Lizzie
I have just been reading 'TBW Sayp' page 131-2 about Trainer cups. Tracy's says:
Trainer Cups: I’m a Big Kid Now!
Around the time you start thinking about introducing solid food, you should also think about getting your child used to a trainer cup, so that he can make the transition from sucking his liquids down through a nipple to drinking like the big kids. It too, is part of allowing your child to grow up, to go from being fed to eating on his own. As I mentioned earlier, some breastfeeding mums go straight from breast to trainer cup. Others introduce a bottle early on, or later and also give their children a trainer cup at the same time.
When a mother says to me, “I just can’t get my child to use a trainer cup”, I wonder how hard she’s trying, what mistakes she’s made in her attempts to teach her child how to use it, and whether she expects overnight results. As always, I ask my questions:
At what age did you first try to introduce it? Even if a baby is on a bottle and breast, at six months, it’s important to try out a trainer cup. You can also give her a plastic cup, but a trainer cup is better because it has a Spout that controls the flow. Your child can hold it herself, too, which promotes her independence. (Never ever give a glass to a baby or young child, not even up to four or five years old. I’ve seen too many chil¬dren rushed to the emergency room with glass in their lips and tongue.)
How often did you try to give it? You have to give your child three weeks to a month of daily practice for him to get used to a trainer cup. It will take longer if you don’t give it every day.
Did you try different types? Few babies immediately take to a trainer cup. If yours doesn’t like it at first, remember that it’s new and foreign to him. There are also so many trainer cups on the market now - some have a spout and others a straw. Breast—feeding babies often do better with a straw type of trainer cup. Regardless of the type you buy first, try one stick with for at least a month. Resist switching from one back to the other.
In what position do you hold your baby when giving him a trainer cup? Many parents hand their baby a trainer cup while he is sitting in a high chair or booster seat and expect him to know what to do. Instead, you should sit your baby on your knee, facing outward. Guide his little hands onto the handles and help him pick the cup up to his mouth. Do it gently, and do it at a time when he’s in a good mood.
How much—and what kind of—liquid do you put into the cup? Here’s where I see a lot of parents go wrong: They put too much liquid into the trainer cup, so it’s too heavy for the baby to bold. I recommend no more than an 25 ml (an ounce) of water, pumped milk, or formula to begin with. Avoid juice, because your baby does not need the extra sugar. You also risk that she’ll always associate the trainer cup with sweet liquid and refuse all others.
Okay, you say I’ve already made that mistake! She’s now using the trainer cup like a champ but refuses to drink milk in it. You can’t go cold turkey on her - she’ll get upset, perhaps start associating the trainer cup with a negative experience, and she might even get dehydrated (especially if she’s been weaned from breast and doesn’t take a bottle). Start by offering her two cups of liquid at her meal. In one, have 25 ml (an ounce) of the liquid you’ve been giving her - say juice or water - and in the other pour 5()ml (two ounces) of milk. After she has a sip of the water, take that cup away try to give her the milk. If she refuses, leave it and try an hour later. Even if she’s already proficient, try sitting her on your knee for a drink. As with most things, if you persist, ~and try to make it a fun, loving experience, instead of seeing it as a skill you have to teach her immediately, you’re more likely to be successful.
As with weaning, when you see your baby with a trainer cup, you might have mixed feelings, because he looks older. That’s okay - most mums do. Just let go and enjoy the journey.
