I baby led weaned my son at six months of age which is currently the guideline in the UK for when to wean your child onto solids. I was also eager to wean him off his bottle and teach him to drink from a cup as early on as possible, so I introduced him to a spouted cup soon after introducing solids as this seemed like a good time to train him in the use of a cup. It is best to wean your child off the bottle as early on as possible, as drinking from a teat can lead to tooth decay and it is believed that it can slow down speech development. ‘Sippy’ cups (spouted beakers) are no better than drinking from a teat, so it is best to try and use an open cup as soon as possible.
Once my son was confidently drinking from his ‘Sippy’ cup I decided to remove the lid, however removing the lid from his spouted beaker did inevitably mean that he ended up wearing more of his drink than what he actually drank. I didn’t mind the wet T-shirts and spills as feeding time is always going to be messy, I did want to make sure my son was drinking enough and I was aware that he wasn’t getting enough fluids. With this in mind I started to look for a different style of cup that would be easier for him to drink from. I came across a slanted cup which was the next stage in training him to drink from a beaker. I then continued looking at different beakers that are designed for toddlers; with so many different beakers on the market it makes it more difficult to know which one will be best suited.
After much searching I eventually came across the Steadyco range of toddler feeding equipment on Amazon, their cups have won numerous awards which gave me a great deal of confidence in purchasing one of them for my son. They come in a range of colours to choose from red, pink, yellow, blue, or red, all of which are around £2.00. I opted for the pink cup and I was eager to see what was so good about them, and hoped that my son would like his new cup. Even though my son had had two cups prior to this one, they are designed in such a way that your child can be weaned straight from the bottle onto these.
The
Steadycup is designed for toddlers and preschoolers however the recommended age for use is 12 months, this of course depends on your child’s development. It has a large open top making it “mouth friendly” and a wide base which will prevent little ones from knocking it over, so less spills, giving a child more confidence in using the cup. The handle looks very small but it is just the right size for little hands and can help increase dexterity and co-ordination. The beaker is bright in colour so it will appeal to a child, and it’s nice chunky design means it is durable, they are also stackable which is handy for storing them when not in use. It is made out of polypropylene which is a non toxic plastic and it is
BPA free, another advantage is that it is fully recyclable. It will hold 6oz of water, and you can also use it for milk.
I was really excited to introduce my son to his new grown-up cup; I decided to fill it with water to let him try out his new cup with his lunch.
Since my hungry little boy had started weaning he doesn’t have time to drink as he is more interested in eating and would rather eat than drink, so I was hoping his new cup would increase his fluid intake. Once the cup was placed onto his highchair tray he was immediately interested and was peering over to look inside, I also encourage him and told him about his “new cup” he had already been watching the rest of the family at meal times and he had mastered chewing his food in no time. I also sit him with us at meal times as this teaches him how to eat and drink, he had seen me drink from a cup many times and knew what it was for. My son reached for the handle immediately without being prompted and tried to lift the cup; I assisted him and held the cup from the opposite side around the base to guide him. He was a bit excited and was grinning whilst putting it to his mouth but he managed to drink some without spilling any, other than a bit that spluttered from his mouth as he chuckled feeling pleased with himself. After a couple of days he was taking drink from the cup without any help at all and he had gained confidence in using his cup, his fluid intake increased which I was pleased about and I was very proud of my son.
The fact that it has a wide base meant my son didn’t accidently knock over his drink whilst reaching out for it, which is a great boost for his self confidence. However this doesn’t deter my son from throwing his cup on to the floor as all children do at this stage, luckily it bounces and is durable so it won’t crack or break. My son drank confidently from the cup and each time he used it he would smile as he would pick it up, as he felt a great sense of achievement. He could now feed himself independently and enjoy his meal times, leaving me free to eat my own meal. The cup lasted well and didn’t suffer any teeth marks over the time it was in use. I was so pleased with it that I went on to buy another two in different colours. My son used these cups for several months as they are hard wearing and last well, and are affordable too.
They can be put in the dishwasher, and sterilised, and they can be used in the microwave. Steadyco also have a ‘Let’s EAT’ range of fun and innovative tableware which is designed for preschoolers.
www.steadyco.com
Steady as a Cup! 
