From bottle to Cup?. advice Please.

[WazzaWoo]

Please can i have some advice. My DD is 12 months old and I have heard that I should be replacing her bottles (she only has one in the morning and one before bed) with a cup.
When they say "cup" what "cup" is the best, I have a training bottle and a normal sippy cup, should I be using something different? I must mention that she doesnt drink alot of water out of her sippy cut, spits more out than what goes in but I have been told that will get better!!
Would love your views as I am feeling a little clueless and would like it to go as smoothly as possible!
TIA smile

Mine, and most of the babies I know, haven't really been ready to use a cup at 12 months to be honest so don't feel a big pressure (like I did!) to change just because you think you should, do it in your own time.

I think the idea is that if a child keeps drinking juice/milk from bottles, particularly before bed, that it will raise the chances of tooth decay. Because mine really couldn't manage a cup well I gave them water from a free flowing lidded beaker (like this ) rather than a no-spill type beaker. I don't really let them have juice, I think water is better.

Milk they still have out of a soft spouted toddler beaker (like this before bed and first thing but then always had their teeth brushed after the it.
As their motor skills go better my eldest has moved to a un-lidded cup in her own time.

There is no generic rule. You alone know what your child can manage. Most kids can manage to drink out of a sippy cup or beaker by 12 months. Others with less motor development, cannot. But they shouldn't be forced, or this will stress them out and make them less likely to try the next time.

I've had 3 kids. It does get better. Keep giving her water until she gets accustomed to it. You don't want a child who refuses water when she gets older. It would be a problem then.

The bottle should be phased out bit by bit. Keep the bedtime one (for now) because I suspect it's routine. However, replace the morning one with a no-leak sippy cup. She can sit up to drink this. Later when she's used to this, give her a normal plastic cup to drink out of while she's having breakfast. This will become a new routine and she won't expect the bottle after a while. Once this is sorted, go for the night time bottle and replace altogether. Why not try to give her a cup at bedtime and see what happens. Tell her she can have a night time drink like mummy and sit with her. Drink out of your cup and give her hers. She may copy you.

I suspect she's already ready for a change. The only way to know this is to try it. She may not even notice.