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Infant feeding

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Original poster

Desperate for help - 2 year old won’t drink out of sippy cups

32 replies

ClaireBear4919 · 08/07/2018 19:33

Hi all,

I really am at the end of my tether with this and could do with some advice.

My son has just turned 2 and will not drink out of anything but bottles. He chews the teats and it costs us a fortune.

I have been trying to get him into a sippy cup for the last 18 months. We have literally spent hundreds of pounds on them and he is not interested in any of them.

I’ve tried drinking from them myself. I’ve tried praising him when he picks them up (which gives the complete opposite effect to him and he won’t go near them again). I’ve tried leaving them round the house. On his high chair. I have also tried going cold turkey (in winter, not in this weather) I lasted til 5pm and he had not drunk a thing. I’ve tried an open cup, and he just spits the fluid out, like he can’t cope with the amount. He sees other children drinking out of them. He just will not do it.

At my wits end with this. Any advice? I am all out of ideas.Sad

OP posts:
BradleyPooper · 08/07/2018 19:34

Does he have a favorite drink? Apple juice etc? Have you tried to put juice in a cup (sippy cup or open cup) and water in a bottle?

Anothergoodday · 08/07/2018 19:36

My son was the same, he never did like the sippy cup. We compromised and moved from baby bottle to sports bottle.

Singlenotsingle · 08/07/2018 19:36

How about using an ordinary straw?

MoMandaS · 08/07/2018 19:37

Munchkin 360? Curly straw in an open cup?

Nofilter · 08/07/2018 19:43

Hello,

My DD happily drinks out of sports cap water bottles and uses straws if I sit down and make a fuss of "let mummy and DD have a juice break" and drink the same. We "cheers" too...

Another game that worked was to say "don't you drink my juice - that's MY juice " works every time!

anotherangel2 · 08/07/2018 19:45

Sports bottle might be more similar to a bottle.
Open cup.
Straw.
Mummy special cup.
Get a tea set and play with it. DD used to drink gallons in the bath.

Timeisslippingaway · 08/07/2018 19:53

Yup I second a straw. Ignore him when he picks them up if praise doesn't seem to work.

mangomama91 · 08/07/2018 19:59

My daughter has a bottle with a straw and a plastic water bottle like children use. She's had them both since around 1 because she wouldn't take a bottle.
She wouldn't drink milk out of them though, she uses a normal child's cup to drink milk.
It does help that she has an older sister that she copies though

Original poster
ClaireBear4919 · 08/07/2018 20:03

Thanks everyone. Tried all these cups. Straws, sports bottles, open cups, 360 ones. Tried literally every one on the market. Some he picks up, but he will not drink out of any of them.

OP posts:
Original poster
ClaireBear4919 · 08/07/2018 20:04

And I would love to use the reverse psychology but none of them actually make it to his lips!

OP posts:
SheldonSaysSo · 08/07/2018 20:08

Does he understand enough if you make a special trip to get a big boys cup? So something with a straw and favourite characters on?

Otherwise I would go cold turkey again (not in this heat!) and offer lots of water rich foods such as cucumber and melon, whilst leaving a drink in whatever cup you choose. Maybe make a huge fuss of someone else. for drinking (a friend or sibling?) and reward them with something he likes?

ParisNext · 08/07/2018 20:09

Have you tried making the hole in the teat bigger every few days with a needle and then something larger? My parents were foster carers and the children we had were often welded to bottles and had not been shown cups. My mum used to do this and eventually the flow would get more fluid and less 'sucky'! You can also eventually go to a straw sports bottle too.

Original poster
ClaireBear4919 · 08/07/2018 20:33

Hi both.

We make a big fuss of big boy cups and show pictures of boys and girls drinking out of them. He wouldn’t be bothered if we went and bought one.

I think we may have to leave it til it cools off and go cold turkey. But I lose my nerve. I don’t want to harm him.

The ends of the teats are all chewed to pieces anyway. The holes are huge. Do you think even cut away at those until they are non existent? I wish I could post you a picture of them.

OP posts:
OhHolyJesus · 08/07/2018 22:36

Sorry I know you said you tried every cup - feel free to ignore but only mentioning as I had no clue until I tried these tiny little cups, as you said it might be something to do with the amount of fluid? I'm sure you've tried already but just an idea of having a teddy bears tea party and the cups are empty and then he can pour real water in there? Might be worth a tried, the teddy bears will dry in minutes in this heat anyway xx

Desperate for help - 2 year old won’t drink out of sippy cups
ParisNext · 09/07/2018 07:50

Hi again, yes I checked with my Mum and she said she used to cut away tiny amounts until the hole was basically a cup! She said to tell you that it's not the teat that the child is attached to but the texture and shape of the cup and the feel in the mouth (and not to worry!). Don't push it! She asked me if your child has a dummy as in the case of our foster children the association of comfort was linked in this way.

Original poster
ClaireBear4919 · 09/07/2018 08:08

Hi!

I have tried similar sized beakers to those cups - but I will definitely have a look. Thank you.

Hi ParisNext...He doesn't have a dummy, but at night he will often suck on an empty bottle for comfort. We have tried to get him on a dummy at night (tried lots of types - including the same make as his teats) and he just has a meltdown and throws them away.

I don't think it helps that we used his bottle to comfort him a lot when he was upset, and this is definitely a lesson leaned on my part. If we have another I won't be doing that again. I am trying not to beat myself up too much - as hindsight is a wonderful thing, especially as a first time mum.

I will try cutting the teat away a little every week, and see what happens. Did your mums foster kids end up just drinking out of an open topped bottle with the ring on?

OP posts:
fuzzyfozzy · 09/07/2018 08:33

Does he drink juice? If so I'd put juice in a cup and water in his bottle, then he can choose.

ParisNext · 09/07/2018 09:29

Ah yes that all makes sense but goodness don't worry about it. I know from my 2 that if it's not one thing it's another! I have bad sleepers who I sit with to go to sleep and I know I've made a rod for my back but I'm not good with being too hard! So just don't fight it, let him keep the bottle and yes eventually they ended up with a bottle and a wide rubbery rim!! She says it was the chewy texture of the rubber that they seemed to like so eventually moved to a sports bottle that you bite to let the water out. Good luck! And honestly choose your battles so just work on getting rid of the teat slowly and don't worry about the bottle.

MaverickSnoopy · 09/07/2018 09:46

My first was like this and one day it just clicked. It's so annoying when people say that because it doesn't really help you! We kept trying different cups and eventually found one which she loved. It was a tall cup with non spill straw. We used to have to send it in to nursery because she wouldn't drink out of anything else. Also tried the "well just offer the beaker and eventually she'll give in" advice. She didn't.

Have you tried a doidy cup? My second loved hers. I also got her used to cups by letting her drink her milk from her cereal bowl at breakfast time. She became so used to it that by 1.5 she was drinking out of a regular cup. Might that be worth a try? A bit of a trick as he might not realise that he's learning to drink out of something that's not a bottle iyswim.

CanaBanana · 09/07/2018 09:51

What about a doidy cup?

TeddyIsaHe · 09/07/2018 17:10

Oh bless you, you haven’t done anything wrong in comforting with a bottle! Don’t feel guilty. Toddlers are just difficult sometimes, it’s nothing you’ve done.

I would put something really nice in a cup - smoothie? And just leave him to it, it might get messy, but he may be interested enough to give it a go? Especially if you completely ignore it and make no fuss. He might surprise you!

Oliphantintheroom · 09/07/2018 17:18

Not really helpful but my friends son still has his bottle as comfort and he’s in reception, but she won’t put anything to drink in there, so he has it at bedtime and has the teat and the feel of the bottle as a comfort but she uses a Nike sports bottle (sports direct) or a lucozade sports top bottle for actual drinks

wiltingfast · 09/07/2018 17:28

Personally, not sure it matters, he will stop eventually! I'd suggest you stop commenting on it completely. Don't react, don't huff, don't praise. Put whatever it is on the table and talk about something else.

You have to be very persistent with this method. VERY PERSISTENT!

You'd be amazed how much they feed off your own reactions. You can create an escalating stand off without ever meaning to.

Original poster
ClaireBear4919 · 09/07/2018 20:21

Done the water/juice thing. He would rather have the water out of the bottle.

I have no idea what a doidy cup is but I will look it up.

It matters because it’s costing us a fortune in teats. He literally goes through a £12 pack in three weeks!

OP posts:
itstheyearzero · 09/07/2018 20:25

I have a dokey cup that you can have if you want to give one a go? DS is 9 now and strangely enough doesn't need it any more!Grin

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