A good way to teach a baby to drink from a glass would be to introduce a sippy cup. However, for a baby who has been exclusively breast or bottle-feeding, learning to drink from a sippy cup may be a big step forward.
It is important that you accustom your child to accept a sippy cup gently and gradually. With a little time and patience, your baby might actually start enjoying the independence that comes with drinking from a cup. Teaching your baby to drink from a sippy cup is also a first step to introducing solid food.
Follow these steps to wean your baby:
- Start by giving your baby a sippy cup with a spout. One that is made of plastic will be less likely to break if it falls. While many babies are more comfortable with cups that have handles, others prefer them without.
- Fill the cup with a little water. Putting this to your child’s lips, allow a little water to flow into the mouth. Give your baby a little time to swallow this.
- Initially do not try to get your baby to accept more than a few sips at a time.
- Once your baby gets the knack of it, you may introduce other beverages such as milk or fruit juice.
- You may eventually replace your child’s midday feed with a small snack, including a drink from the cup.
I started with one of those throw away sippy cups – they allow the liquid to come out in small amounts. This way they start to realize whaht is in it. My son learned after a few tries. Then came the real sippy cup. It took a little longer, but he’s getting the hang of it. He still hasn’t figured out how to bring it to his lips and to drink from it by himself, we still have to hold it – but he’s getting better!
This is a terrible how-to. Sippy cups don’t just pour liquid. The baby has to suck on the spout to get anything out and have tried multiple brands and styles. How do you get them to suck on it?? Our 9 month old boy will take sips from an open cup with help but no luck with sippy cups yet. Thanks.