Teaching drinking from an open cup

[VinegarDrinker]

DS has just turned 2 and started at a new nursery where they all drink from open cups. At home he has a beaker or straw type cup, we just hadn't thought to transition him.

But we need to teach him soonish as he just holds it up and laps like a kitten, hardly actually getting anything out! He puts his tongue above of the rim. How can we teach him to put his tongue underneath so he isn't going a whole day with minimal fluid intake?

Thanks in advance

[insancerre]

Give him a cup with 2 handles and just put a little bit in the bottom. He will have to tip it up and drink it if he is to get any of it in his mouth.
Don't worry about him spilling it at first- it's all part of the learning process

[VinegarDrinker]

Thanks. He does tip it, but then just 'licks' it (like a puppy or kitten) so hardly gets any out!

[jenduck]

We are going through this, too with DS2 (23mo). I just give him a small plastic beaker, no handles, with less than an inch of water in it. Then I refill that from a jug as required.

I think the only way to do it is trial & error, they will learn well enough when they're thirsty! That said, when I offer apple juice or milk, I do that in a sippy cup, because it would be a lot stickier when spilt!

Alternatively, if your DS can use a straw, see if nursery will give him a straw to drink with (my DS can't seem to use a straw )

[DeWe]

I always gave mine a cup to play with in the bath from when they first started playing in the bath. They all taught themselves with a lot of fun and it didn't matter if it all went down them!

[MoelFammau]

Same here, DD has been drinking the bath water since she was 1.

[philosikos]

We never used anything but an open cup with our DD, more out of laziness than sense. But we did use, from about 6mo onwards, a dripless, double handled cup. I wish I could remember where we got it from, but it was brilliant - will do some googling to try and find it. It worked by having one side of the rim higher that the other, which gave her better control when tilting it. As everyone else suggests, start with just a small amount of liquid, and perhaps tilt it for him from underneath while he holds the handles. He'll soon get the hang.

[philosikos]

Found it - it's called a `doidy cup' and Mothercae has 'em:
www.mothercare.com/Bickiepegs-Doidy-Cup/431448,default,pd.html

[VinegarDrinker]

Thanks. We have tried normal cups and doidy cups, on and off since he was a year or so, he doesn't spill a drop and tips it up appropriately just can't seem to grasp that you aren't meant to just lap at it with your tongue!

[philosikos]

Oh I see. Sorry. I think that probably you aren't going to be able to teach him where to put his tongue. In that case, I think jenduck has the right idea with the straw (assuming he can use a straw) or even a closed cup - I can't imagine the nursery objecting to him using it for a while. I think he'll soon want to pick up the technique from his peers when he sees them all doing it without a lid/straw, and also without lapping.