How do you teach to drink from a straw?

ghostgirl

I bought a munchkin straw cup for DD and right now she just sort of chews on the straw.  I have NO idea how to show her to use it.  Or is it just something they figure out themselves with time?

fiona21408

I think they just learn on their own, we took Fiona to Applebee's on friday and she got juice in a cup/straw and i thought let me see if she can do this and sure enough she drank from it.. that was her first experience w/a straw.  GL it was fun

pea-kay

juice boxes! that's what worked for me. i was able to put the straw in their mouths and squeeze the box a little. they got it almost immediately! (and i'd been trying with regular straw cups for a while.)

tzrbug

Yea they just kinda "get it" on their own. We used to dip straws in water, then give to him and kinda keep suction on the top of the straw so he had to suck a little to get it out. He loves anythign super cold. Try putting an ice cube maybe in her straw cup?

sailors__sweetheart

My husband taught our daughter...he just puckered his lips and made the sucking noise and she picked up on it. Now she is all about straws!

jessicada76

Whenever we went out to eat we would give Paige the straw with our finger holding the suction of the water and then let it slowly go into her mouth.  Then we would put the straw up to her mouth and let her try.  We did this 3 different times before she picked it up.  Paige was horrible about learning to use a sippy cup so I talked to my OT friend and she said try straw cups and that the bigger the straw the easier for them?! 

springtime81

tzrbug:

Yea they just kinda "get it" on their own. We used to dip straws in water, then give to him and kinda keep suction on the top of the straw so he had to suck a little to get it out.

This is exactly how we did it, and DS learned right away.  The look on his face when he then did it from a cup was priceless, he stopped drinking, smiled, and laughed!

jason&robin

DS has trouble with the sippies that have straws. He learned to use a regular straw first. We would forget his sippy at a restaurant and he would have to drink from a straw. He can do it now with the sippies. It just took some time and practice.

jlw2505

You don't teach it, they will just get it on their own at somepoint.  I would jsut keep offering it every few days or once a week and at some point, it clicks.  I know my older DD was a little over a year when she figured it out and my baby has no clue what to do with a straw at this point.

brooksygirl

DD got it really early for some reason, at 7.5 months or so. ?She used to chew on my water bottle straw, and one day I squeezed it a little and she was shocked when water shot in her mouth. ?She picked it up on her own not much later. ?I also have used a regular straw and fed her water that way, and she started sucking on it to get more out. ?Don't worry, your DC will get it!

wilkk34

Ditto on the straw and sippy cup.  Then I gave her the cup and she picked it right up.  I was amazed!!!