A baby is either breastfed or bottle-fed, but as your baby gets a little older, he or she can gradually learn to drink from a cup by itself. Different models are available for each phase of this learning process. In this article we explain when which cup is best suited for your toddler.

From bottle to cup 

Drinking from a cup is a skill that children gradually learn. This whole process starts when they are about four months old on average and takes about fifteen months in total.

Many cups indicate the recommended age for the cup, but you don't have to follow that to the letter. After all, every child learns to drink at its own pace. So which cup to give to your toddler depends on their development at that moment.

The right cup for your toddler

Depending on your child's progress in terms of its oral motor skills and hand-to-eye coordination, you can use one of these four models:

1. Trainer cup

A trainer cup has a spout and ergonomic, soft handles. This will introduce your baby to drinking cups and teach him or her how to hold it. In the meantime, you can continue bottle feeding.

2. Spout cup

A spout cup supports the transition to a sucking drinking reflex. The spout is usually soft, so it doesn't hurt the gums.

Straw cup

In some cases, it may be useful to give your toddler a cup with a straw in the intervening period. These cups help further develop the child's oral motor skills.

Cup with a rim

The ultimate goal is to have your toddler drink from the rim of a cup, just like an adult. Of course, this is never without a few spills. That's why cups with an 'anti-spill rim' are particularly handy.