“CHEERS!”
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Make
sure your child is in an upright, comfortable position. Give
your child a cup that is an appropriate size. A
cup with a handle is easier for him to grasp. Fill
the cup to the top or make a cutout on one side of the cup so that your child’s
head does not have to tip back to drink. Give
your child a paper cup with nothing in it. Have your child practice holding
the cup and bringing it to your child’s mouth. Start
with a thicker liquid like yogurt or a milk shake (it is easier to control).
Gradually make the liquid thinner. Increase
the amount of liquid in the cup as your child gets better at drinking from it. Fill
the cup with your child’s favorite drink. Provide
your child with a cup whenever he is asking for a drink. Play tea party with your child and stuffed
animals. Give
your child a drink in fun, colorful cups. Model
drinking from a cup. Give
your child verbal directions such as, “Pick up the cup with two hands, bring it
to your mouth, tip your head back,” etc. Use
hand over hand assistance to guide your child’s hands to lift the cup up, bring
it to his mouth, drink from the cup and put it back down. Then reduce the
physical prompts as your child becomes more confident and successful to
independently drink from a cup.
