My DD just turned 3 and I am now just starting to think about giving up the sippy cup for a straw. She does use cups with straws, and also at meals she drinks out of a regular glass with no top, like Mom and Dad.

She still LOVES her milk from a sippy, so she can lay back just like she did with her bottle.

Do I treat this like a bottle? Is it really a big deal? Just wondering when your kids gave them up. I know many just went straight to a cup with a straw, which is great.

By Bellajoe on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 01:07 pm:

My kids stopped using the sippy cup around age 3. My son still drinks from his sippy cup sometimes. Especially when he is sick and needs lots of fluids. That way he can drink while lying down.

By Kaye on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 01:08 pm:

it was different with each of my kids. I don't know the age, but at some point you just htink they look silly with a sippy. My son in 2nd grade has a classmate that still uses one when he packs his lunch My own kids, One was 3, one was 18 months and one was about 2. I mostly just got tired of always washing lids, my youngest chewed on them, so I just eventually ran out!

By Pamt on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 01:54 pm:

Yep, it is a really big deal. It can cause a reverse swallowing problem which can lead to a tongue thrust...the same thing that often (but not always) happens with thumbsuckers. In therapy I tell parents to get kids off of the sippy cup by age two. They really should be using a regular cup at meals and a straw or sports bottle when out and about. Drinking while laying down is never a good idea either since it is easier to get choked and/or aspirate liquid into the lungs.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 02:31 pm:

I think my kids were older than two, just because it was less messy than just a cup. I can't remember anymore when I was brave and stopped using them! LOL! Probably when it started looking silly.

Just like somewhere between 1 and 2, they learned how to use a spoon, but even from my oldest daughter to my youngest daughter, I couldn't remember exactly when.

By Coopaveryben on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 02:45 pm:

I never thought about the sippy being a big deal (oops). My 6 year old still uses one, they all drink out of regular cups at meals or when we are in the kitchen but sometimes they want to take a drink into the den or bedroom so I give them the sippy to avoid a spill.
Pam, what is reverse swallowing??

By Eve on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 03:22 pm:

Thanks, everyone.

I've never heard to give up the sippy at age 2. I've only read age 3. Good to know!

Pam, I've never heard of reverse swallowing either. Also, does the choking hazzard risk change from laying down with a bottle to a sippy cup? They seem so similar to me. Thanks for your input.

By Mommyathome on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 04:47 pm:

Our doctor recommended age 2. So, that's what we did.
From what I've learned, it can cause problems(like Pam was saying).
All of kids were done with theirs by age 2.
To me, it's kind of like a bottle. I've always heard not to replace the bottle with a sippy because what's the point of getting rid of the bottle?
Plus, as someone else mentioned, I was tired of dealing with the lids!
The biggest thing I would worry about would be problems with the teeth (making them crooked or decay them), and speech problems. I guess it's just different with everyone.
Is she really attached to it? Or would it be just as easy to take it away cold turkey?
I can't believe she's three already!

By Pamt on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 07:18 pm:

Reverse swallowing isn't really in reverse--that's just what it's called. Anyway, during a normal swallow (go ahead and try it) your tongue should push up against your alveolar ridge which is the bumpy part of your hard palate behind your top teeth. In reverse swallowing the tongue pushes against the teeth instead. Since the tongue is composed of strong muscles this repeated pushing against the teeth (during eating and at rest) can lead to an open bite (buck teeth) and a lisp. The reason the tongue pushes against the teeth is because when you suck on something (pacifier, thumb, nipple, sippy cup) for an extended period of time your tongue lays over your bottom teeth and lip and just gets used to being in that low, neutral position instead of up high where it should be. Since you also swallow while sucking it just reinforces that tongue posture. Children who are thumb-suckers and extended pacifier users (past 1 yr) are often mouth-breathers too. You can see their mouths hanging open with tongue protruding forward at rest. Normally at rest (i.e., while watching TV) the lips should be closed and the tongue should rest against the length of the palate).

Also, re: laying down and drinking. No, it's not different than laying down and drinking with a bottle. However, our bodies just aren't really made to lay down and drink. When we lay down our brain automatically tells our body to start relaxing, so the muscles in the larynx and epiglottis (our best defense against choking) naturally relax too. It's not a huge concern, but there is a slightly increased risk of choking.

By Coopaveryben on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 10:00 pm:

Pam, thank you that makes sense.

By Annie2 on Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 10:34 pm:

I have to agree to stop the sippy cup as a bottle. My son stopped nursing at nine months, wouldn't take a bottle and only used a sippy cup. He was only taking water by age four but was "sucking" (we didn't know it at the time) the hard plastic tip. He wore down his front teeth and now has speech problems, which could be linked to bad tongue movements, etc. as Pam mentioned.

By Eve on Friday, March 5, 2004 - 07:42 am:

Thanks, everyone. Pam, thanks for the information.

So far so good, I gave her straw cups yesterday and this morning. She didn't say a word. Last night she even drank her water right out of the water bottle with a screw off top. Luckily, I didn't *only* use sipppy cups with her. So, I think she'll be fine with the transition.

Ok, now here's a question!

Is there such a thing as a straw sports cup that doesn't leak? That's the only thing I hate about them.

Also, Gerber makes a Sports cup with a hard plastic straw that stays open all the time. I think you have to suck like you would a sippy, but the straw is hard plastic. Is that just as bad? My guess is yes.

Should I be thinking soft straw? I have both kinds. I have the flip up hard plastic ones, shaped like a juice box and then, also the sports cups.

Now, when do I have to give these up?

By Debbie on Friday, March 5, 2004 - 10:18 am:

Okay, I have a 3-1/2 yr. old and I threw all regular sippy cups away this morning. Eve, Playtex makes a sports spill proof cup that has a soft straw. When you close the little lid the straw goes down and it is spill proof. I got them at Wal-mart. Those are the only ones I kept when I did my clean out this morning.

By Eve on Friday, March 5, 2004 - 10:33 am:

Go Debbie! You are a brave Mom!

We have the Playtex ones too. My DD never used to close them and then the liquid would slowly rise up through the straw and it would spill out. I will give them another try today. It's been a year since we've used them. Thanks!

Ok, I am debating the tossing of the cups. Maybe I will pack them up and leave one in the back on my cupboard...

By Fionadeassis on Friday, March 5, 2004 - 11:37 am:

Oh my god.....now I am all nervous....ds is 31/2..he still uses a sippy...I just never thought about it. But I have been thinking lately that his 2 front teeth look a little worn down! I am going to buy some of those straw ones today!

fiona

By Brandy on Friday, March 5, 2004 - 11:53 am:

I've never had one but thanks for asking lol = ) anyways i really can't remember when the boys did.They were probably around 2 1/2 or 3 or so

By Eve on Friday, March 5, 2004 - 12:18 pm:

Brandy-I'm am picturing you on the treadmill with a sippy cup now. LOL! ;)

By Annie2 on Friday, March 5, 2004 - 07:59 pm:

If your child is sitting in the car or at the table, using a sippy cup, to take a drink only, then they are fine. I think the problem, as with my son, was we were letting him lay down with his water at bedtime or quiet time and he was nursing it like a breast or a bottle.
We used the hard type I think from Playtex, with the insert in the top to eliminate spills. I thought they were a godsend at the time.

By Karen~moderator on Saturday, March 6, 2004 - 10:29 am:

I have the kind Debbie is talking about that I keep here for Madison. Madison rarely used a sippy cup since Jules nursed her till past age 2, and when she began drinking from cups, it was this kind of cup, with the straw, so the sippies weren't an issue.

And whenever I take Madison anywhere with me, we BOTH have our bottles of water with us! LOL

By Brandy on Sunday, March 7, 2004 - 08:25 am:

um nope not at the gym Eve i would be too embarrassed maybe when i get one at home though oh the life lmao NOT!

By Luvn29 on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 09:43 pm:

My children are four and seven and still use sippy cups at times, only not the kind that are spillproof and you have to suck on like a bottle to get anything out.

Typically they use regular cups, but as mentioned above, sometimes I use them with them so we don't have to worry about spills when they take them into their rooms or something.

And nope, we haven't had any problems from them, either.

By Mcrosby57 on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 09:49 am:

I teacher third grade: 8 and 9 year olds. I won't worry about giving up a sippy cup unless it's inconvienent for you or your child no longer wants it. I have yet to see an 8 or 9 year old bring one to school so I think it's safe to assume most children will give them up on their own. Also, I myself still use cups with lids on them (I will be 47 in less than a month) everytime I go to a fast food restaurant or whenever I take coffe in the car......lids are not just for babies!

Mary

By Andi on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 01:38 pm:

We still use a Sippy Cup with Dylan and he turned 3 in January. He drinks out of a juice size glass for dinner and drinks out of cups with lids and straws just fine. I guess I should start thinking of getting rid of the sippy cup but it just makes life so easy!

Eve,
How is it going for you?

By Eve on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 03:41 pm:

Andi-You know, she has not asked for a sippy cup at all. We just switched to the cups with straw and she's been fine! (She will drink from a small cup at dinner, just like Dylan)I am really surprised. I just put them ALL into a plastic bag and brought them to the basement for storage. It's been fine, thank Heaven! LOL!

It was MUCH easier than I thought it would be!I say go for it!

Although, when do we give up these cups? LOL!

By Andi on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 04:29 pm:

I was thinking about it but with the baby coming it will be so nice just to hand him a sippy cup and not worry about him spilling it all over everything. I guess I will slowly start working on it now that hte weather is nice and let m=him drink with "Big Boy" cups outside until he really gets the hang of it.

By Melana on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 11:37 pm:

Ok, so I sucked my thumb untill I was eight, and I do swallow the way you described the reverse swallow, but I'm a nose breather, so I don't know, anyway to correct it by chance Pam?

By Eve on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 09:43 am:

Andi-The Playtex straw cups seem to be pretty leak proof. She has been drinking her milk out of them. Then, for water, we've been buying the small water bottles and she loves those. No spills, and it's just water, so not so bad. Then, she likes a juice box with lunch. We don't let her walk around with those though. LOL! Then, dinner, it's a regular glass. (just smaller)

I do understand where you are coming from though! No pressure from me!

By Andi on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 11:26 am:

We have one of those Playtex cups and he does like it. We also use the Sm. Water Bottles (toddler Size w/ Floride)with the sport top and he does try to close them but can't push it down all the way so it spills water. He loves Capri Sun and does great with those, he can even open them without spilling. I guess I should really give it a try since he is able to do it, I'm just lazy.

I will start later next week since we will be at Disneyland on Monday and Tuesday I want the sippy cup for his stroller. I will let you know how it goes.