Five Steps from Bottle to Cup

One of the biggest steps a young child makes is that of transitioning from using a bottle to using a cup. This is a milestone that signifies some growing up. It is also one of the more difficult milestones for children. The following are five tips for transitioning from bottle to cup.

Tip one: Be patient.If you get frustrated with your child if they drink from a cup and spill all over, they will be less motivated to transition. If you force the issue, they may make it more difficult as a way to assert their independence. If you want to make the transition easier, be sure that you exercise some patience. It may take some time and effort, but it will happen. It will happen faster if you offer positive reinforcement.

Tip two: Use resources. You do not have to go from bottle to grown up cup in one day, the fact is that now there are several different kinds of sippy cups available, all of which allow you to make the transition easier for your child. If you start out with a sippy cup with a similar structure to a bottle, it may not seem as foreign to your child. You can gradually change the cup they use to get an option that you are both satisfied with.

Make sure your baby is ready for the change.

Tip three: Don’t wait too long. While it is important to wait until your child has a decreased need for sucking, and has the coordination to use a cup, if you wait too long, your child may not be getting the food they need because it is being replaced by liquids. This means that they may reject changing from a bottle to a cup because it also means feeling more hungry, eating more, etc.

Tip four: Be consistent. It is hard for children to undergo big changes, and transitioning from bottle to cup qualifies as such. So, be sure that you are not experiencing any other big changes while you try to make the transition as that may be more than your child can handle. Things like divorce, moves, remodels, or changing beds can all get in the way of a smooth transition from bottle to cup. So, be consistent and make it seem like a normal, regular part of your routine and most kids will thrive with routine.

Tip five: Use bottles only for feeding. If you give your child a bottle as a pacifier, when they get hurt, as a toy, or as a way to get them to bed, you are enabling them, and making it much harder to transition to a cup. A bottle is designed to make feeding easier for babies, so use it as such. Use it for feeding only, and your child will not become as emotionally attached to it, and thus it will be easier when the time comes to eliminate bottles, and introduce cups. As long as your child is still getting fed, they will not feel a great loss.