Miriel Team · drinks, cups, infant feeding, toddlers
Open Cup or Straw Cup? How to Practice Both
You don't have to choose. Open cups and straw cups teach different things, and spills are part of learning both.
You don’t have to pick one. An open cup and a straw cup teach different skills, and most children can learn both at home.
What matters more than the type of cup is plenty of relaxed practice, with a towel nearby.
What each cup teaches
| Cup | What your child practices | Handy for |
|---|---|---|
| Open cup | Tipping, sipping, and stopping before it pours | Meals at the table |
| Straw cup | Closing the lips around a straw and pulling the drink up | Outings, the car, the park |
| Spout cup with a valve | Mostly the same sucking as a bottle | Keeping the carpet dry |
Cups without a valve ask your child to sip, which is the new skill. A valve cup is handy now and then, but it teaches little that a bottle doesn’t.
Starting with an open cup
A tiny cup that fits your child’s hands works better than a big one.
- Pour in a small splash of water, just enough to cover the bottom.
- Hold the cup with your child at first, your hand around theirs.
- Tip it slowly to their lips, let them take a sip, then bring it back down.
- Over the weeks, let go a little more each time.
Water is easiest for practice because spills are no big deal. Milk can come later, once the tipping is under control.
Starting with a straw
Some babies get straws on day one and some take weeks. A few tricks help.
- Use a short straw, so the drink arrives quickly.
- With a squeezable straw cup, press gently so a little water rises to the top of the straw.
- Show them. Sip through your own straw, slowly, with a big smile.
- Dip a straw in water, cover the top with your finger, and let a few drops fall onto their lips.
Messy is normal
Water down the chin, cups turned upside down, splashing just to watch it fall. This is how children learn how liquid moves.
Put down a bib or a towel, keep pours small, and let mealtimes be practice time. If the cup goes over the edge on purpose, calmly set it aside for a minute and offer it again.
Which cup for which moment
Many families use an open cup at the table and a straw cup when they are out. Both skills get practice every day, and nobody has to mop the car seat.
Cup practice goes best when your child is calm and a little thirsty, not starving or tired.