How do I bring this phase to an end?

[Galena]

DD is 23 months and we're moving to using an open cup with her at meal times. She's brilliant with it, and drinks nicely, placing it carefully back down onto the table. After a few times of doing this she'll look at either myself or DH and pour whatever is left in the cup over the table. We say 'No' and clear up at this point (She only has an open cup after she has finished eating).

For a while we moved back to just using a lidded cup with her but she has started doing it again now we've moved back to an open cup. Also, she doesn't drink as much when she's using a lidded cup as when it's open. She doesn't drink much milk anyway (never has done) and only has about 2-300ml in a day. This drops to about 150ml if she only has a lidded cup. Also, if we give her a lidded cup, she's fine for a while and then starts screaming, refuses to eat and starts tugging at the lid.

I know this is a phase, but it's hard to know how best to bring it to an end - I think part of it is wanting attention - if we make a big deal every time she drinks nicely, she is generally ok. However, once we start toning down the reaction, she starts being a pain again. That's why we just say 'No', remove the cup and get her down from the table. But it doesn't seem to be working. Any more ideas?

Personally I'd give a punishment for repeatedly doing this, take a toy away or something. It clearly hasn't worked the other way round of praise for doing it nicely because now that's what she expects. What does she do when you take the drink away? You've finished your meal, she probably wants to get down and so if she tips it over she'll be able to get down.

Difficult one. Ours all had open cups from much younger than that, but they still like to play with food and drink - it's normal. We keep a pile of old terry squares near the table because you always get spillages anyway with four children! But if I were in your position, with a child not yet 2, I think I'd just be ignoring it and wiping it up and expecting that she won't still be bothering to do that in a few months time...in fact, she'll get bored of it far quicker than that if you stop reacting to it. She's just testing things.

And then give her plenty of opportunity to experiment with liquids without too many restrictions at other times.