Can my child drink independently yet? An expert answers!
When is the best time to move a child from a bottle to a ‘grown-up’ cup? It is a common and straightforward question, but the answer is not so simple. There are several signs that a little one is ready to learn to use a cup. ‘We must also take into account the full range of motor experiences the child has acquired,’ cautions our expert, Bogusława Kwiecińska, a neurological speech and language therapist and sensory integration therapist.
In shops, new parents come across cups without teats, designed for use from 6 months of age. Suddenly, they realise that their six-month-old cannot drink independently. Many parents panic, worried that their child may have developmental difficulties. It turns out that there is no need to worry.
Is there something wrong with my child?
‘The age threshold set by manufacturers for starting to drink from a cup offers reassurance — to the parent. When buying the product, the parent feels looked after: they know the cup has certifications or has undergone testing to ensure the accessory is safe. But those 6 months have not come from nowhere. They reflect the child’s motor development. Before a little one can learn to drink from a cup, they first need appropriate movement patterns and gross motor abilities, which means development of the whole body,’ says Bogusława Kwiecińska.
Parents need to remember that every baby who has reached 6 months is ready to learn to sit up. In fact, they may already be sitting. This upright position is what allows a child to take liquid from a cup correctly. But before they reach that point, they need appropriate movement patterns. ‘A good exercise is lying on the tummy, supported at the front, which activates the abdominal muscles,’ the therapist suggests. ‘When a child moves their head in this position, they activate the muscles of the tongue, lips, cheeks and other parts of the mouth and face.’
The expert points out that if a child had increased or reduced muscle tone at earlier stages of development, they may need specialist help: exercises with a physiotherapist or a neurological speech and language therapist who can help them develop the appropriate swallowing mechanisms. Manufacturers’ age labels should therefore serve as guidance rather than put pressure on parents, because everything depends on the individual child’s abilities.
Is it time to introduce solid foods?
‘My child watches me when I eat and drink. Is that a sign that it is time to introduce more foods?’ Parents often ask this question. ‘A child who is sitting up sees the world from a different perspective to a child who is lying down,’ confirms Bogusława Kwiecińska. ‘Curiosity about the world and the desire to touch things and put everything in the mouth are not only the result of natural development, but also of imitation,’ she says, emphasising that some drinking cups with handles support the movements involved in reaching for food and feeding independently. ‘A child naturally strives for a degree of independence. Drinking from a cup on their own gives them precisely that independence.’
So how can we encourage this independence? Where should we begin when we want our child to learn to drink on their own? ‘In my work, parents sometimes bring me a bag full of cups and say they have tried everything, but their child still has difficulty drinking independently. As a specialist, I know that a child learning to drink correctly from an open cup needs a transitional stage. Children sometimes need to continue using their sucking pattern before they begin to swallow liquids correctly. This is where training cups can help.’