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familyschoolcare 08:53 AM 07-07-2011
So on the radio here in California this morning I heard that NY (I think it was NY) is trying to pass a law making it illegal to sell sippy-cups with-out a warning on them that they can contribute to the rotting of children’s teeth. As I get ready to interview a 2 year old tomorrow, this got me thinking, and I have a few questions.

1. Is this true the making of the law and the contributing to the rotting of children’s teeth.
2. If the sippy-cup does contribute to the rotting of children’s teeth is it more, less or the same as giving a child of the same age a bottle?
3. At what age should a child be taken of the sippy-cup
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squareone 10:00 AM 07-07-2011
Bottles and sippy cups at appropriate feeding/meal times are not the real problem. One problem is that many children are allowed to carry a bottle/sippy cup with them all day every day including bed time and nap time. The other problem is what the parents put IN the sippy cup. Sippy cups and bottles, like many other convenience items, have to be used responsibly. If you feel your child MUST carry around a sippy cup, then it should be filled with water unless it is a designated meal time.

I think that once a child is walking, bottles and sippys should be limited to meal/snack times and water breaks. Here, all food and drink is restricted to the kitchen - no exceptions. We transition to a regular cup at 18 months.
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Meyou 10:12 AM 07-07-2011
I transition to regular cups between 18 months and 2 years old. I agree that it's not the sippies themselves, it's how they're used.
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e.j. 10:15 AM 07-07-2011
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP9eeb...115734801.html

Apparently, it is true that someone is trying to pass such a law.

I'm just shaking my head. It seems as though we, as a society, are losing our grip on common sense.

Like squareone stated, allowing your kids to walk around all day with a sippy cup in their mouths or putting them to bed with one is the problem - not using the sippy cup itself. It's especially harmful when they're filled with juice and soda and other sugary drinks. My own kids used sippy cups for years and I use them in my daycare for meals and snacks. Once the meal or snack is done, the cups are put away until the next meal. Neither of my kids had cavities or needed braces. None of my day care kids seem to have any dental problems either.
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rhymia1 10:24 AM 07-07-2011
Originally Posted by squareone:
Bottles and sippy cups at appropriate feeding/meal times are not the real problem. One problem is that many children are allowed to carry a bottle/sippy cup with them all day every day including bed time and nap time. The other problem is what the parents put IN the sippy cup. Sippy cups and bottles, like many other convenience items, have to be used responsibly. If you feel your child MUST carry around a sippy cup, then it should be filled with water unless it is a designated meal time.

I think that once a child is walking, bottles and sippys should be limited to meal/snack times and water breaks. Here, all food and drink is restricted to the kitchen - no exceptions. We transition to a regular cup at 18 months.
This.
The only thing DCK's drink in my house is skim milk at meals and water for all snacks (per CACFP rules), no one ever has a cup away from the table.

That said, I'm in NY and I haven't heard anything about it. I really wish they would do more to educate parents about proper child nutrition instead of passing silly laws.
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Cat Herder 10:28 AM 07-07-2011
Nothing surprises me anymore.....

Two things I know for sure:

You can't mandate common sense.

You can't fix stupid.

Is it Friday, yet???????????
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AnneCordelia 10:50 AM 07-07-2011
Agreed that it's what's IN the sippy that is the problem.

I got a bunch of 'Doidy cups' a few years back and use those to transition the 12mo's to regular cups. They work and I love them for the young ones.
http://connectmommies.com/doidy-cup/
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familyschoolcare 11:48 AM 07-07-2011
Thank you for all the great information that is about what I thought in-regards to them adding in the rotting of teeth just thought I would ask since I have not interacted with a sippy-cup in 10 years my youngest child is 12.
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youretooloud 12:16 PM 07-07-2011
Sippy cups are my most hated item in childhood. Kids now need to have a flavored liquid in a duckbilled sippy cup at all times. Along with a container of Goldfish crackers.

No child should ever be allowed to, or expected to go without a snack and a flavored drink for more than 20 minutes. If the parent notices the child hasn't had a drink for more than 30 minutes, and heaven forbid they not eat a fishy cracker it's possible that their blood sugar could crash to a dangerous level, and they could go into a coma. Most parents can even tell you a story they heard on the internet about a child of someone someone else knew who remained in a coma for 3 years after driving 18 blocks without a baggie of snacks and a sippy cup with juice. The parents had all the other children removed from the home as a result.


http://community.advanceweb.com/blog...-syndrome.aspx


Originally Posted by :
What about sippy cups?

I don’t recommend sippy cups because sippy cups can prevent the tongue from moving into a more natural position for speech development. Children suckle the sippy cup just like they would a pacifier or bottle. When it comes time to ween off the bottle try moving to a straw cup instead.

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sharlan 12:47 PM 07-07-2011
I don't have an issue with sippy cups. Yes, I am one of those who gives a child a sippy cup in the car if we are going to be gone for more than 30-45 mins. I also keep bottles of water in the car in case they get thirsty while we're out.

I leave sippy cups on the table during the day. The kids know who's is who's and they can grab their's. It beats the kids playing with the water cooler or fridge water.

I use plastic cups for meals once they get past the spilling stage.

(I was one of those kids that was hospitalized for dehydration at 5. I've had to go to the ER twice as an adult for IVs due to dehydration.)
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youretooloud 12:57 PM 07-07-2011
I leave cups out all day, and it's full of water for the kids. I refill them during the day, and I leave a small pitcher of water for the older kids. But, I don't think I need to chase down a child to make sure he's had a drink from a no leak duck billed cup every 20 minutes. I'm not filling it with juice, and I don't serve food every half hour.

For a child to be hospitalized for dehydration, it would take much more than a car ride to Wal mart without a sucky cup.
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sharlan 01:12 PM 07-07-2011
I don't take sippy cups for a trip to the market, but if we're headed out for an outing I do. If we go to the park, 20 mins walk, I grab the sippies. Grabbing sippy cups just isn't a big deal to me.

In the grand scheme of things, it's just not an issue for me. If my kids had them in their mouths 24/7 it might be a different story.

None of my daycare kids have had dental issues.
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youretooloud 01:45 PM 07-07-2011
Originally Posted by sharlan:
I don't take sippy cups for a trip to the market, but if we're headed out for an outing I do. If we go to the park, 20 mins walk, I grab the sippies. Grabbing sippy cups just isn't a big deal to me.
I absolutely take water on any walking trips. Especially to the park. I'd rather stand on an ant hill than let myself or anybody in my care drink from a public fountain. (germaphobe) I'm not saying kids shouldn't drink. But, they don't need to have a sippy cup with juice or milk all day. A sports bottle, a straw cup, a normal cup... but, no four year old should be sucking on a sippy cup all day long, and if they need something, it should mostly be water.

No leak cups are fine for the night stand, or the car. But, to have one ALL day is not good for the child.
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mom2many 01:51 PM 07-07-2011
I have used sippy cups for years and years and never seen a child with any detrimental issues. It helps prevents spills tremendously...especially for the 1 and 2 year olds! They get water when they want it through out the day and milk at meal times. The cups always stay in the kitchen.
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Country Kids 02:34 PM 07-07-2011
Gosh it makes you wonder what kids did before sippy cups!!!!! I know when I was little they were called Tommy Tippy cups but you never, never saw a child past the age of two with one. My own children were drinking out of regular cups by the age of two and sure there were spills but they learned how to do it.

It is funny how our society rarely drinks out of normal cups! Every thing you see is sold with a lid and straw or comes out of a bottle. Even in restaurants they come with lids! When did we become soooo lazy that we can't take the time to clean up a spill if it happens?
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Cat Herder 04:01 PM 07-07-2011
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
When did we become soooo lazy that we can't take the time to clean up a spill if it happens?
I think it was about the time the phrase "Work smarter, Not harder" went mainstream.....
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mom2many 04:21 PM 07-07-2011
Originally Posted by Catherder:
I think it was about the time the phrase "Work smarter, Not harder" went mainstream.....
So true! I don't know about anyone else, but if I had four 1 & 2 year olds w/o sippy tops at meal times...I'd be mopping non stop! They can all drink from a cup w/o one, but not on their own.
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youretooloud 04:32 PM 07-07-2011
Originally Posted by mom2many:
So true! I don't know about anyone else, but if I had four 1 & 2 year olds w/o sippy tops at meal times...I'd be mopping non stop! They can all drink from a cup w/o one, but not on their own.
One and two year olds do need lids. Four year olds do not.

I take all lids off at age two-ish though. The ones to have lids have only straws, or spouts. Remember the old fashion Tupperware with spout lids? I miss those. I just looked at a set with enough different colors that I could use them for my crew. (only some need lids) and I'd have to spend nearly $60 to get enough of those.

I'll stick with the Take and Toss.
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mom2many 04:36 PM 07-07-2011
The take and toss do work great! I found some replacement lids for my tupperware at the Dollar Store! It was a great find!
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rhymia1 04:48 PM 07-07-2011
Originally Posted by mom2many:
So true! I don't know about anyone else, but if I had four 1 & 2 year olds w/o sippy tops at meal times...I'd be mopping non stop! They can all drink from a cup w/o one, but not on their own.
I use the take and toss straw cups at times. Straws are supposed to be even better than regular cups since they take the liquid past the teeth (of course this is for milk/juice) We always have water avalible for the kids. But I have a kiddo now who will just cry for "juuuuuuuuuuuuicey!!!" And he didn't get that from here...
Dental work is expensive and most insurances don't cover a lot of dental procedures, so I'm all about prevention.
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Crazy8 07:35 PM 07-07-2011
I require straw cups for ages 2 and up. I will serve milk with meals and water in between but cups are NOT left out all day - they get them at snacks and meals (which tends to be every 2 hours) and also whenever we come in from outside time. I take them in the bottom of the stroller when we go for walks too.
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MarinaVanessa 01:48 PM 07-08-2011
The only thing I really want to say is that you can put all the warnings on whatever you want but unless the warning label can physically stop the sippy cup from being in the child's mouth all day then it will make no difference.

This reminds me of the "CAUTION: Hot coffee hot" label on Jack in the Boxes coffee cups (I know they're trying to be funny). I wonder where people's common sense has gone. Only in America can you sue McDonalds because you spilled your cup of hot coffee and burned yourself, or sue Oreo because you gave your son one too many cookies and he became overweight ... and win
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nannyde 02:10 PM 07-08-2011
I use sippy cups with every child of every age with every drink.

I have the old school "the first year" cups with the single spouted lid. They don't make them any more so when my stash of lids break I will have to switch brands.

Haven't lost an ounce of milk in my whole 18 years
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Crystal 02:19 PM 07-08-2011
I hate sippy cups. I use them until the children are a little over one.....at that time, when they want water they come to me and ask and we stand together in the kitchen with a regular cup, partially filled with water and that is how they learn to drink from the regular cup, once they get the hang of it, they start getting the regular cup at the table for all of their drinks. I never have ever given a sippy cup to a child over the age of two, and usually they are much younger.

I also don't leave any cups out. If they want a drink, they let me know, and then of course I always give them all a drink after outdoor play and frequently throughout the day if they aren't asking.

I see no reason, other than laziness and not wanting to clean up spilled milk, for sippy cups past the age of two.
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sharlan 02:24 PM 07-08-2011
We are all so different. What works for one, doesn't necessarily work for another. We all do what works for us and our families. There is no one right or one wrong way to do things.
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e.j. 08:54 PM 07-08-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
I see no reason, other than laziness and not wanting to clean up spilled milk, for sippy cups past the age of two.
I use sippy cups - the kind with the leak proof straws - for kids 2yrs and up. I really don't want to have to pick up spilled milk if I can avoid it and I don't consider myself to be lazy. I'm on my own with a group of very active kids and although most are well-behaved at the table, the potential for at least one spill per meal is relatively high. Often, the clean-up after a spill includes a sponge bath and change of clothing for the kid who spilled and possibly for the kid next to him because they sit relatively close together. My dining area has a rug vs. hard surface so clean-up is a little more involved that just a quick wipe-up. Because of certain state mandates, my business hours and my dc family's schedules, I operate on a fairly tight schedule. Most days, I'm running around trying to get things done as it is; I don't need an extra, avoidable chore to worry about. Besides, the closed-lid sippy cups allow even some of my youngest kids to take their turn helping to pass out the cups to each child at the beginning of the meal - a job they all love to do but couldn't do without spilling if it weren't for the sippy cups.

As Sharlan said, "We all do what works for us and our families."
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Kaddidle Care 09:11 PM 07-08-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
I use sippy cups with every child of every age with every drink.

I have the old school "the first year" cups with the single spouted lid. They don't make them any more so when my stash of lids break I will have to switch brands.

Haven't lost an ounce of milk in my whole 18 years
Oh whew! Thank you! I used them way too long with my youngest as we have a bad habit of eating dinner in the living room in front of the TV. (I know.. bad but it's just us.) I'd rather not have milk spilled on the couch.

I remember giving a friend of my oldest son one of the cups you get at a restaurant with the top and straw - the boy scoffed at the covered top so I gave in and let him have an open cup. Guess what was spilled all over my carpet? Yep, HIS cup so.. yeah, he got the covered cup with a straw next time.

The carpet's shot between the pets, kids and the worst spiller ever, my husband. I will be buying polka dotted carpet next time and maybe it will blend in.

Outlawing the cups is silly but so is putting cool aid and soda in them. So is letting the child suck on them day in and day out. Everything has a purpose and a time and what Catherder said is so true with the

"Two things I know for sure:

You can't mandate common sense.

You can't fix stupid."
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nannyde 05:28 AM 07-09-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
I see no reason, other than laziness and not wanting to clean up spilled milk, for sippy cups past the age of two.
Waving hands...

I'm lazy and cheap

I don't want to loose the organic milk in the cups cuz it's crazy expensive. I don't want to pay my staff assistant to clean up the mess.

I'm glad this came up though because I am due to bleach those bad dad lids. I do that every few weeks. The spouts have to be checked regularly for any sediment.

Doing that this weekend.
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Kaddidle Care 06:07 AM 07-09-2011
And.. there is that occasional child that will spill their cup EVERY SINGLE DAY. For snack we use the dixi-type bathroom size cups and I only fill it half way. They can have refills but it avoids lake-like spills.
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Crystal 11:24 AM 07-09-2011
ya know what? I apologize for my statement about "lazy" That was not fair, and not really what I mean. Sorry.
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nannyde 12:19 PM 07-09-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
ya know what? I apologize for my statement about "lazy" That was not fair, and not really what I mean. Sorry.
No harm done

See the thing with milk at my day care is it's pretty expensive and I do three meals and two snacks a day. It's not just loosing a six ounce glass it's making sure I have enough for the whole week. Organic milk can be a pain to get fresh and going thru more than a gallon a day .. I have to have five/six gallons when I get it.

The cost of going to GET the milk really adds up if we run out.

Then I have the clean up to pay for too.

So the single spoouted lids are my comprimise. They aren't suckky cups because they will drain out when upside down. The lid is a single lid with a half inch spout that's about a quarter of a centimeter in width.

They aren't the kind that defy gravity or have a nipple top. I don't like those.

The kids over two know how to drink out of open faced cups. They just get the sippy cup here. It's not about teaching them to do without it or having them suck a cup after age two... it's just about not loosing what is in it.

My deal is the eight bucks a gallon and the cost of going to get it. For other providers it's just the cost of the milk and keeping enough for their own kids and the dckids. It's the same thing.......
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e.j. 02:04 PM 07-09-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
For other providers it's just the cost of the milk and keeping enough for their own kids and the dckids. It's the same thing.......
I hadn't even thought of the cost of milk when I typed my reply but it sure does factor into my decision to use sippy cups during meal times. The milk we use isn't $8 per gallon (holy cow!) but it is close to $4. Between the dc kids and my own, we go through almost 2 gallons every day so it adds up. I'd rather not have it wasted.
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PitterPatter 02:16 PM 07-09-2011
[quote=Crystal;125663]I hate sippy cups. I use them until the children are a little over one.....at that time, when they want water they come to me and ask and we stand together in the kitchen with a regular cup, partially filled with water and that is how they learn to drink from the regular cup, once they get the hang of it, they start getting the regular cup at the table for all of their drinks. I never have ever given a sippy cup to a child over the age of two, and usually they are much younger.

I also don't leave any cups out. If they want a drink, they let me know, and then of course I always give them all a drink after outdoor play and frequently throughout the day if they aren't asking.

I see no reason, other than laziness and not wanting to clean up spilled milk, for sippy cups past the age of two.[/QUOTE]

What about when u have a 4 yr old who goofs off and no matter how many times she is redirected or told to sit the cup down easy the whole cup still gets spilled onto the table on the lab in the booster seat down to the floor... Sometimes shes busy laughing and thinks its on the table and she sits it in mid air! Straight to the floor it goes and more milk served. I don't think I am lazy but I admitt I got tired of cleaning up wasted milk EVERY day almost EVERY meal. So color me lazy I guess
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Meyou 03:08 PM 07-09-2011
Do all your kids really spill that much? I have a spill maybe once a month by the dck's which is considerably less than my own dd spills from not paying attention.
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melissa ann 03:37 PM 07-09-2011
I H ATE SIPPY CUPS! I have a dcg who will be 4 in Oct whose mom brings her drinks is sippy cups. One time my dd said to dcm, why does she still use sippy cups. Mom said so she don't spill in the car. They only live 20 mins away. My own kids did use sippys right after they got off the bottle. But by 1 1/2 yr old they were using cups with straws. And that's what we took for road trips. But not anything under 60 mins. But anyway, this girl is bigger than the 2 4 yr olds in my care and she's using sippy cups. She gets really mad when I put her drink in a regular cup. I have a 2 yr old who I had using straws by 1 1/2 and he uses a regular cup without straws now. The mom of girl can NOT say no to this girl ever. I would love to be around when this girl gets in her teens. Realty will hit hard for her because this girl thinks the world should hand her whatever she wants.
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Crystal 03:46 PM 07-09-2011
[quote=PitterPatter;125892]
Originally Posted by Crystal:
I hate sippy cups. I use them until the children are a little over one.....at that time, when they want water they come to me and ask and we stand together in the kitchen with a regular cup, partially filled with water and that is how they learn to drink from the regular cup, once they get the hang of it, they start getting the regular cup at the table for all of their drinks. I never have ever given a sippy cup to a child over the age of two, and usually they are much younger.

I also don't leave any cups out. If they want a drink, they let me know, and then of course I always give them all a drink after outdoor play and frequently throughout the day if they aren't asking.

I see no reason, other than laziness and not wanting to clean up spilled milk, for sippy cups past the age of two.[/QUOTE]

What about when u have a 4 yr old who goofs off and no matter how many times she is redirected or told to sit the cup down easy the whole cup still gets spilled onto the table on the lab in the booster seat down to the floor... Sometimes shes busy laughing and thinks its on the table and she sits it in mid air! Straight to the floor it goes and more milk served. I don't think I am lazy but I admitt I got tired of cleaning up wasted milk EVERY day almost EVERY meal. So color me lazy I guess
If you read further you will see I had apologized for the "lazy" comment....it wasn't exactly what I meant.....

I don't have 4 year olds who mess around at the table. If I did they would be sitting alone....I sit with my kids, and we have family style meals. There are no disruptions, we eat, have quiet, casual conversation and they all respect that. I start teaching them table manners VERY early. And, because they learn to drink from a regular cup at a young age, by the time they sit at the table with a regular cup, they are quite skilled at using it and spills rarely occur. We also sit at child sized tables so their feet touch the floor and their back rests against the back of the seat, making it easier for the children to manage their cups and utensils.
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nannyde 05:41 PM 07-09-2011
Originally Posted by Meyou:
Do all your kids really spill that much? I have a spill maybe once a month by the dck's which is considerably less than my own dd spills from not paying attention.
I have no idea. They aren't drinking out of open faced cups so I don't know how often they would spill if they were. It's different managing an open faced cup. You can be a lot rougher with a lidded cup and nothing happen.

As far as just knocking it over... I would say my staff assistant does that more than the kids but I don't pay any attention to it because it doesn't matter if they do. If it's picked up quickly it just a couple of drips of cleaning.
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nannyde 05:42 PM 07-09-2011
Originally Posted by melissa ann:
I H ATE SIPPY CUPS! I have a dcg who will be 4 in Oct whose mom brings her drinks is sippy cups. One time my dd said to dcm, why does she still use sippy cups. Mom said so she don't spill in the car. They only live 20 mins away. My own kids did use sippys right after they got off the bottle. But by 1 1/2 yr old they were using cups with straws. And that's what we took for road trips. But not anything under 60 mins. But anyway, this girl is bigger than the 2 4 yr olds in my care and she's using sippy cups. She gets really mad when I put her drink in a regular cup. I have a 2 yr old who I had using straws by 1 1/2 and he uses a regular cup without straws now. The mom of girl can NOT say no to this girl ever. I would love to be around when this girl gets in her teens. Realty will hit hard for her because this girl thinks the world should hand her whatever she wants.
I HATE STRAWS



I've never used a straw for my dck's.
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Kaddidle Care 08:20 PM 07-09-2011
Originally Posted by PitterPatter:
What about when u have a 4 yr old who goofs off and no matter how many times she is redirected or told to sit the cup down easy the whole cup still gets spilled onto the table on the lab in the booster seat down to the floor... Sometimes shes busy laughing and thinks its on the table and she sits it in mid air! Straight to the floor it goes and more milk served. I don't think I am lazy but I admitt I got tired of cleaning up wasted milk EVERY day almost EVERY meal. So color me lazy I guess
I think I had her long lost cousin in my PreK! Lovable, WONDERFUL child but dang... she would spill everything because she was very interested in everybody else's business and constantly turning her head around and bumping it over. Oye! I will miss her but not her spills.
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Unregistered 09:23 PM 07-09-2011
I use sippy cups for all but my school agers. So of course, it's my 10 year old girl who spills her water at least once a week!
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melissa ann 03:15 PM 07-10-2011
My kids' dentist says that using straws may help with their teeth. Meaning that the drink goes through the straw and straight down their throat. Less of the drink sticks to their teeth so maybe they will have less (hopefully no)cavities.
Although now, all the kids except for this 3 yr old with a sippy, drinks from a regular cup no straws. However, this girl spill everyone else's drinks because she is so nosey. Checking what everybody else is doing. BTW, her mom says her daughter is attuned to her surroundings. I neve heard anything so ridulicous.
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Blackcat31 05:38 PM 07-10-2011
Originally Posted by Meyou:
Do all your kids really spill that much? I have a spill maybe once a month by the dck's which is considerably less than my own dd spills from not paying attention.
That's what I was thinking too.... I do NOT use sippy cups for anyone over approx 12-15 months. I do things alot like Crystal. The new drinkers (12-15 month olds) get lidded Tupperware cups (the old school kind) and everyone else gets a 5 oz Dixie cup filled to an individual capacity level. I rarely have spills and if I do, it isn't massive and takes very little time to clean up since I am sitting right there with the kids at the table so I am on it like white on rice.

I NEVER leave cups out during the day, again like Crystal, if the kids are thirsty, they ask for water and they shall receive. We stay in the kitchen until their thirst is quenched.

Outdoors, however, every child has open access to water since we have an outdoor drinking fountain that is connected to the water spicket (sp?) like your garden hose. We take water breaks and bring the littles to the fountain on regular intervals but the bigger ones can drink when they please.
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Unregistered 10:40 AM 07-11-2011
I dont think its so much the sippy itself its more what the parent puts in it. I have seen parents walk right up to the soda fountain at a restuarant and fill up there kids cup. My dc kids get alot of water here, and milk to drink with meals, I dont allow them to go to bed with a sippy or bottle either.
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Tags:age appropriate behavior, health care, regulations, sippy cup
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