What to drink out of?

[15milner]

Andrew is 2, but he doesn't drink that much.  I've tried different methods.

Open cup - he takes  couple of sips and then thinks it's playtime - the contents get tipped over the food / table or he then puts his hands in and waves them about getting everyone wet and he thinks its a great game.  Cup gets taken away.

Lidded beaker with free-flow spout - takes a few sips then decides its better to tip the cup upside down and leak drink everywhere.  cup gets taken away as he tips it over the sofa / table / his feet if drinking outside

Cup with a valve.  doesn't drink.  or if, like today, he took a couple of sips then decides its much more fun to take a mouthful of milk and then spit it out over the floor.  Cup gets taken away and tell him that if he's finished then put the cup down.

Sport topped bottle  you can guess!

The only think I know that he will drink a fair amount from would be a carton of juice or fruitshoot (but I only buy them if I absolutely have to - ie holidays etc since it contains aspartame),.  But not a cup with a straw in as the straw gets waved about or he blows bubbles.

DH's idea is to just fill the fruit shoot bottle with water... andrew's not daft - he knows I've switched it.

On Friday, Mum got him to drink out of a dolly's cup, except he wanted to pour out the milk from the 4pt container, so mum poured it into a smaller jug..not good enough, Andrew gets down and asks for 'more' from the largest pyrex jug he can get out of the cupboard.

Any suggestions?  This has been going on for weeks and its driving me insane!!

Alex

[1sttimemamma]

Do you think it's becoming a sort of "battle" or a game. I wonder if it might be easier to stick to a cup with a valve and set up rules about it. Like, say "Milk is for drinking" and if he can't follow that rule, the cup goes "bye bye" until next meal?? As soon as he does it - take it away?

Also - I do believe kids eat/drink when they need it.

[Johno & Aurelias Mum]

Hi

I'm not sure what the answer is, I just wanted to say that neither of my two have ever managed the valve cups, they just don't have a strong enough suck!  Aurelia loves playing with water and cups and stuff and does most of those things you describe !  So, she has an open cup at meal times with a little water or milk only which gets topped up when she's finished.  At other times she has the sports bottles with water in.  She chose a Peppa pig one which she will guard with her life 

Then I just give her loads of opportunity to play with water where the mess is under control - out in the garden, washing up, mopping the deck and things like that.

[~inbalance~]

Just a thought, what if you took him to the store and let him pick out a cup?  He might feel it's really special and then want to drink out of it!