Fess up, do you have a thing about sippy cups and older toddlers/preschoolers? - Page 2

[Jennyfur]

We all use tip-free tumblers aka "sippy cups." My 13-year-olds have "sippy" cups (tall plastic cups with lids that snap shut) that they use for water at bedtime. We all know how to drink out of regular cups/glasses & do so for mealtimes, but otherwise, it's just neater to have something with a lid. My DH has tons of snap-shut bottles for carrying around his coffee.

[LaughingHyena]

I'm not a big fan for my own children though we have some and do use them. I prefer to use sports bottles or the straw type cups where the child is drinking larger mouthfuls rather than constantly sipping.

What irks me is people giving little ones sticky juice or milk in a sippy to carry round constantly in places where eating/drinking is not appropriate (eg the library) they are NOT totaly leak proof and DO make a mess.

Actually it bugs me at playgroup too, I know little ones need drinks but I wish parents could just sit down with them while they have a drink then put it away. We always put the toys away before snack time yet still I have to clean juice and milk off them each week. With milk you certainly know when you open the cupboard the following week that you've missed it. I keep asking in our newsletter for children not to be running round with drinks but "it's OK, it's a leek proof cup" Arrggggg. OK rant over, I think I hate them more than I thought

[onlyzombiecat]

I don't really care if other people let their kids use them no matter the age. It's just a cup with a lid.
I like kids not spilling stuff. I'm not sure why kids need to wander around with a cup of any kind in the library though.
My dd graduated to a regular cup early I guess. I always hated trying to clean sippy cups.

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by onlyzombiecat

I'm not sure why kids need to wander around with a cup of any kind in the library though.
.

yeah that.

I voted who cares. If the place is appropriate for drinking, I don't care what other people's kids drink from. But I don't think a library is an appropriate place for a drink. I kept a thermos of water for drinking outside, or introduced dd to the water fountain

[mmace]

I'm another lazy parent that still gives my four year old a sippy cup. I'm a single mom with three kids, so anything that makes dinner time with my family easier is okay by me.

[MommytoTwo]

I didnt vote because I think they are fine for 2 yr olds...once they hit 3 I try to start getting them away from them but not always...By 4 I want them gone. This is for my kids, I am not bothered by other peoples kids having them

[marybethorama]

I voted "who cares"

but I love my coffee and heck I use a sippy bottle for my water when I exercise.

doesn't bother me one bit.

Would it be okay if they were those expensive aluminum water bottles?

[marybethorama]

Originally Posted by LaughingHyena

I
What irks me is people giving little ones sticky juice or milk in a sippy to carry round constantly in places where eating/drinking is not appropriate (eg the library) they are NOT totaly leak proof and DO make a mess.

I said they're fine with me but I do agree about carrying them around. I was thinking more of the cup being put away most of the time.

Personally I never used them much because I was too cheap to buy them

[DandeCobb]

my son drinks from a sippy outside of meal times (when he gets a cup in his highchair) he doesn't carry it around like a lovey though. and i HATE when people allow their kids to lug one around public places like the library storytime and kindermusik. becasue my son decides he wants their sippy cups more than anything else in the world and we frequently end up leaving early b/c he throws a fit when he can't have another kid's sippy cup. I have tried taking him ina corner and giving him a sip from his own cup, safely tucked in the bottom of the diaper bag, but no he wants the other kid's cups.

it has really ruined alot of fun experiences for us. :

[loriforeman]

i can't tell you how many times people have walked up and asked why my four-year-old was drinking out of a sippy cup. strangers would look at me in disgust...

um, cause she didn't have a choice? cause she has moderate/severe dysphagia and will aspirate without?

i think i hate the things. i hate having to ALWAYS deal with them...clean them, fill them, find them...gah.

[captain crunchy]

I voted "who cares"

It is just a cup with a lid. DD knows how to drink out of a cup/glass --- but she is very *creative* -- drinks are like another artistic medium to her and I have better things to do that follow her around all day supervising her drinking.

I think the other poster was on to something -- if these people were carrying kleen kanteens or sigg bottles all crunchy approved and stainless steel (or whatever) no one would probably think anything

[Yooper]

My 4 yo uses them. She drinks out of a cup most of the time but we do have a sippy of water in her bed and we also use them occasionally for car trips. We never put anything but water in them though. And that is because not only am I too "lazy" to "supervise" my kid but also too "lazy" to wash rotted crud out of sippy cups

[marybethorama]

Originally Posted by loriforeman

i can't tell you how many times people have walked up and asked why my four-year-old was drinking out of a sippy cup. strangers would look at me in disgust....

Aw heck, my oldest was really big/tall for his age (though with a baby face) and he drank from a bottle until he was 5. He didn't carry it everywhere but he had it at home and often in the car (for long trips).

Like I said "Who cares!"

[Jenlaana]

Personally, I think its amazing how much people care about other people's parenting... but hey... since the thread is here I'll give it a go.

I dont care what other people do with their kids or if they give their kids bottles and sippy cups until they're 18. I don't see it as LAZY. I see it as doing whats right for your family. In fact, I see removing a bottle from the equasion too early as a bigger deal than removing a bottle or cup too late as an issue. Why does it matter to you at what age someone else "takes away" their child's comfort item?

For MY family, the only time I ever had a problem with sippy cups was when my parents insisted that my at the time 10 yr old son use a sippy cup when we visited them, even though he was sitting at the kitchen table. (and not the straw kind but an actual hard plastic/mechanism inside/suck to drink sippy cup)

We weaned DD from a bottle to a sippy cup at about 18 mos because our new cat ate all of the nipples and she didnt freak out about using the cup over the bottle. If she was upset, she would still have one. Its ok to BF way past infancy but bottles and toddlers are evil? please... We use a sippy cup all the time at home and in the car, and anywhere else out in public we generally use a cup with a straw and only in appropriate situations. When I'm comfortable that DD wont spill her drink all over the place and I don't feel like she needs to have a drink constantly available to her, we'll give her normal cups and stop using sippys. Having multiple kids and a very full day, I would much rather give her a sippy and know she is not thirsty than have to stare at her all day long freaked out that she will spill something. Its not about neglect or laziness. Its about there being more important things to do (like encourage her independence).

IMO drinking in the library/in front of other kids who don't have drinks is more of an issue of respect than of liking or not liking sippy cups.

[loraxc]

We never go anywhere without two full sippy cups of water in our bag. It's HOT here. DD is in touch with her thirst and asks for water often. No way would I force her to wait till we could get to a water fountain, or, even worse, have to buy a disposable water bottle or cup.

At home, she drinks with real cups at the table, but has a sippy by her bed at night.

It really doesn't bother me, although I don't think kids should be toting around a cup of juice or soda or milk all the time.

And I bring my own "sippy" of coffee to work every day!

[elmh23]

We use a sippy with my almost 3 year old when we're in a place where we don't want her spilling, like Church, the library and the car. She drinks from a regular cup at home and at friends houses.

I don't see what the big deal is and maybe you shouldn't judge others without knowing the whole story. My daughter loves water and needs to drink a lot of it so we take it with us via the sippy.

[lovesdaffodils]

I've never heard anyone make a big deal of this before.

My son is 3 and still drinks from sippy cups. We only have the straw kind (he never took to a regular sippy). So we have the regular flip-top straw sippies, the "take and toss" brand which are a cup with a lid and a straw through it, and the mugs where the handle is a straw. He is perfectly capable of drinking from a regular cup (either with or without a straw), but he also is perfectly capable of dumping the entire thing out because it's fun. So as long as he doesn't mind the sippies and it creates less mess, we'll keep using them.

[hvl25]

my 5.5 yo still has one left that she uses regularly. i would rather that then milk spilled on my couch or carpet. there are only hard floors in two rooms, the kitchen and bathrooms. the dining table is over carpet. we have had numerous spills on the table that ended on the floor. she drinks out of a regular cup at mealtime. if she is going to be running around the house playing, she gets the cup with a top. i don't think its a big deal. : let me know when you get to this age and if you still think the same.

also, my almost 9yo will occasionally take a cup upstairs with him with water in it. he will take a cup with a top. i think i still have one of the toss ones. i'd rather that then him dumping it on his bed. they usually only take water to bed when they aren't feeling well. also, we have 4 cats who would drink out of the cup if it didn't have a top in the middle of the night

[Momma Aimee]

i carry a water bottle around with a sports top -- all the time -- all the time -- so what is the differnce?

come on -- even a 4 or 5 year old who can be trusted with a open cup at the dinning room table can not be giving anything open int he car or at the park -- i can not be trusted with anything open top int he car or at the park at 35

let's be realistic ....

AImee

[mama_b]

It doesn't bother me at all. My dd is 2.5 and she has to use a sippy. She is ornery and will dump any open cup that she gets her hands on. Even if I'm standing right there. She is perfectly capable of drinking out of a regular cup, but I would much rather her use a sippy than clean up water and milk off the carpet all day long.