Straw sippy.. how to teach them to use it???

Just offered it to John and he just bit the straw. I showed him it was water.. I had him take a sip for the cup part but he doesn't get the straw thing?
Any suggestions? ETA: I got the munchkin straw cup and it seems pretty hard to acutally suck the liquid up.. will this get easier as the cup is 'broken in" ?

Message edited 9/20/2010 3:45:45 PM.

Re: Straw sippy.. how to teach them to use it???

For Mason it took a while to get it. I think they all start out biting it. It could take a month or more, but just keep giving it to him to work on it.

I bought a sippy with a sylicone nipple. Almost like the bottle nipple and he got it better that way. Other kids are much faster at figuring it out. You know Mason and his eating issues anyway

Also, for the straw an EI specialist told me to put the straw in the water, put your finger on the one end so the water stays in and put the other end in DS's mouth. Let him suck on it for a bit or slowly let some out so they figure they need to suck on it to get something out.
They also say juice boxes. You can squeeze it and let some juice up.
John is still young and he'll figure it out

Re: Straw sippy.. how to teach them to use it???

put something really yummy in it :) my dd was getting it a little, but not for a whole drink. just a sip, and then she'd give up. but one day we put some smoothie in it, and she learned quick! from then on, she knew just what to do

Re: Straw sippy.. how to teach them to use it???

Our straw sippy requires DS to squeeze the straw and suck up the liquid. What we did was to just give him the sippy and let him "play" with it when he wanted. He did this for 2 days - he knew it had water and was for drinking and would put it to his mouth. After 2 days of having access to it he surprised us by drinking out of it. He's a pro! He even holds it with one hand :) He figured it out all by himself. Maybe just let your DS hold it and explore it own his own, he may learn by trial and error. DS is 11 months.

Message edited 9/20/2010 4:26:38 PM.

Re: Straw sippy.. how to teach them to use it???

I'm glad you asked this, DD doesn't get it either and I keep giving it to her. She is always tipping her head back with it and not getting anything. I am going to try some of the pointers written on here.

Re: Straw sippy.. how to teach them to use it???

I taught DD with a juice box (after reading suggestions on LIF). I put the straw in her mouth, squeezed the juice box a little so she knew it was something delicious, and after maybe 30 seconds she caught on. We haven't looked back since (and I haven't given her a juice box since either lol).

We use the Munchkin straw sippy cups. VERY easy to suck from. :)

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Message edited 9/20/2010 4:28:54 PM.

Re: Straw sippy.. how to teach them to use it???

I have been trying giving DS plum organic/happy baby/ella organic foil pouches of fruit/veggies and believe it or not, he sucks the whole pack down with sucking motion due to the small straw on the end. a friend told me about this and now his DD only drinks from a cup with a straw..no more sippies at 17 mos.

Re: Straw sippy.. how to teach them to use it???

I showed him with a real straw. I trapped the liquid and dropped it in his mouth (by putting it in the drink and then putting my finger over the straw when I picked it up). Then when he got that, I let him drink from the straw. It took awhile but, he got it. Those sippy cup straws are really hard because they have a valve.

I also taught him with a juice box.. I think that really sealed the deal and he got it.

Message edited 9/20/2010 5:17:56 PM.

Re: Straw sippy.. how to teach them to use it???