QOD: I’m transitioning my child from breast/bottle to cup. What type of cup should I use?
As your child approaches 12 months old, it’s recommended to start introducing cup drinking. An open cup is a good choice, but if you’re not up to the messes that it will likely create, it’s a good idea to opt for a straw cup over a sippy cup.
When drinking from a sippy cup, children still have to suckle the same way they would a bottle, with the tongue protruding forward. Speech-language pathologists often think that this can contribute to speech issues. That’s not to say that every child who uses a sippy cup will develop a speech problem, but why not try to avoid any potential issues to begin with?
Straw cups with a short thin straw are a good alternative because they force the tongue to move backwards rather than forward, ultimately promoting the proper tongue placement for correct speech.
Reviewed by Dr. Sara Connolly, December 2018
Sounds like a good idea! I’d also like to try a cup when my daughter is a year. I don’t even know how to start that though- just hold a cup with a small amount of liquid up to her mouth and hope for the best?? lol