Hellobee Boards

We use the Munchkin Latch cup. It has a soft bendable spout with handles. I'm trying to skip using a straw cup because I guess it can mess with teeth and/or kids don't want to move to an open cup so I want him to learn with a sippy first and use straws later. He's not great about tipping the cup up and back while sitting up but we give it to him to play with while laying down and he dribbles over himself. It doesn't leak but the water comes out when they bite down so he gets wet when it dribbles from his mouth. We give him some water while holding up the sippy for him at the table after solids. He gets maybe an ounce of water or two, not much.

@SweetiePie: Have you considered just going for an open cup? I came across this product called a doidy cup that looks interesting. http://www.amazon.com/Bickiepegs-Doidy-Cup-Blue-color/dp/B0012AUR32

Actually the use of sippy cups has been linked to some different issues (although my older DD used one without issue). http://blog.asha.org/2014/01/09/step-away-from-the-sippy-cup/
This speech therapist recommends the munchkin straw cup: http://mommyspeechtherapy.com/?p=12

6 months tommy tipee straw. She figured out how to use it on her own. As mentioned above I've read various articles that suggest straw cups are good for development. That or open cup. But she was not catching on with open cup.

This is the one we used.
http://www.diapers.com/p/playtex-first-lil-gripper-straw-trainer-cup-6-oz-998547?catalogId=1&sku=PX-735&__utma=162065705.1671735442.1400357581.1427047879.1427241459.17&__utmb=162065705.5.9.1427241462057&__utmc=162065705&__utmx=-&__utmz=162065705.1422555584.14.10.utmcsr=Google%7Cutmccn=GooglePLA%7Cutmcmd=cpc_D%7Cutmctr=(not%20provided)%7Cutmcct=%7Badtype%7D&__utmv=-&__utmk=124617866

@SweetiePie: I started right around 6 months, but the only one she could get water out of were the zolis. I really just did it to introduce and practice, she didnt get any noteable amount from her cups that young.

Once she figured it out and got stronger we put her on the Vital Baby...probably around 10 months she really got the hang of it?

8 months we started with a straw cup. Take n toss at first for ease, now we use the nuby ones that are spill proof. We also like the miracle cups/360 and she will take water out of an open cup. She's 13 months. She was on a straw full time at 11 months and has just started the 360 and open cups in the past few weeks.

ETA - I wouldn't stress about it if he doesn't get it. He technically doesn't need any water and certainly doesn't need a lot of it. You could always just give it in a bottle or help with an open cup or off a spoon.

We started with zoli bot straw cups at around 9 months, I think. She figured them out pretty quickly so we just kept using them.

@SweetiePie: 7.5 - 8m? That's when we started BLW so I'd imagine I started water around the same. Mainly for fun but I can understand why your ped wants to make sure your baby gets s little more water in that kind of heat.

We have really only done straws for the same reason as above... but we have not found the holy grail because she is still on bottles part of the time I introduced a straw cup at 6 months for water and she really got the hang of it around 9 months. She is a pro at them and will guzzle water or diluted juice but for milk she wants a bottle.

@SweetiePie: you can also try this, my son did great with it, but beware, it's kind of a pain to put together (lots of pieces).

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Avent-Natural-Drinking-Green/dp/B006GYLL8Y/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1427281968&sr=8-7&keywords=avent+philips+trainer+cup

Personally, I think you have to remember what the end game is, which is to get them to drink out of an open cup. That's why I preferred not to use a hard spout sippy. Straws are a different story, we use them and they're great for oral motor development.

@SweetiePie: I go more by my son's cues than I do by age recommendations. The cup functions by your upper lip pushing against the inner rim, it causes the water to come out. I figured unless I tried, I wouldn't know, so I tried and it turns out after a few tries, my son mastered it at round 8 months.

Just an FYI I got the playtex straw trainer cup because of recommendations on HB, but I think the design has changed. I wasn't able to squeeze it to get the liquid started up the straw. Our speech therapist said the same. She used to recommend them because of that feature but she thinks the cups are different now, although sold in the same name, package, etc.

@jhd: @SweetiePie: I ran into the same problem with the Playtex cups, but discovered it's only the 7oz cup that you can still squeeze. Of course, that's not the one they sell at Target or Babies R Us...I found it on Amazon, though! It does leak though.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HUB4UE4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That one, you can actually squeeze the bottom (with some effort). But honestly, my LO didn't really get it until I started feeding him those pouches. Then, he was very motivated to suck out the good stuff, and therefore learned how to suck out of a straw-like thing!

And my pedi also said sippy cups are bad, not straw cups. She said that the muscles required for sippy cups are not the same for straw cups, and that transitioning to a sippy will mean another thing to wean from, and that a sippy is basically a glorified bottle. So, I skipped the sippy and went straight to the straw.

We skipped sippy cups and introduced a straw cup (zoli) around 6 months. He caught on quickly. In fact, I think the straw is too "easy" in that his reflex is to suck so he take in more than he really wants to and dribbles it out! He thinks it's hilarious.

This weekend, I was feeling lazy and didn't want to wash the straw cup so I gave LO an open cup, 1/3 full. He did remarkably well with it so we're now onto plain old open cups (has been practicing at daycare for a couple months; he's 12 months now). But, I do plan to still use a camelbak or simliar straw cup for outings.