How to Teach Your Baby to Drink from an Open Cup!

Forget the sippy cups.

Okay, maybe not entirely. I'll admit, they're great for on-the-go use (the style that are intended for use as water bottles, anyway, like these).

But at home, during meal time... why not skip the sippy cups altogether and teach your baby how to drink from a regular, open cup? It's better for their speech development, and easier cleanup for you (no parts!).

Here's how to do it:

First, your baby should be able to sit up unassisted. This is usually around 6 months old, probably about the same time you'll be starting him/her on solid foods.

You'll need a cup that's small enough for your baby to actually hold. You can re-purpose an old shot glass, or you can buy a set of tiny tempered glasses (we use these ones). Not only are they a sturdier type of glass that can withstand minor falls, but they are ridged along the outside, which helps with baby's grip on the cup. You'll also have more than one glass in case they break... yes, it's a possibility... but truth be told, my daughter has never broken one (although I did one time, oops!).

The reason for using glass instead of plastic is to teach your baby about being careful and taking care of their things from an early age. There really isn't a way for your baby to get hurt using an actual drinking glass as long as you're always supervising when they use it, and they're not allowed to walk around with it. And if a glass does happen to break, look at it as a good first lesson in why glass should always be handled with care. (If you're not comfortable using glass, there are also tiny plastic weaning cups you can try.)

The first time you offer an open cup to your baby, only put a tiny amount of milk/formula or water in it. Just enough for a sip. Model for your baby by helping him/her to hold the cup with two hands. It's helpful to say a simple phrase such as, "Two hands!" every time in an encouraging tone, so you can use it to verbally remind them later on once they begin picking up the cup independently. You'll also need to assist your baby in lifting up the cup to his or her lips.

From here, your baby will likely take their first sip all on their own! Yay! They might sputter a little if they take too big of a sip. That's normal and something they will eventually master with practice. Just encourage them to cough and move on. It's all a part of the learning process!

Now, show your baby how to set the cup back down gently. You can pair this action with a phrase like, "Set it down gently!", also in an encouraging tone, which will come in handy later on when baby is mastering this step at an independent level. Believe it or not, as long as you always emphasize putting the cup back down gently, your baby will naturally pick up on this cue and learn to be gentle, too.

For the time being, after the cup has been set down, you'll want to move it out of your baby's reach so they don't accidentally swipe it off the table/tray. Once he or she gets accustomed to the presence of the cup and learns what it's used for, though, this will be a non-issue and you'll be able to leave the cup nearby.

You'll need to repeat this process at every meal time, at least once or twice during the meal. The more often they get to practice, the better! As baby gets better at taking sips, you can gradually increase the amount of water in the cup.

Eventually, you'll notice your baby beginning to reach for and pick up the cup on their own. They'll still need assistance with the lifting and drinking part, so don't hand over the reigns completely just yet!

From here, it's just a gradual process of helping your baby master the remaining steps of drinking from a cup (and you probably realize by now that there are a lot of steps you used to take for granted). You really do have to just assist, assist, assist until they master each one!

By 11-12 months, your baby should be drinking from the cup all on their own from start to finish! That's not to say there won't be a lot of spills and messes along the way (and even after they've mastered it). Don't get upset with your baby if there are accidents. Just keep a cloth handy to wipe up any spills, and encourage your baby to notice when spills happen and help you wipe things up.

With sufficient opportunities for practice, there's no reason that your baby shouldn't be able to self-sufficiently get their own sip of water whenever they're thirsty during a meal by the time their first birthday rolls around.

And that's all there is to it!

Don't believe me? Check out my daughter (who followed this exact process) in the video below, independently drinking from her little glass like a pro!

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