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Drinking from a straw

On a recent hot day, Henry and I went for a walk to a local coffee shop where I purchased an iced tea. When Henry saw me drinking from the cup, he immediately reached out his arms and started swinging his legs. I know that sign is a request for water, so I gave him the cup thinking that he might gnaw on the straw. But Henry surprised me by slurping the tea through the straw. Babies are not supposed to be able to handle a straw, but I guess Henry is an exception to the rule.
Henry is an expert at drinking from a straw.

After the difficulty we have had with sippy cups, I went in search of a small cup with a straw for Henry to use at mealtimes. Most straw cups are marketed for toddlers after they have mastered a sippy cup. In fact, there’s a whole segment of sippy-to-straw cups that are designed help children transition from a sippy cup to a straw cup.

I had a difficult time finding a cup with a straw that would work for Henry. I was looking for one with a lid to prevent serious spills and something that wasn’t too large. Since many of these kids’ cups are designed for toddlers they would be too big for Henry to hold. I wanted a clear cup so that I can see how much Henry is drinking and when he might need a refill. In addition, several of these types of cups are known for having straws that easily split or break after only a few uses so I looked for cups that will be able to endure likely abuse from Henry’s future teeth.

My search turned up two versions that looked promising. I ordered the six-ounce ZoLi BOT Straw Sippy Cup and the ten-ounce The First Years Take & Toss Straw Cup.
The ZoLi BOT cup requires too much straw suction for Henry.

The ZoLi BOT cup has handles on the sides that are easy for Henry to grip and the straw is weighted so it always stays at the bottom of the cup. The straw is a very flexible material and can pop under the flip-lid when it is not in use for easy portability. These are nice features, but the straw requires a lot of suction. Henry actually burst into tears when he tried to use this cup but the water would not come through. This cup is rated for children over nine months, so maybe we will try again when he is a bit older.
The First Years Take & Toss Straw Cup works great for Henry.

Next we tried The First Years Cup. This has a very basic design with a plastic lid that snaps and a thick plastic straw. They are simple and light-weight. Although advertised as “take and toss” cups, they can withstand repeated use and are dishwasher safe. These are supposedly designed for children over 18 months, but Henry loves these cups. They are the easiest option I have found for him. Now Henry can easily take a sip of water without being flooded by a huge gulp or spilling it all over himself.

We may try the sippy cups again in a few months, but for now Henry is so excited to drink out of his new straw cups.
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