When to Introduce a Straw Cup or Sippy Cup

June 05, 2019

Sippy cups or straw cups are a great way to smoothly transition your baby from a bottle to a cup. When your baby has developed the motor skills to handle a cup but is unable to avoid spills, a sippy cup is perfect for promoting independent feeding while keeping cleanup to a minimum.

You can introduce a sippy cup or straw cup as early as 6 months of age. The American Dental Association recommends making the change by your child’s first birthday as prolonged bottle use can lead to tooth decay, iron-deficiency anemia and encourages your toddler to drink much more milk than they need to. A recent study in the journal Pediatrics discovered that 9 months may be the optimal age to break the bond between baby and bottle.

One way to determine if your baby is ready is to look for the following signs:

They can sit up without support – indicates that some gross motor skills have developed to hold their neck upright reducing the chances of choking.
They are eating solid foods even purees.
They can eat from a spoon – indicates that their tongue-thrust reflex (a reflex that keeps them from choking and also helps push food out of their mouth) has disappeared.
They can grasp objects.

When the time comes to transition from bottle to cup, look no further than Perry Mackin’s silicone straw and anti-slip handle to encourage little ones to learn to feed on their own. The advanced technology of our silicone straws ensures fluid will not flow through them unless the bottle is compressed avoiding spills and messes making parents’ lives easier. The accessories work interchangeably with our line of bottles by simply replacing the nipple with the straw so busy moms are ready to go.

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