Dear Mom - March 31, 2008

Dear Mom,

My son is 10 months old and I want to start weaning him off of his bottle. I want to start using a sippy cup, but every time I give him one he only wants to chew on it. How do I get him to accept a sippy cup?

Frustrated Parent

Dear Frustrated,

Allowing your child to play with and chew on a sippy cup is a good start. Chewing on his cup is your child's way of familiarizing himself with this new object. Start by putting small amounts of liquid in the cup. Something sweet, like juice, is a good starter liquid for sippy cups. You should also sample a variety of cups to determine which cup is more appealing to your child. Cups come in many styles and colors. Some cups have soft tips that feel more like a bottle nipple and may be easier for your child to use at first. While drip proof cups may be preferable to you, they are sometimes difficult for a small child to operate because they require the child to suck on the cup to get the fluids out. In order to succeed, you must continue to present the cup as an option and be patient. I also recommend that you only put baby formula in the bottle, saving the cup for juice or water.

Mom