The sippy cup is hard to stop using. Fora parent it is great control of accidents and spill. For the child it is comfort and assurance we are taking care of them. However children need that time to spread and grow. They also need to have the chance to make the accident or not. Using a real cup and tossing the sippys out together and buying some sports bottles may seem like a waste in cost but ti is an important step. By having your child clean up and clean out the "baby" cups and move to "Big Kid" cups and plates is a major step in assuring them they can be responsible and independent. For Mom and Dad it might signal my baby is growing but in the long run they are still your little one moving to the next step. Take it form me I have one in college and I always get calls and texts on "how to do..."

Dassmina Oct. 21, 2009 at 2:43 PM

I can at least say that there are perks if you have a child with any kind of developmental issues.  We actually had Brody on a regular cup for a while and all of his therapists advised us to put him BACK on sippy/straw cups.  Because the sippy/straw cups actually require more oral motor skills to use and help his muscles to form the shapes that will help him make sounds.

aurorabunny Oct. 21, 2009 at 3:30 PM

My oldest kid used a sippy until she was like 5 1/2.  But that was because at the time her little sister was 3 and would spill everything.  Finally the oldest figured out how to keep her cup out of reach of her sister and was allowed to move to a regular cup.  The middle two used sippies until they were 4 and 5.  At the time the younger one finally got the hang of not spilling every 5 seconds.

My youngest hasn't used as sippy on a regular basis since she was like 20 months old and by 2 1/2 and I had thrown them all away.  She's been drinking from a regular cup since 18 months and regular water bottles since she was 2.

As for other "baby" stuff.  We still have all the kid plates, bowls, utensils and cups.  My 3yo usually uses them but the older kids prefer the bigger plates and silverware but usually use the kid sized bowls and they HAVE to use the kid sized cups (they are like 6oz cups).

They also all have blankets they've had since they were babies along with bigger ones.  I made them and they still use them for whatever.

justanotherjen Oct. 21, 2009 at 3:53 PM

My son is 5 and we still use them.  He has "adult" cups at the table, but for his cup he carries around the house (which helps him actually get enough fluids), I prefer a sippy cup.  They don't have valves, usually, but for the cup of water he has in bed or in the car, you better believe they do.  He also has "sports" bottle type things - we're just slowly transitioning over.  There's no rush.

As far as "kid" plates, who cares?  I still use some Care Bear plates I have, and I don't mind my son carrying a plastic plate.  Our other plates are for people who are less inclined to break them by accident. ;)

RanaAurora Oct. 21, 2009 at 8:34 PM

Mercy hates the sippy now (almost 2 years). I wish she'd use it because she's not extremely coordinated, but she does know how clean her messes up. She's slightly nuerotic about doing everything that mom and dad do.

fmchavez Oct. 21, 2009 at 11:36 PM

I'd just like to mention that the kids have their own "small" plastic dishes but the dishes the rest of the family (ie the 3 adults) use are also plastic.  I bought several sets of plastic picnic wear when the kids were younger so that we could have full sized plates that I didn't have to worry about getting broken.  Now the only time we bring out the breakable stuff is holidays and my 3yo still gets a plastic plate because she wants to carry her own and I'm afraid she will drop it.  We also only have plastic tumblers any more.

justanotherjen Oct. 22, 2009 at 10:35 AM

My son is 2 and is using a sippy cup sometimes and a regular cup sometimes, but I don't think he'll be using one in grade school. A sports bottle maybe if we're in the car or something, but around the house? No. We use plastic plates and cups most of the time so there's no worries about him breaking dishes.

I think the hardest thing we'll have to "wean" him from in the future is his baby blanket. LOL

Pollymom Oct. 22, 2009 at 2:48 PM

My son isn't school age, only 3.5 but the only baby thing he still uses is this now nasty stuffed tigger that he's had since he was 11 months old. It goes EVERYWHERE with him, i'm pretty sure it will gain a college education with him lol. I think when he hits kindergarten I won't allow it to go to school, but if he sleeps with it that doesn't bother me. As far as sippy cups he's been using a normal cup since before he was 3, and if he must drink in the car (like on long trips) he either gets a juice box or water bottle. I personally don't think its appropriate for older children to use sippy cups so I don't allow it for my child. 

ba13ygrl1987 Oct. 22, 2009 at 9:35 PM

I see nothing wrong with it,its really not much diffrent then us sipping from a water bottle

lovetocook64 Oct. 23, 2009 at 2:25 PM