How did you teach your DC to drink from a straw cup?

[Sweetum]

DS is 14mo and is on a bottle (BF never worked for us ). He drinks water/juice from a glass, and has never really liked the sippy cup (although he has one at daycare). In the last couple of days, I've switched him to drink his milk from the glass at one of his feedings (he gets 4 now), and he's not missing his bottle at all. But I think it would be nice to teach him how to drink from a straw cup, since then I won't have to give him small sips from the glass - he can do it himself, esp when we're on the move.

I've tried to show him several times, in exaggerated movements, but he just doesn't seem interested. And when he does show interest, he doesn't know what to do / doesn't get it.

Ideas, please, moms!

SunshineAndMe

[elektra]

DS just did it. I just kept letting him try. It took a week or so of just trying it every day. He eventually figured out he could suck and get the liquid out!

[Sweetum]

So you just kept giving it to him at regular intervals? with milk to motivate or with just water?

[LAMom]

I gave him the straw cup and sqeezed the sides gently so he understood there was liquid (milk or water) in the straw. After that he figured it our quickly.

[elektra]

I have done both water and formula.

[wellyes]

What helped with DD was a very wide straw, requiring minimal suction to bring up the liquids. The one we taught her on actually changed color as the cold liquid went up the straw.

Also trying feeding him bird-like from the straw -- put your finger on the straw to make a vacuum, then put it in his mouth and release your finger. That may make it click for him that straw = drinking.

But my DD was a couple months older than your DC when she figured it out. Plus, even to this day, she can drink from a straw in an open cup, but she still has a hard time figuring out lidded cups with straws. She wants to turn them upside down like a sippy cup.

[slworld]

DS just did it. I just kept letting him try. It took a week or so of just trying it every day. He eventually figured out he could suck and get the liquid out!

[Sweetum]

Thanks moms! DS did it today! I tried today after reading all your posts, and in less than an hour he figured it out!! I showed him by doing it myself, then squeezing the sides (like a PP suggested). He than kept wanting me to show it to him by drinking from it, and eventually figured it out We were both so ecstatic and excited!! He demanded more water, and ended up drinking so much water that his diaper started to leak now hopefully, he'll remember it.

Thank you, moms

SunshineAndMe

[pastrygirl]

For anyone else who might be reading... I started with a straw cup when I first gave my kids a cup at 6 months. It was a few months before I switched to a non-straw sippy cup, and then used both kinds.