Giving your baby a sippy cup is a very special step in his developmental stage. He already knows how to control this part of his brain, but he still doesn’t know how to control its contents from spilling.
So a sippy cup with little ears is ideal for them when they starts to drink a bottle or juice on their own, so without further ado, let’s continue with this article and discover at what age you can start with this step.
What is the sippy cup and what is it for?
The sippy cup consists of a glass that has a lid to prevent spills, and little ears that are used for the child to grasp the glass more easily, apart from this it is used for the child to train and begin to leave the bottle and in this way start drinking in a common glass.
However, many pediatric dentists assure that the prolonged use of this tool helps the formation of cavities in children. It is a very useful tool when it comes to preventing spills, many of us as parents continue to supply it, to despite the fact that the child is no longer a baby, nor this little one.
In turn, teaching the child to use these glasses helps their psychomotor development, since many children have delays in their psychomotor system, and one of their signs is that the child is not able to pick up objects on their own.
Many times it can also be due to genetics, so if you notice that your baby has this type of delay, you should consult your pediatrician and let him determine what is happening.
Related: Tips to prevent child suffocation due to small objects
What is the age at which the baby can be given the sippy cup??
The sippy cup should be given to the baby when he can hold objects on his own, this capacity can be reached from the age of one year.
On the other hand, if we give this glass to the child before the appearance of their first teeth, it can lead to cavities, for this reason, it is always recommended to maintain good oral hygiene for babies and thus avoid this type of problem.
By not maintaining an oral cleaning routine, the food is fermented inside the child’s mouth, which helps the formation of bacteria, so our recommendation is to do it at least once a day, especially at night.
On the other hand, pediatric dentists recommend the following guidelines when using this type of glass; when serving drinks to our baby, it is recommended not to fill them with sugary liquids, since it helps the appearance of cavities.
Do not allow your child to drink constantly in this type of glass, when your child has drunk his liquid, whether natural juices or water, which is the most recommended, remove this type of utensil immediately; so that he does not get used to always having it in his mouth.
Do not let the baby take the glass to bed unless it contains water; do not use this type of glass to calm the baby, when he is anxious or has a tantrum, constantly rinse this utensil to avoid the formation of germs; in the event that the child must drink sugary drinks, let it be at meal times when salivation is at its highest level.
How to introduce or give sippy cup to the baby?
To introduce this type of training glass to the baby, the first thing you should do is let him try them; how? Well, offering them small drinks in her mouth so that she gets used to the fact that not only her drinks come from a bottle or from her mother’s nipple.
And if your child tries to grab it to be able to drink from the glass on his own, let him go because in this way he develops his psychomotor system and creates his own independence.
And do not force him to drink more liquid than he wants, since, the older children, when we begin the stage of removing the diaper; have more frequent urine leaks, and by drinking a lot of water or fluids at night they could have episodes of bed-wetting.
That is to say that they wet the bed, because their bladder is too full or sometimes it happens because they have episodes of night terrors and do not get out of bed to go to the bathroom.