Banish the image of a sippy (or tippy) cup from your mind! As soon as your child can manage to hold a small sturdy drinking glass, find one that will fit into his or her hand securely. You can use a weighted shot glass, small measuring cup, or other solid glasses that do not tip over.
Clear glass facilitates your child's ability to see the liquid in the glass, making it easier for him or her to begin developing the hand-eye coordination necessary to drink from the glass.
And, save the sippy cup for long car rides (since you have your coffee cup, both of you will have car sippy cups).
Adventures in Autism
12 years ago
4 comments:
What are the recommendations for a toddler who likes to take a sip from their cup and then pour the remainder on the floor? We've explained we don't pour water on the floor (which is wood, argh) and we've given him ample opportunities to pour water in the sink (from various cups and ladles, into different pots and cups) and to pou water outside, when the weather's nice... but we still have problems with him pouring water out of his water glass.
Hmmm, how old is your toddler? Is he or she already mobile and walking?
Assuming your child is an older toddler, here is one idea:
Say, "This is a cup of water. It is for drinking. Let's sit down together as you drink it." Sit down next to your child. Try using 1/3 cup of water. As you sit at the table, say "Would you like a drink of water?" and hand the cup to your child. He or she drinks or doesn't, but do not leave the cup on the table. If he drinks it, offer more water and repeat the process.
If your child tries to pour the water out, you are right there to anticipate it and hold the cup. The two of you can hold the cup together, if needed, for the first few times. If your child does try to pour it out, say that "This is a cup of water. It is for drinking. Please do not pour it out."
This should be just a phase, which I know is not really helpful right now. It is important not to talk about it lots or it becomes a game and point of interest for your child. This is why I suggest the straightforward approach above. Note that not pouring the water is only mentioned if he makes an attempt at it.
Good luck! I'd love a video, but I guess that would just encourage the pouring.
He's 22 months right now and has been walking for almost a year now. He's a BIG 22mos, though. He's 33lb and 3' tall. He is able to get his own cup of water from the water dispenser (and I encourage him to do so when he's thirsty). But then he pours it out on the floor.
I KNOW he's only curious... but the expensive bottled water is not the medium to experiment with. Nor is the wooden floor a good landing pad for his experimentation.
If I can catch him doing it, I will definitely add a video to a reply. He's a very capable little man... which, I suppose, is why it's so jarring when he does something like dumping a cup of water on the floor instead of drinking it. He seems older than he is, until he doesn't. *L*
Wow, I bet it's hard to remember that he is only 22 months -- and probably when other people meet him they expect him to act older than he is, too. I wonder what would happen if you removed the water dispenser for a week or two, used a pitcher or something less inviting to play with, and then reintroduced the dispenser after he had forgotten this entertaining game he has created. It might be helpful to try having him get water at the sink for a few weeks.
It does sound like a video would be really amusing and quite the keepsake ;-)
Post a Comment