Baby drinkers: how to choose and what you need to know

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

By the time the child begins to sit, he shows more and more independence. The desire for self-service parents should not only approve, but also encourage in every possible way. The sooner the mother allows the child to make the first mistakes, the sooner he will overcome difficulties and learn many things. One of the first skills that does not require special skills, and which is the easiest to learn, is the ability to drink on your own. An intermediate option helps to go from a bottle with a nipple to a cup - a variety of baby drinkers.

What are drinking cups?

Specialized stores for children's goods offer parents a huge number of accessories and items that greatly facilitate the care of babies. Children's drinkers are rightfully at the top of the list of the most popular purchases that mothers make for their babies. They come in different types: their prices, models differand a mechanism to help avoid little problems.

Such an acquisition will be useful not only for a child, because a non-spill mug helps him drink on his own. Its use significantly reduces the risk of flooding everything around with water or compote, which cannot but please any mother. What are the main types of drinkers? This is:

• mug bottles with a spout;
• bottles with silicone straws.

Sippy cup or non-spill cup?

The purpose of any such accessory is to avoid spilling liquid when the child drinks, but the principle of operation in these two subspecies is somewhat different. A children's drinking cup with a straw suggests that the child needs to be able to draw liquid through a straw. Not every baby will be able to quickly understand what exactly needs to be done so that the liquid gets into his mouth. In addition, often there are no handles in such drinkers, and they have a rather large volume, which does not allow a child up to a year to freely hold it in his hands. But what is a disadvantage for a tiny baby is a clear advantage for an older child, because such children's drinkers do not need to be turned over. The child drinks more liquid, which means that there is no need to constantly pour it into the mug. The most popular manufacturers of such bottles are: Tommee Tippee, Happy Baby, Next, Pigeon.

Spill-proof mug with a spout can be with or without a protective valve. Most drinkers are equipped with handles and a protective cap that covers the spout from falling on it of variousbacteria. In addition, there are models made of special plastic that prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria, which allows compote or juice not to deteriorate in the container for quite a long time (Canpol). Understanding that children often gnaw on the spout of the bottle, and this makes the cup unusable, manufacturers offer customers interchangeable nozzles (Avent, Pigeon, World of Childhood).

At what age does a child need a cup?

There are many different types of accessories on the market, among which there are models for the youngest children. They can be used from birth. These bottles have a comfortable shape and a soft silicone nozzle, thanks to which parents can give water to their child. Non-spill mugs with a spout and handles are preferable to offer to children from six months, but those with a straw - after a year.

When choosing, it is very important to take into account how much the baby knows how to control his movements, and also whether the bottle fits comfortably in his hand.

There is no limit to the age at which a child will need a cup. You can take a bottle with a straw with you for a walk, even when your offspring is 3-4 years old, because it is convenient, hygienic and practical.

What should I consider when choosing?

When choosing a drinker for a baby, parents should be guided by the individual characteristics of the child. It happens that he does not like this or that model, and he has to try several types in order to find the best option. After all, all children are different, they have preferencesmay vary, and parents should take them into account when choosing children's drinkers. The reviews of many parents indicate that very small crumbs do not perceive a mug with a valve very well - to drink, the baby needs to make a lot of effort. If he is not yet strong enough (due to his age), it is worth postponing the use of such a model for a couple of months.

General recommendations for cup selection:

• It must be made of BPA-free plastic to ensure its safety.
• The size of the bottle should correspond to the age of the baby - he simply cannot hold it in his hand if it is too large and heavy.
• It is advisable to choose a model without excessive bends and perforations, otherwise it will be difficult to wash the cup.
• The spout or straw should be moderately hard - the child will easily gnaw through soft material.

How to teach a child to a cup?

Children's cups with a spout help your baby learn to turn the bottle over, stimulating him to quickly learn to drink from a regular cup. Of course, you can do without a drinker, our mothers and grandmothers are excellent proof of this. Perhaps his absence will even teach the child to drink from an ordinary mug faster, but are the extra nerves due to sticky stains and dirty clothes and endless washing worth it?