Drinking with Straws
Does your child need a shift from the bottle or a Sippy cup? Does he is not ready for a direct shift to a 360 or wide mouth cup?
A great option in this situation is drinking with straws. However, it is a little difficult to introduce it to your child. As it is a whole new thing; the child seems to struggle a bit with the straws. Once he gets comfortable with it; it is so much easier for the child to have his favourite fluids (e.g., milk, juice, or simply water etc.) without any difficulty or help.
Teach Your Child To Drink From A Straw
1. Choose The Right Straw
Look for the right size and width of the straw. You may select multiple types of straws and see which one is more suitable for your child after trying them all.
2. Hold The Liquid Into The Straw
When you dip the straw deep into the cup having liquid; it will rise above into the straw. Hold the other open end tight with your finger to create pressure inside. It will then hold the liquid into the straw. Now, you can remove it from the cup and it will still contain the liquid.
3. Try sipping
If you are facing difficulty in holding liquid into the straw, try to sip it up with your mouth until it is half-filled. Close the end near your mouth with your finger. Now, remove it from the cup. It will have the required liquid.
4. Tempt your child:
Tempt your child towards making an effort to get the liquid present in the straw. Make sure the end you are going to put inside the mouth of your little one is completely wet with the liquid present inside. The child will then try to get the whole of the liquid present in the straw.
5. Put The Straw Into The Mouth Of Your Child
- Put the other end of the straw into the mouth of your child. Once he closes his mouth around it, release a bit of liquid into his mouth; so he gets an idea that there is something he needs to get from the straw.
6. Sucking
Now, hold the fluid into the straw with your finger. Make your little one put some effort to get it. If the child is reluctant to suck, drip another few drops of liquid into his mouth and then stop it by creating pressure with the help of your finger. This will make the child make an effort to get more liquid.
7. Demonstrate
If the child is not getting how to suck, show him yourself with the motions of your mouth. The child will then try to imitate you and will begin to get the liquid out of the straw.
8. Repeat
Repeat the above steps until the child gets comfortable sucking from the straw.
9. Use straw cup
Put the straw into the cup or use a straw cup instead. Make your child hold it and tell him to suck the liquid from the straw to get it. Use a little amount of liquid in the cup to make it easy for the child to hold it and to avoid a mess.
10. Appreciate your child:
Appreciate every time the child can suck liquid from the straw. Clap for him and praise him loudly. Your appreciation will be great to motivate him to get a more out of it. It will be fun for him then.
Tips While Teaching Baby To Drink From Straw
1. Use Shorter Straws
Sometimes, the child finds it difficult to get hold of long straws. Moreover, the longer straw needs a lot more effort than a shorter one. So, the baby does not show adherence and quit the effort. A long straw is much more difficult to fit in the mouth than a shorter one. If you do not find shorter straws, cut the long straw into half and it is good to go with.
2. Start with small portions
Start with small portions of the liquid so the child can also hold the cup easily. It will also prevent any mess around while the child is struggling with the straw.
3. Favourite liquid
Using the child’s favourite liquid while teaching him how to use straw will make him learn things quickly. Use his favourite juices; the milk or start simply with water. Make him willing to make an effort by tempting him more and more.
4. Change straw:
Keep on shifting to different straw sizes if the child is not showing compliance with the former one. Some children are not comfortable with thin or skinny straws. Try wider straws and see if the baby is happy with them.
5. The Material Of Straw
The material of the straw also plays a vital role in determining child compliance to use a straw. If the straw is too flexible, the child will end up chewing it instead of sucking from it. Change the straw if your child cannot get hold of it.
Make it fun:
Do not make it tough for your child. Never rebuke him if he cannot get used to the straws. Try other strategies. Look for the problems. Tempt him more with his favourite liquids; colourful straws and straw, cups. The more the child tempts to get what is inside the straw, the easier it is for him to get used to it.
Remember, straws are always children friendly. Sooner or later every child learns how to use it. So, stay patient with your child. Every child needs a different time and is facing different problems while using it. Stay calm and focus on why your child is still hesitant towards using it. Solve it for him or give him another option. Try to make things easy for him. You will no longer be facing any problem once your child is comfortable with it. Your child will then also be able to use market available juices and other products.
Straws and Straw Cups are of great help for the children with Down’s syndrome.
Sucking from the straw will help children in exercising their mouth muscles. Moreover, it is a lot easier and comfortable for both parents and children once the child gets used to it. It needs a little more effort to tempt the child towards using straw as it is whole new stuff for him at this age. But your effort will be much beneficial for your child afterwards.
Stay patient, stay focused!
Your child is getting young!
Key Takeaways:
1. How To Teach Your Children To Drink From Straw
- Choose the best quality straw for your little one.
- Go for the colourful straws and straw cups to attract your child more and more.
- Dip the straw in the liquid and hold it into it by closing the end of the straw with your finger.
- Place the other end of your straw in your child’s mouth and drip a few drops into it, so he has an idea there is something he needs to get present in the straw.
- Hold the liquid inside and make your child do some effort to get it.
- If he cannot suck it, show him yourself how to do it, so he can copy your movements.
- Repeat the same for a few times
- Now, place the straw in a cup or use straw cup instead and tell your child to suck the liquid inside through the straw.
- Your child will master it with a little more practice.
2. Tips While Teaching Your Baby To Drink From The Straw
- Use vivid colors straws and straw cups.
- Use your child’s favourite drink.
- Change the straw if your child is not comfortable with the previous one.
- Stay calm and look for the problems your child is facing. Solve it for him.
- Keep it light and make it fun for him to learn it.
- Admire him every time he is successful in his efforts.
- Your child will learn it sooner or later. So, don’t rush and make it a big deal. Otherwise, he will be reluctant towards using it.
“What it’s like to be a parent: It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do but in exchange, it teaches you the meaning of unconditional love.”
I have been living in Texas with my husband and three kids. Raising kids is never easy and I too encountered a lot of difficulties. To manage all this, I worked into a lot of solutions and discovered the best possible!
Now, after years of experience, I am an expert mom who has worked on most of the things any parent can encounter in his life.
With my expertise, I embarked on a journey to help all the other moms out there in their perfect child rising. I am here to help you select the best for your little one and give the solution to all the problems you encounter in your daily life.
My words are not a mere combination of letters. These are the voice of my years of experience… all gained with the help of other experts and my self-exploring nature.
Let’s help each other in raising our children with the best.
Peace out!
