p>i guess there is pro's and cons with starting earlier or when they were older! earlier -- it takes forever to learn, but they don't really know any better.... and older -- should technically be faster for them to learn, but they've got tricks up their sleeves! :)</p> <p>hope it continues to get smoother as the days go by! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075396 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 20:51:31 +0000 pastemoo 1075396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have the reflo cup. You still have to make sure he doesn't dump it all out but at least it dumps out more slowly.</p> <p>and sometimes he pulls out the insert... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075382 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 20:42:49 +0000 irene 1075382@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tysonja: @banana: We are using straw cups! Phew...! (but the quick article I read said it is the same in terms of affecting speech and teeth.... but that was from my 5 minute search).</p> <p>Thanks everyone!</p> <p>So... today, I tried harder in offering an "open cup". By "open cup" I mean I just offer the cup to him without the straw lid on (I don't really have other plastic cups that I trust is BPA-free). We did that before several times as a game but this time I was determined. Boy was it a disaster. It was dinner time, he was eating rice balls that he wasn't really a fan of and he started playing. So I offered him the cup with water. He was excited. He tried sips and he was so happy. But then he started putting his fingers into the water, dipping in it and licking his finger. He would throw a fit when I pull the cup away! I attempted to put the lid back on and give it to him, he would throw the cup on the floor. Well, after a messy 20 minutes and a crazy dinner filled with distractions, I gave him his cup of milk (with the straw lid). He wasn't interested and pushed it away. Then again I opened the lid and let him sip it, he held onto the cup and sipped while I held onto the cup also. Of course, at the end of it he was covered with water and milk. It was not too bad, but was very discouraging and frustrating!</p> <p>I'll keep trying while I'll attempt to find a BPA-free cup that is not made in China, that is spilled proofed! @mrsjazz: @pelikila: Thanks for the suggestions!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075126 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 18:46:49 +0000 Cole 1075126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with what some of the others said, sippy cups are different from straw cups and straw cups don't seem to be an issue. </p> <p>That being said-- to transition to an open cup I choose a small cup, a shot glass actually works pretty well but anything that fits comfortably in two hands is good. I exaggerate how I drink in front of them. Model using two hands since in the beginning they will need to. I will take some time each afternoon and sit there with them and pour about a 1/4 inch in the glass and hand it to them. They drink it and give it back and it becomes a fun little game. It takes a long time before I just give them an open cup on their tray while they are eating because they just don't pay attention. I typically give them water before and after eating and have it available if they want it while they are eating OR give them a straw cup. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075121 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 18:44:15 +0000 chopsuey 1075121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't remember when we started open cups, but by 20 months she was drinking from them like a pro.<br /> I ordered a zoli for DS (8 months old), but I have him drinking from an open cup right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075110 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 18:31:07 +0000 banana 1075110@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tysonja: All our speech therapists said the same thing. It's sippy cups that could pose a problem. ?They said straw cups are actually quite good for developing oral muscle strength. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075101 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 18:23:31 +0000 aprk 1075101@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm ridiculous. A is 5 months and we are practicing with open cups already. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1075096 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 18:16:06 +0000 tysonja 1075096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i don't think you'll have too much problem teaching your LO :) it may take a few weeks, but i think he'll get the hang of it!</p> <p>we were kind of 'forced' to start using open cups early, around 9 months, because he JUST COULDNT figure out sippys and straw cups, and was refusing the bottle. we always held it for him and now at 15 months he can be trusted to do it himself, with supervision. </p> <p>my friend is a speech pathologist and she told me that it is sippy cups that can affect speech development and front teeth placement etc -- straw cups are fine, according to her. </p> <p>good luck!! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074802 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:59:41 +0000 lemondrop 1074802@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah, 12-15 months is not even remotely realistic for us, we are aiming for 2 years. I go with the thought that you can find a study to go against pretty much everything you do as a parent, so I pick and choose. </p> <p>We have a set of the plastic Ikea drinking cups that we use when it doesn't matter that he spills (water, and at home). Otherwise we use the toss n' go cups when we are out and about. </p> <p>Mostly we are practicing with the drinking cups when he brushes his teeth and in the tub, and he's doing well, but (I'm) not ready for the real deal all the time yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074782 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:53:45 +0000 mrsjazz 1074782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've been working on her with open cups since she was about 13 months.</p> <p>We use this one. The first time she used it she just tipped it back all over herself but now she can use it correctly. At 16 months we just started with a small glass (it's actually a jar for artichokes that I'm recycling) and she will hold it but I usually have to help because she is not used to the weight.<br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DOIDY-Doidy-Cup-Blue-color/dp/B0012AUR32/ref=sr_1_10?s=baby-products&#038;ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1378756253&#038;sr=1-10&#038;keywords=training+cup" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/DOIDY-Doidy-Cup-Blue-color/dp/B0012AUR32/ref=sr_1_10?s=baby-products&#038;ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1378756253&#038;sr=1-10&#038;keywords=training+cup</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074776 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:51:54 +0000 pelikila 1074776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We went from a sippy to a lidded cup like this (<a href="http://www.tommeetippee.us/product/truly-spill-proof-drink-cup/" rel="nofollow">http://www.tommeetippee.us/product/truly-spill-proof-drink-cup/</a>) and just took out the silicone piece inside so it would free flow. Sure there were a few weeks that sucked but C got the hang of it pretty quickly and daycare started giving him open cups by 18 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074775 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:51:35 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1074775@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm fairly positive you have nothing to worry about :)</p> <p>J isn't 100% on real cups - but he is constantly using ours! We always assist though so he understands how it works but I don't entrust him with it completely on his own. So he uses a pretty equal balance of straw/sippy cups and open cups. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074774 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:51:17 +0000 Freckles 1074774@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO looooves drinking from an open cup. I just give her small quantities. If i gave her anymore more than 1/4 cup she'd just dump it on herself (which she has in the past). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074765 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:48:54 +0000 irene 1074765@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: That's what I thought!! Our daycare only wants sippy too, at least for now (in the 18 month-2 year old room)</p> <p>@locavore_mama: Thanks for the suggestion! What a great design!!!! However the cup is made in China, I think my husband will kill me if I buy that (he's very adamant about buying non-China-made things when it comes to anything that touches the food for LO.... long story). But that's a great design!! Ahh!</p> <p>@keiki_mama: I didn't know until just now I searched about it - LO has been very interested in drinking from our cups recently so it makes me want to find a open cup for him.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074742 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:44:33 +0000 keiki_mama 1074742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow, I didn't realize straw cups could cause delays in speech development! LO is almost 18 months and still on the straw cup =/ Guess it's time for us to ween as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074735 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:43:05 +0000 regberadaisy 1074735@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted 12-15 months. LO just moved up to the toddler room last week at 16 months. In the toddler room they only use open cups so I wanted to make it easier on her by working on it at home. Now she can pretty much pick up my cup and drink from it herself.</p> <p>But since we started water at 7 months she has always preferred drinking from our glass.</p> <p>We pretty much use the Avent Training Cup at home now exclusively along with letting her drink from our cups.<br /> <a href="http://amzn.com/B006GYLL8Y" rel="nofollow">http://amzn.com/B006GYLL8Y</a></p> <p>My LO vastly prefers open cups and will drink a lot more from a open cup! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074733 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:42:44 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1074733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Umm, if you are supposed to go from bottle to sippy cup at 12 months, how do you cut the sippy cup between 12-15 months! </p> <p>She has been offered sips of water in an open cup since she was around 15-18 months. However, its not until age 2 when daycare offers open cups. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-to-an-open-cup#post-1074717 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:39:44 +0000 irene 1074717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is 19 months. He's been on the Zoli straw cup since he was 11.5 months and it has been easy for everyone. Daycare uses it, and I usually bring the cups with us when we go on trips, outings, or to restaurants. While it is bulky, it works just fine and a (lazy) mom needs a break sometimes....</p> <p>However, just now I read an article that we should really have cut him from the sippy starting 12-15 months and some studies suggests sippies may affect speech (!!!) What? OK I've been lazy, and I guess I will do it now. I am just not crazy about all the spills that will happen...</p> <p>Now I wonder, have you switched your toddler to an open cup, and when / how did you do it? Do you just give them a cup of water at mealtime and just let them spill allover themselves? :( </p>