Tips to switch from the bottle to cup

Transitioning from a bottle or sippy cup to big-kid cup is an important milestone, but as with all milestones, they’re not as easy as they seem.

There's no right or wrong age in which to do this but recent studies have suggested drinking  juice or milk from a bottle can lead to cavities as often babies fall asleep with some of the liquid pooled in their mouths.

Aside from the tooth health,  having the skill to drink water or milk from something other than breast or bottle is a vital life skill that children need to master. We’ve all been caught out without the milk or water bottle on a day trip (haven't we?!).

There’s ways in which you can make the transition or training period a little easier though. Read on for our top tips!

Introduce a new drinking vessel at mealtime

By the time your baby reaches six months old, they will most likely have started to sit at a high chair or table for solid food. This is a great time to introduce a sippy cup. Our sippy cups are intentionally designed to be a transitional cup which can start as a sippy cup for a few months and then move to a normal drinking cup when the child’s confidence grows. Our silicone teet is soft in the child’s mouth and is fast flow which allows the child to learn the skill of tilting but not too dramatically and bringing the head back to neutral. 

Cheers – Drinking buddies!

Sharing a drink with Mum or Dad is a great way to encourage a child to transition to a cup. We give the same advice for mealtimes - eat and drink together as your child will love to imitate you. The more you show your child that you drink happily from a cup, the more comfortable they will be in doing it.

Relax

Make the transition fun. If you’re worried about the child’s clothing, take the clothing off or use a bib. It’s perfectly normal for there to be dribble. Think about yourself as a fully grown adult – have you ever underestimated the width of a cup and its spilled down the side of your chin. We’ve had years and years of practice so mistakes will happen. Just laugh them off and give your little one the confidence to try again.

Take it slow

Gradually introduce a cup at certain times of days so your little one isn’t frustrated that their favourite bottle has gone missing. Explain to your child that at the table you’ll be using open cups now as they’re a big kid. Or make a connection between what goes in the cup vs bottle. Maybe milk is in the bottle but water is in the cup.

Let your little one choose a special cup

If you’re reading this and you have an older toddler who hasn’t transitioned yet – Do not worry. There’s never a bad time to start. Maybe make it fun by allowing your little one to choose the cup he or she might drink from. Obviously big decisions like what your child should eat in a day falls with an adult but if you let your little one pick the cup they want, you’ll be giving back some of that control your toddler might feel they are losing by having their bottle removed.

Click here to see why our cups are great https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSdmj6urojs

Our cups are super versatile, and make great transition and training cups. The silicone toppers are removable so you can give your little one the time to practice open cup drinking from as early as 6 months. Meanwhile, when your desire is to keep them hydrated and not soaking wet, you can put the topper on with the straw.