Baby: Learn to drink step by step
Your baby is already well equipped for food intake by nature at the moment of birth. The baby does not have to learn to drink, the sucking reflex takes care of that. Things get more complicated when it comes time to drink from a mug or cup. In this article you will find out how you can best support your baby.
Learning to drink: When is the time?
You may be wondering when is the best time for your baby to learn to drink from a cup or mug on their own. As long as you only feed your baby with formula, it is usually not necessary to give him additional drinks. You should only offer your baby more and more liquids once complementary food has been introduced and some drinking meals have been eliminated. To what extent your tap water is suitable for this, you can easily have it checked .
As with most developmental steps, when learning to drink, your baby knows when it is ready. Babies are usually ready to learn to drink from a cup between the ages of 10 and 12 months. You can recognize readiness, for example, by your baby being able to hold various objects safely and easily in his hands, wanting to reach for your cup, or trying to imitate your movements when you are drinking.
drinking cup
As a temporary solution and intermediate step on the way from the bottle to the cup, you can use a so-called drinking cup. It has a special attachment with a teat that allows the baby to drink from the cup in a similar way as from the bottle. Such drinking cups often also have handles that make it easier for your baby to hold the cup – our recommendation: the drinking cup with handles from Lässig.advertisementThe mug is made of melamine and is dishwasher safe. This way, thirst is quickly quenched – without spilling anything.
However, you should make sure that your offspring does not constantly suck on the cup, just like with the bottle, since in extreme cases continuous sucking can negatively affect the development of the jaw and teeth, among other things.
Learn to drink step by step
Just as with the introduction of solid food, the baby should gradually learn to drink independently. You can therefore give your baby an empty cup to play with first, so that he can familiarize himself with the object in this way. Babies are also passionate about imitating their parents’ movements and activities. So you can increase your baby’s interest in a cup in a playful way at the beginning.
Since the first attempts at learning to drink will probably not go smoothly, it is important to consider a few things and take the necessary safety precautions:
- When learning to drink, start with little liquid . This can reduce the risk of your baby choking or spilling too much.
- To make it easier for your baby to drink, you can sit him upright on your lap . In this position, it’s less likely to choke and you have more control over the whole process.
- When the baby learns to drink from a regular cup, the material from which the cup is made is also an important factor. For the first experiences, plastic cups with a rounded edge are best, as they easily cope with rough landings. You should avoid glass or porcelain at first, as your child can easily injure themselves.
- Do n’t put your child under pressure. Take as much time as you need. If your baby doesn’t show enough interest in drinking from the cup on the first try, just try again some time later. It is very important that you have enough patience for the learning process. Don’t expect your child to be perfect at drinking from a cup right from the start. In the beginning there will probably be a lot of spillage. But such “mishaps” are also part of the learning process, which is why you should give your child as much freedom as possible. Of course, you can still intervene if your little one is overdoing it. Don’t blame him, however, as that would only discourage your baby from trying to learn to drink.
Tip: Unsweetened, still water or unsweetened tea, such as “Hipp – first feel-good tea” made from organic fennel, organic anise and organic caraway,advertisementare good for learning to drink. It quenches thirst, has no negative effect on tooth development and also does not leave stains on clothing if drinking attempts become a little more turbulent. You can find out more about which drinks are suitable for babies in our article “Water, teas and juices – what should your baby drink?” .