4yr old and sippy cup

[Joyful Tie Dyes]

My 3 year old still uses a sippy

[my2sweets]

The girls dentist strongly discourages sippies. Ive also had an OT and speach therapist say to ditch the sippies asap. All of them suggested the spill proof straw cups if we wanted something to protect the floors/car/ect

[tallanvor]

The sippy cups can affect speech, as it uses different muscles than drinking from a straw or just from a regular cup. However, at the age of the OP's child, I don't see that being an issue.

OP, I honestly don't know what I would do. Part of me is thinking I would just refuse, part of me is thinking to just limit it, and part of me is thinking that it's not a big deal. I would consider taking him to the store to let him pick out his own special cup. I probably wouldn't do a sippy cup, but maybe a special water bottle, or a cup.

[escapethevillage]

I would also look for a special cup, or set of cups for him. (I wouldn't care that he's using the sippy occasionally though)

Amazon has some really crazy looking cups that would appeal to kids.

[EmilytheStrange]

wouldn't bother me at all. with water in it.

but, I'd get them both special sports type bottles.

I'm 34 and carry around a non-spill (unless the cap is just so) water bottle. I don't see a problem allowing a kid to do the same.

[qsefthuko]

Originally Posted by Joyful Tie Dyes My 3 year old still uses a sippy

So does everyone who uses adult sippies, I mean sports bottles.

[escapethevillage]

Originally Posted by EmilytheStrange I'm 34 and carry around a non-spill (unless the cap is just so) water bottle. I don't see a problem allowing a kid to do the same.

It's not the fact that a four year old is using a sippy...the problem is in the type of cup they use. We use cups with lids, but not duck billed sucky cups...that's the things that cause the dental or speech problems. A coffee cup, sports top, or straw doesn't do the same damage as those hard plastic sucky lids.

Those cups are great for kids too...for the car, or in bed, or even on the couch, but kids who use those ONLY after 18 months or so have more problems than kids who switch to the old fashioned Tupperware type cups or the straw cups that don't require the sucking motion.

[blackberry75]

Generally I only let the kids have a cup (sippy or otherwise) if we're sitting down to a meal. If they get thirsty between meals they get water and have to sit at the coffee table, a little harder with the 1yr olds but she's learning.