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Teaching
a baby to drink from a cup offers a lot of advantages.
Firstly, it gets easier to wean the child from the
breast and bottle. Secondly, the baby realizes that
there is another liquid supplement than the
mother’s breast.
Introducing
a cup early helps the baby adapt to it. The
later in age you introduce the cup, the more time
the baby takes to accept it. The baby is so used to
a bottle or the mother’s breast, that he resists
the cup. The earlier one introduces a cup, the more
the intake of
liquid, as the baby will be able to drink significant
amounts from it.
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Here
are certain guidelines to help introduce a cup early. |
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| Timing
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Introduce
a cup when a baby can sit properly, well supported. |
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Choose
a right cup :
Use an unbreakable cup. A cup that is
weighted at the bottom and will not tip over easily.
Use a cup with two handles so that the baby can get
a good grip. One can use a spill
proof cup with a spouted lid. One may have to experiment
with several cups to find out which the baby really
likes. |
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Use
a bib :
Introducing
a cup early, means a bit of mess, however, in a matter
of time the baby becomes adapt at using it. Use a
bib or any water proof material until the baby becomes
proficient. |
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Do
not overfill the cup :
Fill the cup with a little milk or water to start
with. This reduces the chance of spilling. Some babies
may accept only juice or water in a cup and not milk.
It is okay. Gradually, one can switch over. |
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Make
him comfortable :
Seat
the baby in a comfortable chair, rightly propped up,
so that the baby is comfortable to hold a cup. |
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Encourage
participation :
The baby may grab the cup, wanting to do it all by
himself. Let the baby do it, as he will get the confidence
in drinking from the cup. Do not worry of the mess,
it’s a part of the learning process. |
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Do
not put pressure :
If
the baby refuses to take the cup do not pressurize
the baby to accept it. Try again after a month or
two. |
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