Babies rely on the breast or bottle to get the nutrients that are necessary to their survival, but there comes a time when they need to make the switch from bottle to cup. While milk is good for them, kids who drink too much of it may not want to eat enough solid food, missing out on some important nutrients and excessive bottle drinking is detrimental to healthy teeth and gums.
At the ripe old age of one, a baby has the motor skills to sit up, hold a cup, and drink from it, the bottle is no longer necessary to meet their nutritional needs.
Transitioning a baby from bottle to cup is not as difficult as one might think. Babies as young as 9 months are ready to make the big switch. Below are few tips to making that switch as seamless as possible.
Starting at 6 months, you should introduce your baby to a sippy cup; this will allow him time to get familiar and comfortable with using a cup.
Let babies play with a cup while they're in the tub. They can pour water out of it, drink from it, or even make a mess with it.
You should offer both milk and juice in a cup. If your baby is drinks milk only from the bottle, transitioning to the cup will be more difficult.
If you breastfeed exclusively until baby is 9 to 12 months, avoid introducing the bottle entirely. At this age, babies have the necessary coordination to drink from a cup.
Ideal Baby & Kids has a vast selection of cups in bright colors and favorite characters to make the switch easy and fun.
Posted by Ideal Baby to
Kid Tips