Every baby is different. That’s one phrase in parenting, like “sleep when the baby sleeps,” that you will hear time and time again. But unlike sleeping when the baby sleeps (because we all know how the stars actually align and that can happen), every baby truly is different. My husband and I thought we found a golden ticket with how easily Ivy took a bottle and a pacifier. Yes, she was introduced to both very young, especially since I started pumping from the very beginning (more on that later). She had her favorite pacifiers, sure, but she took pretty much every single one that we gave her. We felt invincible. But like Icarus, we flew too close to the sun, and then we fell hard when we introduced sippy cups.
Much like pacifiers and bottles, babies can be picky as hell about their cups. On top of that, did you know it’s better to introduce two types of cup, one for water, and one for milk, so they can tell the difference in what you’re giving to them? That limits your options even further for a sippy-picky BB. If your baby/toddler (or boddler) is having a hard time with one sippy, try and try again. To make you feel less alone, here’s our journey into sippy-dom.
The Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup was one of the very first we tried. I loved how easily Ivy took to it, but didn’t love that there are no measurements on the outside of the cup, so I would have to pre-measure any milk that I added to it. Also, she only liked drinking water from it; milk wouldn’t do. This one has minimal leakage, unless your sweet baby angel chucks it on the floor at just the right angle. Which they will. Ivy: 5/10 water only. Mommy: 5/10 water only.
Next, we tried Honey Bear Straw Cups. When I opened the package from Amazon, my husband literally said, “did you buy an old honey bottle that someone threw a straw in?” Well, yes. But also, no. This design is actively recommended by occupational and speech therapists for babies who have trouble drinking liquids, so it’s legit. Ivy took to the straw really easily, and all I had to do was (gently) squeeze some water up the straw until she got the idea to do it on her own. It’s also very spill-resistant, and I can throw it in a diaper bag without worrying about leakage. Because I like to make things harder for myself, I decided I wanted this to be her water vessel, since it’s clear and she would know what to expect. I was so excited about this that I kept bottle-feeding Ivy milk, giving her water in the honey bear, and promptly forgot about the 360 cup. Go, me. Ivy: 10/10. Mommy: 10/10.
The Nuk Learner Cup was a referral from some of my most trusted internet mom-friends, but it makes my daughter melt down every time I try to give it to her. I tried modeling, I tried sneaking it in when she was hungry, switching a bottle with it mid-feed, but none of it worked. She melted into a screaming, crying mess every single time. So the final answer on that one is some babies love it, mine thought it was murder. “Every kid is different,” am I right? That being said, don’t rule this one out just because my little one didn’t like it. Ivy: 0/10 will melt down. Mommy: 0/10 will get screamed at.
The Munchkin Click Lock Weighted Straw Cup (say that ten times fast) came in clutch when we started to get desperate: Ivy was going back to daycare, into a class where THEY DON’T BOTTLE FEED. I needed something that worked, and I needed it fast. Luckily, this cup ticked most of my boxes: a clear cup so Ivy could see it was milk, a straw so she already knew how to use it, and it is widely advertised as “spill proof.” Perfect, right? WRONG. Spill proof and leak proof are two different things. If you fill it up right then for lunch or snack time, everything is fine and dandy. But if you allow it to sit out a bit, even in a cooler, the temperature of the milk changes, and (SCIENCE) the milk travels up the straw and pools in the bottom of the cooler that you so rigorously researched to make sure it would have all the bells and whistles and also fit everything your kid needs for a day at school (this is the cooler, by the way, and I’ll share more on that in a later post). So while the cup worked super well for at-home use, it’s not quite there for a setting where it won’t be consumed immediately. Unless you like leaks. Ivy: 10/10. Mommy: 7/10.
Finally, the ezpz Tiny Cup deserves a mention. It’s not great for any situation like daycare or a universe where you want to have five minutes of peace while your kids eats, but it’s a great way to teach your kid independence and how to drink and manipulate a more “big kid” cup. I also love that it’s silicone and designed in the USA by a pediatric feeding specialist. Bonus: if your kid dumps out the water and plays with it on their high chair tray, it’s almost like they’re cleaning that tray for you, right? Right, guys?
To wrap everything up and tally the final score, we regularly use the Honey Bear for water, and the 360 Cup for milk. “Wait, what,” you say? After our frustrations with the weighted straw cup, I dragged my sorry butt back to the 360 and fell in love with it again. Milk in the 360 isn’t Ivy’s favorite, but she’ll drink it, and that’s good enough for me.
What about you? What were your sippy cup trials like?
My Darling Evergreen 