When is a door not a door? When it’s ajar! Booom boom!!!

But what’s in a name?

Here’s a great reminder, from the National Oral Health Promotion Group’s position paper on no-spill cups/feeder/training cups, that names can be misleading:

“Health visitors find the word cup deceives carers into believing their child has progressed from sucking to drinking. However, the child who moves from a bottle to a non-spill feeder / trainer cup has not yet learnt to drink from a cup but continues to use the sucking action of drinking from a bottle.”

Mealtimes are a great opportunity to start the habit of healthy sipping from an appropriately-sized open cup. Make sure it’s small to fit the child’s mouth. Too big and it’s easier for the liquid to go down the cheeks!

Mealtimes are mostly three times a day, every day. That’s pretty regular! So they really offer a great chance to get this underway.

If it takes time, stick with it. You will be pleased and proud and your little one will have a better chance of a healthy smile.

Here are our top tips on how to use a Babycup mini open cup - for a bigger view and to download the guide free of charge visit our Learn to Sip page.