What age should they STOP using a sippy cup?

[deenass]

I freely admit, I don't want DS to have an open cup when he is sitting on the couch or on my bed watching tv, but these days, when I try to give him an open cup at the table, he requests "a sippy, with a spout." I know he can drink from an open cup (he does at school) and I always take a straw cup when we go out.

I think there may be some dental issues with sippies, so should I work on weaning him from them? And when did you trust YOUR child with an open cup of milk on the couch? (Maybe that's not fair, I don't trust ME with an open cup of milk on the couch!)

[kelly ann]

Gosh, I don't even trust DH with an open cup on the couch :) DS started to drink out of the cup by 2, but this was only at daycare. At that time, I would let him occasionally drink water out of cup. Around 2 1/2 I felt a little better about milk out of the cup. However, all open cups stay on the kitchen table for DS. We sometimes still use a sippy cup at a restaurant since we will bring our own milk - just easier to transport in a diaper bag.

[bcky2]

well my older ds gave up sippy cups aroud the age of 2. he likes to drink out of straws alot but will not touch a sippy cup 99.9% of the time. my younger ds never would drink out of a sippy, we went straight to a straw. he also drinks out of a reg cup but at the table. no open drinks anywhere but the kitchen is our rule. we do love the cups that have the straw as a handle :)

as for trusting them on the couch. i guess when they are grown up and drinking it on their own couch in their own house i will trust them(or just not care :o )

[sidmand]

My friend sells Tupperware and she was just telling me about a lady who was looking at their sippy cups and said her son uses one, but he's a little older. So my friend asked how old and she replied, "fifteen."

Debbie

Mom to Sawyer!
http://lilypie.com/baby1/060607/0/3/1/-5/.png[/img] ([img)

[jesseandgrace]

I read somewhere that kids should be weaned from the sippy by about 18 months - I can't remember where - I just remember because it seemed a bit young.. I would say by two mine were done, but I still use a sippy with water in the bed at night. I've seen people using them for kids who looked to be about 4, but that seemed way over the top to me.

[Ari]

I don't think there is a age limit my son is 5 and he drinks from a cup and a sippy cup at night and in the car.

[jasmine]

Our pediatrician suggested we stop giving DS a sippy cup around 3. She said it was because using sippy cups can cause dental problems if used for too long. She did say that straws are fine, so we've been using playtex insulated straw cups ever since. Our compromise for the open cup is that he can have an open cup if it is water and the straw cup if it is anything else.

[jamsmu]

On DS' first day of preschool (age 24 months) they offered the option of using open cups, or bringing your own sippies from home. I'd say over half the class uses open. The teacher advised that by the end of they year, they'll all be using opens.

I was proud that DS chose an open cup. So we use an open cup at all sitting down meals. We're pretty strict on the rule that food and drink stay in the kitchen, so in the house we primarily us open cups. But in the car and at other's homes I'm all about a sippy or straw cup (and DS likes straw cups better.)

[g-mama]

Those who only use open cups -- are you able to enforce that drinks are only to be had at the kitchen table? My boys carry a drink (water or milk) all over the house with them all day, so they use sippy or straw cups. Also, if older ds leaves an open cup on the kitchen table or counter, younger ds will come and dump it out for fun. Ahhhh....how do you all use open cups?? I need help!


~Kristen

Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
Marco 12-05