By the time the child begins to sit, he is showing greater independence. The desire for self-care, parents should not only approve, but also in every possible way to encourage. The faster the mother allows the child to make the first mistakes, the faster he will overcome difficulties and learn many things. One of the first skills that does not require special skills, and the training of which is the easiest, is the ability to drink on your own. An intermediate option - a variety of baby drinkers - helps to get from a bottle with a pacifier to a cup.
What are the drinkers?
Specialized children's goods stores offer parents a huge number of accessories and items that greatly facilitate the care of babies. Baby drinkers are rightfully in first place in the ranking of the most popular purchases that mothers make for their babies. They come in different types: their prices, models and mechanism to help avoid small problems differ.
Such an acquisition will be useful not only for the child, because a non-spill mug helps him to drink on his own. Its use significantly reduces the risk of pouring water or compote all around, which can not but rejoice any mother. What are the main types of drinkers? It:
- bottle-mugs with a nose;
- bottles with a silicone straw.
A drinking cup with a straw or a spill?
The goal of any such accessory is to avoid spilling liquid when the child is drinking, but the principle of operation in these two subspecies is slightly different. A baby drinker with a straw suggests that the child needs to be able to draw fluid through a straw. Not every baby will be able to quickly understand what exactly needs to be done so that the liquid gets into his mouth. In addition, often in such drinkers there are no handles, and they have a rather large volume, which does not allow the child to freely hold it in his hands for up to a year. But what is a drawback for a tiny baby, for an older child is a clear advantage, because such children's drinkers do not need to be turned over. A child drinks more liquid, which means there is no need to constantly pour it into a mug. The most popular manufacturers of such bottles are: Tommee Tippee, Happy Baby, Next, Pigeon.
A non-spill mug with a spout can be with and without a safety valve. Most of the cups are equipped with handles and a protective cap that covers the spout from various bacteria getting on it. In addition, there are models made of special plastic that prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria, which allows compote or juice not to deteriorate in the container for quite a long time (Canpol). Understanding that children often gnaw at the bottle’s spout, which makes the drinker unusable, manufacturers offer customers replaceable nozzles (Avent, Pigeon, World of Childhood).
At what age does a child need a drinker?
There are many different types of accessories on the market, among which there are models for the smallest children. They can be used from birth. These bottles are notable for their convenient shape and soft silicone nozzle, thanks to which parents can drink their child. Non-spill mugs with a nose and handles are preferable to offer children from six months, but those with a straw - after a year.
When choosing, it is very important to consider how much the baby knows how to control its movements, and also whether the bottle fits comfortably in his hand.
The age to which a child needs a drinker is not limited. You can take a bottle with a straw for a walk, even when your offspring is 3-4 years old, because it is convenient, hygienic and practical.
What to consider when choosing?
When choosing a drinker for the baby, parents should be guided by the individual characteristics of the child. It happens that he does not like this or that model, and he has to try several types in order to choose the best option. After all, all children are different, their preferences may be different, and parents should consider them when choosing children's drinkers. Reviews of many parents indicate that very small crumbs do not perceive a mug with a valve very well - to drink, the baby needs to make a lot of effort. If it is not yet strong enough (due to its age), it is worthwhile to postpone the use of such a model for a couple of months.
General recommendations for choosing a drinker:
- It should be made of plastic that does not contain bisphenol-A, this is a guarantee of its safety.
- The size of the bottle should correspond to the age of the baby - too large and heavy, he just can not hold in his hand.
- It is advisable to choose a model without excessive bends and perforations, otherwise it will be difficult to wash the bowl.
- The nose or tube should be moderately hard - the child will gnaw easily on soft material.
How to teach a child a cup?
Baby drinkers with a nose help the baby learn how to turn the bottle over, encouraging him to quickly learn to drink from a regular cup. Of course, you can do without a drinker, our mothers and grandmothers are excellent proof of this. Perhaps his absence will even teach the child to drink from an ordinary mug faster, but is it really worth the extra nerves due to sticky stains and dirty clothes and endless washing?