Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages
  3. Evergreens

Tips to transition your toddler from a bottle to a sippy cup

By

The joy of every parent is to see their little ones grow and achieve new feats. Each milestone comes with a period of transition, however, and the eating and drinking habits are no different. As your child gets older, you’ll need to transition your toddler from a bottle to a sippy cup. At times, you might struggle to break the bond between your toddler and their ever-favorite bottle. Nonetheless, we have provided some important reasons for this switch over to a toddler sippy cup along with helpful tips to make the transition easier.

Why do you need to transition your toddler from a bottle to a sippy cup

Many pediatricians recommend that you take your toddler off the bottle before they reach 18 months old. There are several health-related reasons why you should switch your toddler from a bottle to a sippy cup including:

  • A link between long-term usage of a bottle and obesity.
  • Tooth decay brought on from prolonged exposure to the sugar in milk.
  • Ear Infections caused by bacterial growth that originates in the esophagus and travels up to the eustachian tube while your baby is laying down and taking a bottle.
  • A crooked smile from the sucking action
Recommended Videos

As you can see, the transition proves to be quite necessary. However, the process might not be so difficult with a little bit of perseverance and patience.

little girl drinking from a sippy cup in a highchair
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tips for incorporating the toddler sippy cup

The transition to the toddler sippy cup looks a bit different for every child. For some, the change in containers doesn’t pose any problems. For others, the switch from the bottle, especially at night, poses a challenge. So here are some tips for you to try as your toddler phases out the bottle and starts using the sippy cup.

Start early with milk

You can start the toddler sippy cup transition as early as when you introduce solid foods right around 6 to 9 months. Since some children start drinking other liquids at this age, you can introduce the sippy cup with water. However, breastmilk or formula might work best for this transition because of the child’s familiarity with those liquids. Plus, babies often associate those liquids with comfort, so commencing with those options—as opposed to a whole new substance and flavor—would make the change go more smoothly.

Also, don’t get discouraged if your child takes just a few sips and then pushes the cup away. The experience is entirely new for your toddler. Therefore, time and patience are most important.

Fast or gradual: choose the best route

Should you wean your child from the bottle slowly or go “cold turkey?” While you are getting ready to transition your toddler from a bottle to a sippy cup, consider staying with one option or the other. If you wean a younger toddler or baby, you won’t rush the process. Rather, you’ll advance slowly by taking out the afternoon bottle and replacing it with a sippy cup. As your toddler progresses, you can replace the morning bottle with the cup as well. Lastly, the key to making this process work is to make sure the night-time bottle is the last one to go.

Conversely, the cold turkey method proves to be the fastest but often the most difficult. This might be why this option would work best for toddlers as opposed to 6-month-old babies. If your child is old enough to understand, you’ll start by explaining that they’re on their last day of using bottles, and tomorrow, he or she will now use a sippy cup for the same milk that’s been provided all along. However, if you’re still not ready for the “all or nothing” approach, you can offer your toddler water in a bottle or milk in the cup as a choice. When this occurs, they’ll gravitate toward milk more often.

Little boy wearing a blue towel and drinking from a sippy cup
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Make the sippy cup appealing

Likewise, talking up the possibility of using a “big kid” cup goes a long way leading up to the transition. When you explain what is about to happen and how the toddler sippy cup eventually leads to using a regular cup or glass like the grown-ups (or older siblings), your child will become more excited about this milestone. You can also give them a lot of encouragement and cheer them on each time they use the sippy cup.

In addition to the verbal perks, you can also choose a cup that has their favorite character on it or their favorite animal. A pleasing visual might encourage your toddler to adopt this container as his or her favorite cup.

Finally, you’ll need to make the cup as user-friendly as possible. By removing the valve that prevents spills, you’ll also make it easier for your child to get a drink. Nothing can turn off a toddler more than the frustration from not being able to take a sip.

The last and probably most vital tip to remember is consistency. The important factor of a successful transition is to follow through with the process. If you remain consistent even when the transition to a toddler sippy cup seems tough, you and your little one will reap the benefits of going bottle-free. Over time, you’ll transition your toddler from a bottle to a sippy cup while promoting your child’s confidence and enjoyment at meal and snack times.

Topics
Is your newborn eating too much? What to know about overfeeding
Cues to watch out for to let you know if you're overfeeding a newborn
Mother holding baby in nursery

Every parent knows the excitement and anxiety that comes when it's time to bring their baby home from the hospital for the first time. Besides the sleep schedule, many new parents may be worried about whether their infant is getting enough to eat. But is going the other direction something parents should also worry about? Is there such a thing as overfeeding a newborn? The short answer is yes. Overfeeding a newborn is a possibility, but it doesn't happen often.

Every newborn has differences in appetite where one might drink a bottle or breastfeed longer than another. Before you stress, don't worry. There are signs to be on the lookout for when it comes to giving your little one too much food. Whether it's your first or third child, if you are concerned about overfeeding your newborn, we have the information you need to know.
Why overfeeding a newborn is something you don't want to do

Read more
Recognizing early autism signs in toddlers: 6 things to know
Which toddler behaviors are quirky and which are red flags for autism?
Toddler boys playing a party game

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that about 1 in every 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder. If your child is on the spectrum, the initial diagnosis can be upsetting, but early intervention following a diagnosis is vital. The early signs of autism in toddlers, though, can be easy to overlook. If you have a child you think might be on the spectrum, it's best to know the early signs as your toddler develops.

There is a long list of possible signs as the autism spectrum is wide and diverse. One sign may appear in one child, but not in another. Certain early signs of autism are more common than others, which is why knowing the red flags is important. The earlier a child receives a diagnosis, the better the support system will be for them.
Understanding autism

Read more
Can you use a heating pad while pregnant? Here’s what you should know
Heat pads and pregnancy work together, just follow some precautions
Pregnant woman using heating pad hot water bottle

Pregnancy is an exciting time filled with awe and wonder, but it's also painful and uncomfortable. Experiencing all. the changes your body goes through as your baby grows is magical, but it's also kind of a pain. As pregnancy progresses throughout the trimesters, so, too, does the discomfort. From backaches to sore feet and sciatica to insomnia, pregnancy can be very hard on a person's body.
Often, a heating pad can provide some much-needed relief from those pregnancy-induced aches and pains, but many wonder if it's safe to use a heating pads while pregnant. Using heating pads during pregnancy can be an understandable concern.
Despite the relief they may give, many pregnant people are hesitant to use them out of fear the heat they produce may harm their baby. Fortunately, using a heating pad while pregnant can be very safe as long as you do so carefully and take proper precautions.

Why would you need a heating pad?

Read more