How To Teach A Baby To Use A Straw – 4 Fun and Effective Techniques for Success

As a parent, giving your toddler the independence to feed themselves can be both stressful and necessary. One of the first steps towards this is the introduction of a straw cup when your baby starts taking solid foods. Although how to teach a baby to use a straw cup may seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be.

Babies are born with a high sucking reflex, which can be used to your advantage when teaching them how to use a straw. Additionally, babies learn by watching, so modeling their behavior for them is key. This article provides all the information you need to know about teaching your baby to use a straw cup.

What Brings About The Transition To The Use Of Straw

There are always motives for new developments. Every action is preceded by a goal in sight. There are two major purposes for moving your toddler/baby to use a straw cup, including:

1. Drinking skill

Introducing straws to your toddler could be because you are trying to shape or teach them to drink on their own.

It is important to understand that skills like this are for a lifetime. With the knowledge of this, it is important to give your toddler time to master it. That is why you are advised to start early.

2. Introduction of solid foods 

Transition to Sippy cups when introducing solids to your baby is very important.

Babies do not have their full teeth for mastication yet and this is a way to introduce them to some solid food right on time and as well as water drinking.

How To Teach My Baby To Use Straw

Teaching your baby to use a straw is experimental. It has been observed to be a lot easier than teaching them to use an open cup. It is okay to start teaching your toddler to use straw from 6 months old.

Some babies get the hang of it quickly owing to babies’ natural high-sucking reflex. Please, bear in mind that you might need more than one method to teach your little one to use a straw.

Here are some of the best methods you can use to teach your baby to use a straw:

1. Pipette method

2. Tip the cup to their mouth.

3. Trying a variety of cups

4. Playing with straws.

1. Pipette method: 

This method involves you as a parent helping your baby to siphon a portion of the liquid into the straw and placing it to your baby’s lip to suck.

1. Fill a straw with liquid (water or juice) and cover one end with your fingertip.

2. Hold it out towards your baby and wait for them to attempt to open their mouth and accept it.

3. When your baby accepts the straw with their mouth, release your fingertip at the other end to make the liquid flow in their mouth. This is to let your baby know that there is a reward for the straw.

Nevertheless, it is crucial to tighten your finger from time to time to let them know they have to suck to get out the content. 

2. Tip the cup to their mouth: 

This method is to circumvent the problem of your baby having a hard time putting the straw in their mouth. 

1. Try tipping both the cup and straw towards their mouth.

2. It will likely take some time for your baby to understand, but make sure they grab it with their lips.

3. Let them know that not only do they have to suck from the straw, but they also have to tip the cup slightly to ensure they are getting something to drink. 

3. Trying a variety of cups: 

This method works by introducing your baby to a lot of straw cups. It is amazing how babies always end up with a favorite in everything they have.

There is always that one they are drawn to more than the rest. That might be a good trigger to make them learn.

4. Play with straw 

Exposing babies to play with the straw more might break the alien nature of straw to them. To ensure child safety, please make use of soft straws.

Why Is Using Straw Important To Babies?

1. Using a straw cup aids in your baby’s oral development skills. The same muscle they use in drinking from a straw is what they would use in speech.

2. Proper development of the tongue. Sippy cups and bottles do not task the tongue. They make the tongue lay flat and give the illusion that that’s the position it should assume. Straw cups, on the other hand, task your baby’s tongue. 

What Are The Signs That Your Baby Is Ready To Use Straw

• Your baby should be able to sit up on their own.

• Your baby must have strong neck control.

• Your baby has been attempting to feed independently.

• Your baby is older than 6 months.

What Are The Problems With Moving From Sippy Cups To Straw Cups?

Your baby might develop a hard time feeding. To curb this, do not cut them off bottles and sippy cups all of a sudden. Instead, start introducing them early to straw cups. 

When Should A Baby Be Able To Drink From A Straw Cup?

It is okay to start introducing the use of open cups and straw cups to your baby around the same time you introduced solid foods. This can start from about 6 months old.

Before you embark on this train, your baby must show all signs that point out that they are very ready for the straw use practice.

In addition, your baby must have taken solid food as it is also a sign that they are old enough to handle straw cups. If your baby is older than 6 months and taking solids, we recommend you start now.

Studies have revealed that babies between the ages of 6 to 12 months are quick to learn and pick up new table skills quickly.

Nevertheless, there might be more resistance to learning from a toddler who is very competent and confident in their skills to drink from a bottle. 

Introducing a straw cup and training your toddler of 6- to 12-month-old is to practice the skills of cup drinking and not to replace the breast or bottle. 

Starting open cup practice early (ideally around 6 months of age) gives your baby a lot of time to hone cup skills before transitioning off bottles or breastfeeds. No need to worry if your baby is already older than 12 months.

You can still teach them. It is a lifelong skill. There’s plenty of time to train. It is, however, important to take note that babies can learn these things with reflexes later on in their lives. So, don’t feel pressured, they can still learn.

Which Cup Is Best For Your Baby? Open Or Straw?

There’s no need to select one and dispose of the other when it comes to the usage of open and straw cups. Ideally, the two types of cups are recommended over Sippy cups and 360° cups.

It is recommended to alternate between an open cup and a straw cup when feeding your baby. This will help them learn how to use both cups and acquire a lifelong skill that will come in handy in the future.

Open cups and straw cups are better than Sippy cups and 360 cups as they are used in adulthood as well. Sippy cups are only useful during the toddler phase, and your baby will outgrow them soon enough, making learning how to use them a useless skill.

Introducing your baby to an open cup and straw cup can be a slow process, but it is worth it in the long run. With patience and persistence, your baby will soon learn how to use both cups and become more independent in feeding themselves.

In the course of introducing open and straw cups to your toddlers, look out for any trace of inconvenience in the use.

If your baby is having a problem with any of the two cups, identify the one they are better with and make it dominant. Once they are well established on that, you can introduce the other.

What To Consider When Choosing Your Straw Cup And Open Cup?

1. When choosing your straw cup, make sure you’ve trained your baby on the use of a straw.

Once you’re certified that your baby can manipulate their way to proper use of the straw, you can go ahead and buy any kind of straw cup you desire.

If your baby has a preference, later on, you can shop for that too. The most important thing is that your baby can use the straw.

2. When choosing your open cup, pay attention to the size of the cup. 

Understand that your baby is just learning to navigate their way into the world of drinking from an open cup.

There’s going to be a lot of spills. To curb that, ensure you get a cup that is easy to carry and does not take a lot (about 1-3 ounces of water).

Are Extra Features On The Cup Barrier To My Baby’s Learning?

Extra features are not barriers to your baby’s ability to learn.  It is advised to have as many designs of a cup as possible.

However, it is advised to not dwell too much on designs that have nothing like the adult cup. This is to prevent having your baby established with a mind like all cups come with 2 handles. 

While it’s okay to have one or two cups like that in their collection, it’s important to let them have the raw design of the cup that they are going to grow into as a teenager.

How To Teach Baby To Drink From Open Cup

1. Fill a cup with a small amount of breast milk, formula, or water

Make it about 1-2 ounces of water. You’re going to be showing your baby how things are done. Babies learn by what they see. We use that in this lesson. You will bring this filled cup to the meal table or anytime they are having a meal.

2. Do anything to catch their attention

Once you’ve succeeded in stealing their attention, bring the cup to your mouth to take a small sip. You are allowed to use the same cup you plan to give to them. You are also allowed to set aside a separate cup for them. Either way, you’re showing them what you want them to see. 

3. Once you’ve stolen their attention and taken a sip from the cup, pass them the cup (if you’re using one cup) or another cup (if you’re using two different cups)

Hold it in front of them and let your baby reach out. Don’t bring it to their lips right away. Allow them to reach out and grab it, and then assist in getting it to their mouth. 

The idea of this is to make your baby see the need to reach for the cup. It is to make them participate in the feeding. It’s a signal that feeding is evolving from them laying on their backs and sucking away.

If you observe coughs and the like, don’t panic. They are just first-timers’ mistakes. They’ll get better with time.

What Should I Do If The Baby Keeps Rejecting Open And Straw Cups?

1. Give it time

If your baby is having a hard time taking in your new suggestions of cups while they are taking solid foods at 6-8 months, there’s no need to start panicking. Give them time.

Show up to every meal with the cups and show them how it is done every time. Wait for them to develop an interest in it. It’s only a matter of time before they do. So, give it time.

2. Understand why they do this

If your baby is around 7-8 months old and they keep rejecting the straw cup, sit to ask why they are doing that. Identify whether they are rejecting it because you’re trying to help when they don’t want you or they are lost and confused about the use of a straw.

When you’re able to answer these questions, it makes your next line of action easier. If they are not comfortable with you helping them out, you might need to back off and let them do what they want.

If they seem to not know what to do with a straw, then you might need to introduce them to another method of training compared to the last one you used.

3. Hunger

Hunger might be a good motivation to make people do things. However, I’ll not advise this. Do not starve your baby intentionally to make them chase after food.

4. Set an example

Babies learn by what they see. If your baby is having a problem accepting the use of straw, maybe it’s because they’ve never actually seen you do it before.

The absence of you doing it, makes it seem like they don’t need to do it. Try and do the whole process with them and it might make a difference.

5. Be deliberate and entertain spill 

Give room for mistakes. Do this by taking them outside. Go to a picnic and give them the luxury to try as much as possible without bothering about their level of spillage and mess.

When Should I Be Worried?

Training your toddler to use a straw is not meant to be a stressful and impossible task. However, if you’ve been trying for quite a while and you seem to be meeting a deadlock, it might be a signal that you need to consult your doctor. 

Consult your doctor if:

• You and your baby have been trying with cups for several months without success. Straw training shouldn’t take that long.

• Your baby is not maintaining their weight when you reduce breast or bottle feeds

• Your baby is not increasing solid food intake or not taking water or milk in a cup despite reducing breast or bottle-feeds

• Your child is older than 15 months

Final Thought

Teaching your baby to use a straw can be a test of your patience. Since children develop at different rates, it’s important not to have unrealistic expectations. Take your time and pay attention to your baby’s reactions.

It’s recommended that you start introducing the straw cup as early as 6 months old, as this will give you plenty of practice time. If you don’t see any progress after a considerable amount of time, it’s always best to consult your pediatrician for assistance.