How to get your baby to use a sippy cup

Some babies take to a sippy cup immediately, while others may take a while to get used to the idea. (Some kids never use one, and that's also okay – more on that below.)

Here are some tips for getting your baby to use a sippy cup:

● Start off with one that has a soft, pliable spout. This will feel more familiar to your baby than a hard plastic spout.

● Show your baby how to raise the cup to their mouth and tip it up to drink. Show them that the spout is like a nipple by touching the tip of the spout to the roof of their mouth to stimulate the sucking reflex.

● Give it some time. Don't worry if your baby doesn't take to the sippy cup right away. Just wait a few days and try again.

● Shop around. There are all kinds of sippy cups, with all kinds of spouts. If one isn't working, test-drive another to see if your baby likes it better.

● Start by offering a sippy cup during one meal a day. The following week, offer it during a second meal, and so on until your baby is only drinking from a sippy during meals. (More on this strategy below.)

● Be consistent. If you've started giving your baby a sippy cup at a specific time (say, during lunch), don't switch back to the bottle during that time.

● Give your child plenty of encouragement: Drinking out of a sippy cup means they're a big kid now! Make it a celebration whenever they use one.