Transition from sippy cups, how do you tolerate spills?

[FreshTressa]

Originally posted by moinab
I was just posting information. I don't necessarily agree or disagree. I think it's kind of like the breast feeding/bottle feeding debate. Is one technically better than the other? Yes, but will your child be marred for life? Not likely.

I know, I was just being silly

 

[peg2001]

We are making progress. . .I guess. I even had DD7 pour the milk into glasses this morning. She did great and didn't spill a drop. . .until she then dropped the whole jug onto the floor.

I should have invested in a paper towel company . . . and the Zoloft pharmaceutical company.

Peggy

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by FreshTressa
Why is 7 too old??? Who really cares? It isn't a big deal. Why is everyone in such a hurry for kids to grow up??

I don't think the OP was using sippy cups to keep her kids from growing up too fast. She was using sippy cups for her convenience so that she didn't have to clean up spills. I've never seen students using sippy cups in the school cafeteria or for parties in the classroom. At some point, preferrably before the child enters school, they should learn how to drink out of a regular glass.

The longer you rely on sippy cups the longer it takes for the child to learn how not to spill. They can't learn to walk without taking a few tumbles and the same goes with learning how to use a glass. After a few spills in which the child has to do the majority of the cleaning up (without being scolded, of course), they will learn where to place the glass on the table without spilling it. As long as they have not had to worry about spills, they have also not learned how to be careful not to spill, if that makes sense.

Sippy cups also teach children to be tongue thrusters. They use their tongue to stop the flow of liquids. This can cause speech and dental problems in a few children but the main problem is that children who are tongue thrusters make that funny sound when they do drink out of a glass. (My mother used to call say "you're drinking like a horse" but I prefer to call it gulping noises when they swallow.) Just as they went from crawling to walking with a few spills along the way, you should let them graduate to a real cup or glass with a few spills on the way.

 

[Arabella Figg 2003]

You have to wonder what people did before there was such a thing as a sippy cup.

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by Arabella Figg 2003
You have to wonder what people did before there was such a thing as a sippy cup.

Being older, I can tell you. When parents let infants drink from their glasses, the mom cupped her hand under the bottom lip of her child to catch any drools are drips from the babies chin while she poured the liquid into the baby's mouth.

 

[believe]

DD (3) stopped over a year ago, I can't remember when DD (5) stopped. They know if they spill to walk over to the sink, get a towel and start cleaning it up. I will assist, but they do the majority. I think they are a lot more careful since they know they will have to clean up the mess.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I do not think the OP meant to start this thread as any big dissertation or debate on sippy cups. Especially since she began her post with the comment: "I realize that my children are old enough to give up their sippy cups......"

I think that she was looking for advice and tips on making the transition. Which several posters have indeed given!

As far as I know, temporary use of a sippy cup never truly hurt anyone. And I guess I just do not understand that this topic is even worth the time for discussion or debate???

Also, just a completely Off Topic thought here.... About clumsiness. I think that very marked clumsiness is very often the result of a problem like vision and or hearing or motor skill development. Just to give a simple example, backing ones chair up into the waiter..... With good peripheral vision and hearing then a person would probably have a good situational awareness. My one sister ALWAYS went around with a huge pump-knot on her forehead as a very young child... Turns out she has VERY poor vision!

Okay, we now return to your regularly scheduled thread!!!