Drinks All Day Long In Sippy Cups Or Just During Meals?

[Blackcat31]

I appreciate every bit of advice here. I really do. I don't consider anyone to be flaming. :-)

So you think I'm not allowing these kids to do what they are capable of doing? I guess I just see my kids as really young...my 23 month old is pretty young acting still so I just never really considered HER old enough to do it. It's all I can do to get her to sit down and eat her meals without running all over the place with food in her mouth. The 19 month old likely could. The kids that you guys have drinking from cups at a younger age (younger than 2), do the parents do anything at home to help out with it? Or do they get cups at your daycare, sippies at their home?

My parents are kind of half and half. My youngest that uses a regular cup is 14 months old and his mom gives him a regular un-lidded cup (AFTER I demonstrated to her that her DS was capable of using it) and she is also a pretty hands-on mom AND she is a Kindy teacher so she fully understands the concept of teaching self-help skills and why.

I have one mom who gives BOTH her children drip-less sippy cups even though her kids are 3 and 4 years old and have never used a lidded cup here...she is just one of those mom's who HAS to buy ALL the Disney character themed everything for her kids and since they make Cars and Princess sippy cups, her kids have to have them...kwim?

I won't lie...it IS a messy process but honestly it only takes a couple times for the kids to pick up the concept of not spilling. I do start with just a teeny tiny amount in the cup and increase the quantity as their skill level increases.

They do spill, they do try putting their hands in their cups and they shake them and turn them over for a better look and everything else you can think of. But I am just firm and consistent about it. You put your hand in your cup, you get told "No" and I will take the cup from you after repeating it after being told no. I will also take their cups if they mess around in any other fashion.

I practice the 1,2,3 method with almost all behaviors.

1: Reminder...."We don't put our hands in our milk Billy"
2: Warning...."Billy, I will take your cup if you continue to put your hands in your milk"
3: Action...."Billy you put your hands in you milk. I am taking your cup from you."

Rinse and repeat until you get the desired results. It really doesnt take too long.

[Meyou]

I serve milk and water at snacks and meals. If they want a drink in between they ask, sit at the table, drink and then return the cup before they go play again. I offer the babies water more often until they can ask but I never allow them to walk around with cups.

I transition from the cups with snap on spill lids (not sippies with valves) to an open cup around 18 months. I just do water in small amounts at first until they get the hang of not sending the cup flying.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I serve milk and water at snacks and meals. If they want a drink in between they ask, sit at the table, drink and then return the cup before they go play again. I offer the babies water more often until they can ask but I never allow them to walk around with cups.

I transition from the cups with snap on spill lids (not sippies with valves) to an open cup around 18 months. I just do water in small amounts at first until they get the hang of not sending the cup flying.

Yes this For drinks in between we drink water out of dixie cups. Between 1 and 1 1/2 I use the tupperware tops (no valves and will spill) then they drink from cups.
I do not allow them to carry around cups.

[cheerfuldom]

My kids use sippy cups (straw cups actually) at the table. They CAN use an unlidded cup but I chose the straw cups because it is easier for me. Yes self help skills are very important....but so is my time and I dont have time to be cleaning up multiple spills every day. My own 4 and 3 year old daughters use unlidded cups for meals and still spill on a regular basis.....I just have no desire to add another half dozen cups to the table during daycare hours. My kids get warnings, clean up their own messes, etc and the spills still happen.

If doing straw cups makes me lazy, so be it. I am okay with that because it makes my day easier. Plus I am 28 weeks pregnant and simplifying the child care and not having to bend and clean up stuff (including changing wet kids and such) is on the top of my priority list.

As for the original question, I offer drinks at meal and snack time only. I dont let any of the kids run around with a cup, sippy or bottle, thats just unsanitary to me and it becomes something they lose, fight over, etc.

[momma2girls]

I allow children water or juice in sippee cups, or reg. cups, if they are over the age for sippee cups. Then I have milk at dinnertime. If they would like anything to drink between times, it's just water.

[youretooloud]

Under two, they use these with lids and straws. http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Year...e+and+toss+cup

Over two, they use them without lids. But, I do have the occasional 2 1/2 yr old with a lid and straw because they spill it every time.

[Crazy8]

My kids use sippy cups (straw cups actually) at the table. They CAN use an unlidded cup but I chose the straw cups because it is easier for me. Yes self help skills are very important....but so is my time and I dont have time to be cleaning up multiple spills every day. My own 4 and 3 year old daughters use unlidded cups for meals and still spill on a regular basis.....I just have no desire to add another half dozen cups to the table during daycare hours. My kids get warnings, clean up their own messes, etc and the spills still happen.

If doing straw cups makes me lazy, so be it. I am okay with that because it makes my day easier. Plus I am 28 weeks pregnant and simplifying the child care and not having to bend and clean up stuff (including changing wet kids and such) is on the top of my priority list.

As for the original question, I offer drinks at meal and snack time only. I dont let any of the kids run around with a cup, sippy or bottle, thats just unsanitary to me and it becomes something they lose, fight over, etc.

this is the way I do it too (minus the 28 wks pregnant part, LOL!). My oldest dc child is just 2.5. Maybe he is capable of drinking from a real cup but he's sitting at the table with all younger ones (16-24m) and having regular cups out at the table would just be more than I wish to deal with right now. If I had all 3-5 year olds I might think differently but having all these little ones I'd rather have spill proof cups. Parents can do what they want at home.

[Country Kids]

For my bunch I also notice they drink more then they do out of the sippy cups and the ones with straws. Two of mine will only drink 1/2 cup of water/milk from the sippy or straw cup but down the cup without any lid.

[Lianne]

I have these toddler sports bottles (no longer made) that only ever have water in them due to the difficult to clean spouts. They have access to them all day in the summer and when I remember/they ask in the winter. At snack & mealtimes they use unlidded cups after 2yrs old or lidded cups with no valve (from Tupperware) for the under 2 crowd.

It drives me crazy that children can't go on a 30min outing without needing to bring a drink and/or snack with them these days.

[Lilbutterflie]

My DC kids only get milk or water at meal and snack times. If they want a drink other times during the day, they ask and I get them a cup and they sit at the table and drink it and that is that.

Nothing in a sippy cup and I surely do NOT ever allow kids to simply roam free with a sippy filled with anything. No wonder kids are potty trained at older and older ages....we gotta break them of their "drinking" habits first. LOL!

I don't even let babies have bottles filled with anything all day. I make them a bottle, hold and feed them and take the bottle back.

These are my thoughts and rules exactly!!

[daycare]

I am just like BC you drink when served. If you want something in between it's always water and you still must sit down at the table and drink it.

at my house table manners are required. YOu will not get up from the table until you have asked to be excused. When you do, you get up and put your dishes in the sink, anything that needs to go in the trash, push your chair in and go wash your hands. If you get up one time during meal time, you are done. I will clear your plate and you will go wash your hands.

All of my kids know I mean business during meal times. Nothing ever leaves the table.

[sharlan]

Ok, I admit, I'm lazy.

They have sippy cups full of water all day, but they keep them in the kitchen. I use regular cups from IKEA for milk at the table with meals.

[snbauser]

I have these toddler sports bottles (no longer made) that only ever have water in them due to the difficult to clean spouts. They have access to them all day in the summer and when I remember/they ask in the winter. At snack & mealtimes they use unlidded cups after 2yrs old or lidded cups with no valve (from Tupperware) for the under 2 crowd.

This is exactly what we do. I actually have sports bottles that I bought for $1 each at Michaels last year. They each have their name on it and it only ever has water in it. Cups at the table are either 5oz or 10 oz dixie depending on the age and what meal it is. Under 2 uses the tupperware cups with lids.

[renodeb]

I give milk with breakfast and lunch. Water imbetween. Where I live there is some reg about having drinking water always available for them. I do that but mostly they dont carry there sippys around.
Debbie

[countrymom]

All my kids expect to have their sippies full of SOMETHING and access to it all day long.

I give milk with morning snack, juice with lunch, and milk with afternoon snack. I have no kids on bottles at this point. But for instance, when they get up from the table from their lunch, they grab their cup and take it in the play area (my living room). I have one kid that looses her mind if she doesn't have her cup in her hand all the time. I just managed to get her off her soother and stop her from carrying her bottle around all day long. Her comfort's been replaced by her cup. But, every child here has access all the time to their own cups, and it's kind of an expectation of the parents for me to do it.

But I don't know, I'm thinking, at a day care centre, they don't do this, so why should I? Is not giving a cup to drink from all day long common?

I've always wondered what they do at a center.