Have you decided to introduce a cup of learning into your child's life? Before that, make sure it is ready!
If your baby seems to reject it or is unable to drink correctly with this new system, slightly different from a bottle , we advise you to wait a little and repeat the operation a few days or weeks later.
Other tips can also help you convince your child to drink water or even milk from their brand new cup!
SUMMARY :
- Show baby how to drink from their training cup
- Offer him a drink he likes and serve it in his training cup
- Try a different training cup than the one you already own
- Look for a prior cause in the child's denial
- Give your baby his training cup: safety first!
- What is the best age to introduce the learning cup into baby's life?
- Should you choose a specific learning cup model based on age?
- Can the training cup replace the bottle?
- The final word
1 # Show baby how to drink from his training cup
If your child has difficulty drinking from their training cup, it may be because they don't know how to do it! Take the cup and explain in simple words how to tilt the cup.
Mime the gestures he will have to reproduce to achieve this.
Take the object in your hands and act in the same way as if you were using it for yourself!
In turn, each parent can participate in order to familiarize baby with this new routine. The integration of new equipment involves a systematic demystification phase which reassures the child.
Try not to worry if baby doesn't drink right away, give him time to adjust.
2 # Offer him a drink he likes and serve it in his learning cup
With the WHO recommending that parents only serve water or milk to their children, the choice of drinks is limited. But you can enhance his snack with cereals to flavor his drink. Be sure to use a little so as not to clog the orifice of the anti-leak spout .
This lovingly prepared milk formula will motivate your child to try again!
Ideally, plan to purchase a mug that is microwaveable and easy to clean . If water is hardly a problem, it is more difficult to remove milk residue stuck to the bottom of a cup than from a baby bottle. The shape of your cup will play an extremely important role in this matter.
3# Try a different learning cup than the one you already own
Unfortunately, the cup you are using may not be suitable for your baby.
Try different training cup designs to see if your baby prefers a different shape or material. Texture is indeed an ultimate criterion not to be neglected. Babies use the sense of touch more than adults.
Did you know that some learning cups were designed with the aim of improving babies' experience ? These cups made from medical grade silicone (zero harmful agents) offer a silky texture as soft as silk... And babies love them!
To find out more, read this article ! 🍼
Look for a prior cause in the child's denial
Is it possible that your baby had a traumatic experience with his training cup?
- Did he land it on his feet when he dropped it?
- Did he splash himself inadvertently?
- Was he scared in any way?
Try to remember the first times baby used his cup. If things went badly, he may fear experiencing another tragedy.
Sometimes, a situation that seems insignificant to you can be very difficult for your baby. Far from exaggerating, your little one is simply prey to heightened emotions that he struggles to channel and unusual objects that are far from familiar.
Understanding where this stubbornness comes from will help you resolve the problem. If you can't remember a possible mishap, try offering him his cup in a different environment . Your baby may associate his disappointment with the place where he experienced the event.
Give your baby his training cup: safety first!
Although using a training cup is safe, it is important to take precautions to avoid leaks and damage, which, as we have seen, could be the cause of a psychological blockage in your child.
Make sure the cup fits snugly and the lid is securely closed before giving the cup to baby.
In addition, it is important not to let your baby drink alone from a training cup the first few times because he is not yet used to it. Choose a first cup model with a slow flow spout as a precaution. Subsequently, you can exchange it for a faster speed format.
What is the best age to introduce the learning cup into baby's life?
Typically, babies begin to develop the ability to drink from a cup around 6 months to 12 months of age, when their hand-eye coordination and muscle control improve.
But the truth is, you can offer drinking from a training cup once your child shows signs of interest in solid foods and is able to sit up unassisted. 🪑
The ideal time varies depending on each baby's individual development.
Should you choose a specific learning cup model based on age?
Indeed, it is preferable to choose a learning cup adapted to the age and development of your baby.
Training cups with soft, leak-proof spouts are often recommended for younger babies. Most cups or bottles on the market offer this option.
Some cup models have handles. If the objective is to make it easier to hold , it cannot be ruled out that a model without a handle but flexible is just as easy to handle (if not more) for your child!
It's up to you to decide what's best for your baby.
Can the training cup replace the bottle?
Note that the introduction of a training cup does not completely replace breastfeeding or bottle feeding , which are the mainstay of your baby's diet at least until he is 1 year old.
It can nevertheless participate in the weaning stage by allowing baby to discover complementary solutions to the bottle.
Once this milestone has been reached and your child is practically weaned, it is possible that baby will decide to never leave his cup and that you will even struggle to get him to drink from a glass. 😉 It all depends on the degree of attachment to the object.
One thing is certain : the inclusion of a learning cup in the child's development greatly promotes the quality of his learning. The cup allows him to be independent more quickly . She helps him acquire good reflexes which, later, will help him hold a grown-up glass without dropping it!
The final word
Never force a child to drink if they don't want to. Try offering him his cup later. Or adopt a completely different method to introduce learning into your daily life (games, staging, etc.)
If your baby continues to have difficulty drinking from a training cup around the age of one, it is recommended to consult your pediatrician for further advice.
Whatever happens, don't worry!
Every child is different. It could even be that yours loves his bottle so much that he actually just has a hard time parting with it… 😉
