Moving from bottle to cup without a fight
The transition is less about the cup than about when you offer it and what is in it.
There is no deadline
Guidance suggests introducing a cup somewhere around six months and reducing bottles through the second year. Those are ranges, and children move through them at their own pace.
A child still using a bottle at fourteen months is not behind.
Spouts, straws and open cups
Soft-spout cups are closest to a bottle and easiest to accept. Straw cups take more coordination but suit drinking posture better. Open cups are the end goal and are messy for months.
Most families end up owning all three, which is why sets exist.
Weighted straws
A weighted straw follows the liquid, so the cup works at an angle or upside down. For a child who tips everything, that is the difference between drinking and not.
It also removes the frustration of a straw that only works when the cup is nearly full.
Start with water, not milk
Offering the new cup with water at a relaxed moment separates learning the cup from being hungry. Milk in a novel cup at a hungry moment usually ends badly.
Once the mechanism is understood, what goes in it stops mattering.
Spill-proof is not leak-proof
Valve cups resist spills when knocked but will weep in a bag if inverted for long. That is normal and not a fault.
If it needs to travel in a change bag, it needs a lid over the spout as well.
Cleaning the parts
Valves and straws are where residue hides. Take them apart every wash and use a straw brush, or you will find the smell before you find the problem.
Sets sold with a cleaning brush are worth the small extra for exactly this reason.
Dropping bottles gradually
Replacing one bottle at a time, starting with the least emotionally loaded feed of the day, works better than stopping altogether.
The bedtime bottle is usually the last to go, and there is no prize for rushing it.
What it costs
Across the 19 items currently listed, prices run from $4.97 to $149.99, with the middle of the range around $14.50. That spread is worth knowing before you start comparing, because the cheapest and dearest options here are usually not the same kind of product at all.
Shipping is a flat $5.99 per order and free once the order reaches $49.00, which is set out in full on the Shipping Policy page.
Four products that show the range
The least expensive way in: The Honest Company Multi-Use Baby Wipes, Geo Mood, 60 Count at $4.97. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.
A step up from the basics: Burt’s Bees Baby Dusting Powder, 7.5 Ounces | Talc-Free, Pediatrician Tested, Baby Skin Care Essential, Helps Keep Skin Soft and Dry, 100 Percent Natural Origin at $8.79. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.
A middle-of-the-range option: Re-Play Spill-Proof Sippy Cups for Toddlers – Kids Reusable 10 Oz Set of 4, Dishwasher & Microwave Safe, Made in USA, Aqua, Lime, Yellow, Teal at $22.99. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.
The most substantial option: LININYHAO 4 in 1 Height Adjustable Baby Playard, Foldable Nursery Center with Music Box Toy Rack, Side Storage, Changing Table, Large Portable Playpen for Newborns and Toddlers at $149.99. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.
Coming in instead
Lullaby Baby is at 488 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215, open Mon–Thu: 11:00 AM–6:00 PM · Fri: 10:00 AM–2:00 PM · Sat: Closed · Sun: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM. If you would rather look at something before buying it, call +1 718-499-2742 and we will put it aside for you.
Anything already ordered can be followed on the order tracking page.
Where this sits in the shop
Lullaby Baby groups its range into 6 sections, so it is usually quicker to start from the group than to scroll the whole shop. These are the ones with stock on the shelf right now:
- Bath and Skincare — 8 items
- Sippy and Straw Cups — 4 items
- Feeding and Weaning — 2 items
- Bottles and Nipples — 2 items
- Nursery and Safety — 2 items
- Hair and Grooming — 1 item
If none of those is obviously right, the full shop lists everything on one page.
Questions that come up with this
Are you an actual shop or only a website?
An actual shop. The address is 488 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 and the opening hours are Mon–Thu: 11:00 AM–6:00 PM · Fri: 10:00 AM–2:00 PM · Sat: Closed · Sun: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM. The website carries part of what is on the shelves.
When will my parcel arrive?
We pack within one to two business days, and delivery inside the United States usually takes another two to five.
How much is delivery?
$5.49 flat, or nothing once the basket passes $45.00.
The FAQ page covers the rest.
Related reading
Other pieces in this journal that cover neighbouring ground:
- Bottle teat flow rates, and how to tell you have the wrong one
- Fragrance-free baby wash: what the label is actually telling you
- Starting solids: the equipment that earns its place
- Anchoring furniture: the ten-minute job people keep postponing
The full journal index lists everything we have written so far.
In short
The transition is less about the cup than about when you offer it and what is in it. If you want to talk it through rather than read about it, +1 718-499-2742 reaches the shop during opening hours, and the contact page has everything else.