Cups and bottles

The recommended sequence: from teat to cup

1. Small open cup (from 6 months). With help, short sips. It sounds premature and isn't: it's the most functional pattern and the one with least to unlearn later.
2. 360° cup (8-12 months). Drink from anywhere on the rim; it seals itself. It reproduces the open-cup action without the mess, making it the best real substitute.
3. Straw cup (10-18 months). Adds suction, but a different kind from a bottle, and works lip closure and cheek strength.
4. Spout or sport bottle (from 2-3 years). For school and the backpack; no longer learning, just independence and logistics.

Hard-spout beakers: why they're best avoided

The classic spill-proof beaker with a rigid valved spout imposes a sucking pattern very close to a bottle's, with the tongue forward, pushing against the spout. Occasional use is harmless; daily use over months can reinforce an atypical swallow and prolong a pattern that later has to be corrected.

The alternatives are simple: a 360° cup for everyday use at home and a straw cup when it needs to travel. If questions arise about the swallowing pattern, that's a matter for speech and language assessment; there is specific equipment under swallowing and feeding.

The straw as an oral-motor tool

Drinking through a straw isn't just convenient: it requires firm lip closure, cheek tension and suck-swallow-breathe coordination. That's why straws — particularly sets of varying width and length — are used in speech therapy as a functional exercise, far more motivating than doing oral exercises in front of a mirror.

The narrower and longer the straw, the more effort it takes. Starting with a wide, short straw and a thin liquid, then progressing to narrow straws or thicker textures, gives you a gradable progression you can work on at home without the child experiencing it as a task.

School bottles: what to look for

• They must open it themselves. Same rule as the lunch box: if help is needed, they don't drink.
• Genuine leak resistance, because it travels on its side in a bag full of books.
• A wide mouth so it can be cleaned properly inside and take ice.
• Insulated stainless steel if you want cold water at five in the afternoon; light plastic if weight is the issue.
• Available spares for spout, straw and seal: they're the first things to be lost or chewed.

Frequently asked questions about kids' cups and bottles

When do you move from bottle to cup?

You can start offering a cup from 6 months alongside solid food, and the general recommendation is to have dropped the bottle by around 12-18 months. The exact date matters less than not stretching bottle use over years, given its effect on the palate, tongue position and teeth.

What is a 360° cup and why is it recommended?

It's a cup with a silicone lid and a valve around the rim: the child drinks with their lip anywhere on the edge, as with a normal cup, and the valve closes when they stop, so it doesn't drip. It's recommended because it trains the open-cup pattern without building a sucking habit on a rigid spout.

Are straw cups good or bad for teeth?

The straw itself isn't the problem — it actually reduces contact between liquid and the front teeth. What matters is the contents: water whenever possible, and avoiding all-day sipping of juice or sweetened drinks, which is what really causes decay.

Are they dishwasher safe?

Most are, but take every part off first — lid, valve, seal and straw. Silicone seals are where mould builds up, and a "clean" cup with the seal still fitted often isn't.