Making the big transition from bottle to sippy cup can be a little stressful for both you and your little one. They might not want to change from their regular, well-known bottle to the sippy cup. However, it's important they make the switch so they can start learning to drink from a real cup! Stay positive and try some of these tips on how to transition from bottle to sippy cups.
- Try different cups.
- Let them pick the perfect cup.
- Let them imitate you.
- Fill the sippy cup with milk or a toddler nutritional beverage. Slowly dilute the milk in the bottle with water.
- Remove the bottle from your child's view.
- Try different beverages.
- Start with one feeding per day.
Try different cups.
When you first introduce your baby to a sippy cup, try different types of cups. There are a wide range of sippy cups with different types of handles, lids and sides. Different styles may be easier or more difficult for your little one to use. Try several types to find the one they love best!
Let them pick the perfect cup.
When introducing these sippy cups to your baby, set them all in front of them and let them pick which one they likes best. If they’re already interested in a certain cup, they may be more likely to enjoy the transition from bottle to sippy cup.
Let them imitate you.
When making the transition from bottle to sippy cup, your baby probably isn't sure what a sippy cup even is. Show them with a sippy cup how they should drink from it and how to hold it. Help them hold it themselves as well. You'll probably have to repeat this step until they get the hang of it.
Fill the sippy cup with milk or a toddler nutritional beverage. Slowly dilute the milk in the bottle with water.
Make sure to fill the sippy cup with something they're used to drinking. Having too many new things introduced at once may be overwhelming for your baby. Start them off with milk or a toddler nutritional beverage in their sippy cup that they already know they like. Then, slowly dilute the milk with water over time so they get used to water.
Remove the bottle from your child's view.
While this tip might seem simple, it's quite useful for the transition from bottle to sippy cup. Keeping the old bottle out of sight will keep reminders of the bottle off their mind for the most part.
Try different beverages.
To entice your little one to try the sippy cup, you can try different beverages like water, toddler nutritional drinks or diluted 100% juice.
Start with one feeding per day.
Begin your transition from bottle to sippy cup with a single use of the sippy cup per day. Start them out slow so they can get used to it.
Transitioning to a sippy cup is a big step for your little one, but these tips will make the switch easier on both of you. Learn more about what other big milestones your baby is headed towards.
