Q&A: sippy cups for tweeners

A funny question for Wednesday.

Anonymous writes:

"Hi Moxie,

I'm engaged. My fiance and I often talk about children and how we want to raise ours when we have them. Both of us tend to notice other parent's parenting techniques and think of what we would do differently. We spend a lot of time with his parents and his brother who has kids. His oldest is 11, almost 12 and still drinking from a sippy cup. This is the only thing that they drink out of. I'm wondering what kind of affect this will have on their children's development. Is it safe behavior? I thought sippy cups were only for toddlers."

First of all, I think it's excellent that you and your fiance are doing so much thinking and talking about this now, before you're even ready to think about getting pregnant. Having all these conversations now is going to save you a lot of time and aggravation later.

Second, kids this old are using sippy cups?! I've never heard of this.

On one level I can completely appreciate that this eliminates spills and messes in the house. But there are other ways to achieve the same goal that doesn't have kids who are almost pubescent drinking out of baby gear. Sports bottles or straw cups will cut out the spills equally well.

I don't think there's anything specifically bad about kids that old drinking out of sippy cups, and it's certainly nothing to spend time worrying about. But there's no real purpose to sippy cups anyway (other than mess containment) from a developmental point of view. It's not a skill that builds to anything else or is used later in life. So why use them instead of something the kids wouldn't be embarrassed to use in public?

I guess I also wonder how old the kids are going to be before they have to learn not to spill regular cups. Because they aren't going to be able to use sippy cups for the rest of their lives. Imagine going out to a business lunch and using a sippy cup.

What do you guys think about sippy cups for 11-year-olds?

Comments

[D Page]

I love your advise, and hate to disagree with you, but want everyone to stay well informed.

The over use of sippy cups has been linked to speech problems. When my son was two our pediatrician advised us to begin using a "big boy" cup to help speech development.

I see no problem using sippy cups at this age (other than the embarrassment factor) if it is something they have gone back to, So that when, at that crucial age their speech didn't suffer.

[Gretchen]

Sippy cups for adults ... isn't that what travel coffee cups are? Skip the Playtex cups and give the kids some insulated coffee cups with closable lids for Easter. No embarrassment, not many spills - problem solved.

[hedra]

Sippies are also linked to tooth decay in the front teeth (same as bottle mouth) in older kids.

Our oldest (9) will occasionally use a sippy when he's in a spill-risk situation and he can't find one of the many other options we have (straw cups, non-sippy spillproof cups, sports bottles, water bottles, travel mugs). But he prefers an open cup, thanks.

[Maria]

And I've been worrying because my daughter is still using sippys at 3 and a half! Her speech is ahead of the curve, so I'm not worried about that. Don't really know what I'm worried about. Both she and I appreciate the no-mess factor of sippys.

I have been thinking of getting her a Kleen Kanteen in order to get rid of the plastic aspect of the sippys. There are obviously lots of no-spill options for older kids/grownups.

I admit that I love sippys in the middle of the night when I have a cold – you wake up desperate for a drink, reach out in the darkness, no spill, no fumbling to open anything, genius!

[Heather AKA Epiphany Alone]

How unusual. I can see having a non-spill option for the car or the middle of the night, as Maria suggested above, but there are a lot of adult options.

My 4 1/2 year old drinks out of a sports bottle in the car.

[wood from sweetjuniper]

Our dentist last week told us to watch the sippy cups with our 2 year old, because there are concerns that too much reliance on sippy cups alters facial muscles.

I thought this was a bit out there when I heard it -- especially for a two year old -- but apparently there are concerns about long-term use of sippies.

[Kate]

I'm surprised that an 11 year old would go for it, frankly, particularly if he has younger siblings.

We don't know a lot of kids older than about 4, but from what I've seen, they really appreciate that they are trusted with "adult" place settings. (The last time we had a six year old over I gave her a regular china plate and real glass instead of the plastic that the 2.5 yo kids had; she then asked for a knife, which I gave her with her parents' ok.)

My daughter (2.5) totes a sippy cup of water all over the house, but if we all sit down to a meal together she uses an open cup.

I agree there are other non-spill options that don't scream "sippy with a spout." But different strokes, I guess.

[laura]

I wonder if this is one of those trendy things-- like the kids wearing and using pacifers a few years back (for all I know, they still do.) Especially if the cups have characters that crossover into tween/teen culture, like Hello Kitty or the Power Rangers

[cagey]

Regardless of what we think about sippy cups, dentists are pretty opinionated on the topic. According to them, sippy cups promote tooth decay because the liquid is directed the back of the front teeth, as opposed to a straw, which directs liquid towards the back of the mouth.

http://www.ada.org/public/media/releases/0701_release01.asp

[Charisse]

Are we totally sure the non parents who wrote in can tell an actual sippy cup from a straw cup? Just asking...it wouldn't have been obvious to me before I had a kid.

At our house we're down to 2 sippies owned--the rest are worn out. I'm just about to try open cups at dinner again for my almost-3 (she used them before and has continued using them at daycare, but a few months ago started insisting on "eating" milk out of an open cup with a spoon. I went back to sippies to avoid the mess and I have to say I just forgot all about it.)

[Chaya]

You say that you and your fiance "tend to notice other parent's parenting techniques and think of what we would do differently."

Be careful. It definitely is important for the two of you to determine how you want to parent, but be wary of judging or jumping to conclusions. I have a sister with 2 kids older than mine, born before I got married, and then her 3rd is the same age as my first, and her 4th is between my 1st and 2nd kid. I used to constantly analyze and judge her parenting (she is pretty crunchy granola, natural parenting, etc). On the one hand, it is a good way to see what you believe and want, on the other, now that I have kids, wow did I have no clue what I was talking about. And for the record, we thought she was a crazy nursing fanatic, and I ended up nursing my kids months longer than she ever did, because she got pregnant with the next ones so quickly. Point is, until you are there and seeing the whole picture, you can talk about your own ideas, but be careful of doing it by judging others' decisions.
And, the details, like sippy cups, are just details. Don't over analyze. Every parent has things that they are uptight about, and others that they let go. Nobody can be an idealist on EVERYTHING. So, yeah, I agree a kid that age drinking out of a sippy cup is odd, who cares? Yes, it may be bad for their teeth or speech or embarassing or whatever. Do you trust that these are good parents? Either ask them what the deal is, or give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are doing.
Save your parenting planning and energy for the big issues, and realize that you can never really make the decisions until you are in the situation anyway, because every kid is different, as are every set of parents different, and you just can't predict. I am sure most of us are not precisely the parents we would have described pre-kids, for better and worse.

[cass]

Thanks Chaya, I was going to jump in with something similar. I think it's great to think ahead to your parenting philosophy and discuss goals, but be careful not to plan it all now or you'll just be one of the many people (me too!) saying "Another thing to add to the list of stuff I never thought I would do/say/allow as a parent."

I went through a brief phase as a teen where I carried around and drank from a bottle - something I NEVER did as a baby (I was exclusively breastfed, no bottles). It was a goofy teenager thing, I guess. It also was a really brief phase.

[Kayla]

I agree with a PP that my first reaction was "do they know what they mean by sippy cup?". I know in my pre-kids days I would have probably classified any cup with a lid as a sippy cup, maybe they do too. Cause I just can't see an 11 y/o drinking from a traditional sippy. Heck, my 16 month old wont really drink out of them anymore (except for the take-and-toss type). He drinks out of the munchkin straw cups now.

[Amy]

Just a quick (repetitive) comment to say that I agree with the above posters who say:

-Are they certain this is a sippy cup and not a straw cup? And if it's a sippy, maybe they don't view it as any different than a sports bottle?
-And, maybe it's one of those shortlived fads among pre-teens ... I remember when eating giant vitamin C tablets was all the rage in 6th grade. Bizarre, but true.
-And, definitely good to think about parenting in a general way, but until you have your own kids, be careful ... it's easy to think you know what you'll do, but a lot of that will fly out the window when it's your turn - I guarantee it.

[bec 37]

This discussion reminded me of an episode of Supernanny, where the family had several children, all of whom used sippy cups. I don't think any of them were 11, but they were definitely past toddlerhood. Nanny Jo didn't just think they were too old for sippy cups, but also insisted that they go cold turkey; she found the sippy cups that were stored throughout the house and threw them all away. At the time I wasn't sure I agreed with her method, because I thought that the sippy cup might be a security item for the children, like a pacifier, and it would be better to wean them from it gradually so they wouldn't freak out.

Sippy cups are great, but I think straw cups are better, even for little ones. They strengthen the muscles used for speech. Both of my kids picked up their usage easily. Just something to keep in mind when you have your own kids!

bec :D

[ALG]

I was looking at Nalgene bottles the other day, and I almost bought one that was a "sippy Nalgene." It looked very practical--you don't need to unscrew anything and it wouldn't spill and would be easier to drink from while walking or running. I didn't buy it because I'm 27 and it would be embarrassing to drink from such a thing in public, but I won't say I wasn't tempted.

Except for at meals, I almost exclusively drink from small-necked water bottles, sports bottles, covered commuter mugs. I think it's a smart thing to do around computers. My grandfather, may he rest in peace, thought that adults drinking from water bottles was infantilizing and ridiculous. He said it made adults look like babies chugging out of baby bottles. That was definitely a generation gap issue.

[callie]

We used to empty and drink out of tic-tac containers.
Bet my parents got lots of weird looks for that one. I specifically aim not to have my children drink out of empty candy containers. That really is our main parenting goal. Everything else is just fine- piercings, pre-marital sex, recreational drug use, no discipline techniques, and the like. So long as they don't drink out of an empty (or full) bubble tape dispenser, I've done my job.

[Diana]

I would most definitely jump on the bandwagon about mess containment AND the bandwagon about the fact these may or may not be straw cups.
My 5 year old is extremely klutzy. I guess it's just her nature (and it runs in the family, lol) but she will find a way to knock over all cups in her vicinity. It drives me NUTS, esp. when sitting down with a full glass of iced tea only to find it on the ground and under the couch shortly. It really doesn't matter where I put the drink because she will find it and knock it over. Can you tell how frustrating this is? Lol. But anyway, if she's not drinking out of a sippy cup, she is drinking out of something like a juice box, just so when it's knocked over there's no big spill.
Frankly, I don't see the skill involved in drinking out of a cup. She has been capable of drinking out of a cup for quite some time, but she rarely does. Didn't we all use straws as kids? Even at school in our milk with our lunches?

[pnuts mama]

just adding- when pnut was evaluated for occupational therapy i was all freaked out that she *wasn't* drinking from as sippy yet (at about 14 months) and was super concerned she wasn't getting enough liquids...anyway the OT actually recommended straw type sippies for those reasons listed above- dental issues, issues with the mouth, etc. she said it is actually harder for a kid to sip strongly enough a mouthful of liquid out of a traditional sippy than something with a straw, and that is what can cause difficulties in some kids, mostly kids who would be prone to issues to begin with.

after trying to teach my slightly physically delayed child how to drink out of a straw (and also those water sport squirt bottles) i gave up with all the mess- and went back to the sippy! she got the hang of it and is fine now. although by now those sippies are in need of replacement and i am looking into new versions- i've heard good things about the munchkin w/straw as well as the nuby? anyone else have good sippy straw recommendations?

[Lisak]

My kids are 8 and 10. We just banned sippy cups for the ten year old, figuring it was past time. We always have cups of milk at meals (with no lid). However, in today's world we seem to take a beverage of some sort (water, juice for the kids in the a.m., coffee, etc) with us everywhere. And not just in the house, but in the car, on hikes, to the kids sports events. So for us, we have sippys with straws, and sports bottles, but in the house the sippy's have stayed simply for mess containment. The lids have been wearing out, so I think we're down to just four, but my carpet and furniture has been saved from many a spill with sippy's. We haven't seen any detrimental effects on teeth or speech as a result of using sippy's. Neither of my kids is embarassed to use them. It's a matter of convenience for everyone.

[rachel]

i have always thought sippys were creepy and unappealing, i won't go into the reasno why, that would be to long a post. but, i refused to let my baby use one. instead, for mealtimes, we use little tea cups and platic cups that come with a tea party set. she stated using them when seh was around 1 year old and now at 15 months she can use a regular size cup. she can even carry it pretty far without spilling. she can also drink well out of water bottles and that is what we use in the car or on the playground.

[Laura]

Isn't there an issue with chemicals leaching out of plastic sippy cups and bottles? I thought a study just came out. My almost-three-year-old loves his Sigg bottles with the sports tops.

[Bethany]

I'll follow up what Chaya said by adding that, although you do know your fiance's nieces/nephews, you can't know everyone's situation. Our 2.5-year-old nephew B has Autism Spectrum Disorder. He has sensory issues and food issues, and partly as a result of that he still eats some jarred baby food and drinks milk from a baby bottle in before naps and bedtime. My SIL & her husband have been working hard with B for months on self-feeding and transitioning to a sippy cup, but it's a long, slow road. If you saw B in public, though, you wouldn't necessarily know at a glance that he was anything but "normal", and then if you saw his mom feeding him baby food you'd probably wonder what that crazy woman was doing feeding pureed sweet potatoes to a preschooler. But there is actually a reason.

So the point of this long-winded comment is, don't jump to conclusions about someone's parenting style too quickly. It's great to watch and learn from a variety of people, and wonderful that you're thinking about it far in advance. Just try to remember there might be more to the story than what you can see.

[Jen3 @ amazing trips]

WTF?!?!? Is this a joke post???

Seriously ... I'm ROFLMAO!!!

Barring any developmental problems with the child - I truly cannot imagine an 11-year old WANTING to drink from a sippy cup. Heck, our 2-year olds don't want to drink from a sippy cup!!!

[Gina Savage]

I must say that if I hear one more parent say that my 2 or 3 year old has a speech problem because...I will scream! Sippy cups are no more related to speech problems as pacifiers are. Parents ask doctors and they get the answers they want to hear. My son is 2 1/2 and speaks clearly and fluently in sentences. He uses a sippy cup to drink as well as a regular glass at times and a pacifier at times. He also is just like other 2 1/2 year olds. He throws a tantrum sometimes and doesn't pay attention. These parents who blame pacifiers and sippy cups probably think their child has ADD as well. Please, speech problems happen and they can be fixed but let's stop putting the blame on everything the kids "use". Maybe the parents just don't spend enough time correcting a child when he can't get the words out!

[Kay Nunez]

My 14 year old stepdaughter drinks out of a sippy cup..flipping weird I say!

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