new water feature - baby and beaker

[Matsikula]

Anyone have some handy hints on getting babies drinking from a beaker? My son is 7 months, and so far pretty much exclusively breast-fed. Mostly because I was far too lazy to bother with expressing, sterilising etc.

However, I now want to start to cut back gradually on breast feeding, partly to make things less traumatic when I go back to work.

We'd tried loads with a bottle, with very little success (he'd play with the teat in his mouth for a bit, and then just start pushing it away). We had a bit more luck with a beaker to begin with, but now the baby has discovered that he can suck liquids in, and then spurt them out in an amusing way. It is like having breakfast with a gargoyle.

Will he gradually get the hang of it as he gets older, or should I get tougher and just leave the two boys to their own devices for the whole day?

Junior is going great guns with his solids, by the way, so I don't think he'll starve. I am worried about dehydration though.

DD used to just enjoy tipping hers up over the side of the high chair
She;s almost nine months now, and daintily takes sips between mouthfuls of food so they do get there
If you're worried about dehydration then give cucumber, yoghurt, fruit etc. When do you fo back to work?

Not till October, so there's plenty of time for him to acquire your daughter's table manners. I am just planning ahead as I think weaning him off the boob gradually will be less traumatic for us both.

He does like yoghurt, and cottage cheese. Maybe we should start going out with a stash of cucumber sticks as well as the cup. I can always eat them if he doesn't.