A baby training cup is more popularly also known as
a sippy cup. It's a cup with a snap on lid and a spout that enables the
child to drink from it without spilling the contents. Parents can choose
among a variety of training cups available in the market either with or
without handles, featuring different kind of spouts. Parents normally
get training cups for their toddlers because it enables a smooth
transition of a kid from bottle feeding to a regular cup.
A training cup also enhances the baby's hand-to-mouth synchronization.
It's when a baby has acquired the ability to handle a cup, but not the
technique to keep the formula from spilling from it that the role of a
training cup comes into the picture. A lot of toddlers begin using the
training cup as early as just five or six months of age, though some of
them take to it much later. So parents should not feel alarmed if a baby
does not show much interest in a training cup initially.
There are, thus, few things parents should do to make their child's
transition from a feeding bottle to a training cup easier. Be extra
careful while buying the very first training cup. The best bet is to
choose a cup with a soft, supple nipplelike spout rather than a hard one
made of plastic. Also demonstrate before your kid how to lift the
training cup to his mouth and tilt it in order to drink.
The most important factor is to have patience and give your baby
adequate time to get used to the training cup. Do not fret if your baby
doesn't use the sippy cup correctly initially, for it makes a fine toy
too! Another thing you can do is to try out several kinds of the baby
training cup until you come across one your kid will like. If you have a
very adventurous child, then look for sippy cups with valves that are
quite effective at keeping the formula from spilling.
Most baby product stores nowadays keep a variety of training cups, which
can make selecting the right one really tricky. However, picking an
authentic 'no-spill training cup' is not very difficult. Just look out
for cups with valve under the spout. Those without one will not stop
spilling effectively. A good toddler training cup will also be
self-righting. It will have a heavy base that will pull the cup straight
every time it tilts, keeping spills to a minimum.
