The Definitive Guide on Sippy Cups

What would the world be like without sippy cups? As a parent, you would be doing a lot of mopping. A sippy cup gives your kid the opportunity to hydrate themselves practically anywhere, without the concern of spillage. They give you the piece of mind that your leather couch will most likely not be stained with milk. Despite my best intentions to stay focused on completing this article, I keep on thinking about how I"m sure the cow, that made that leather, hosed itself down with milk all the time.

When it comes to modern day technology I place sippy cups and spill-free technology to be tops in the noodad category. By far, sippy cups are the most important application of the invention, we know as plastic, within our segment. There is, however, some important items to note when buying, cleaning, and using sippy cups.

As the proud owner of 18, count them, 18 sippy cups in our family collection, I feel I am well-versed in the subject. And being the thirsty dad that sometimes swigs from my kids sippys, I know which ones work and which ones don"t work as well. That is why, I, Noodad, am proud to pass along my vast sippy cup experience to you.

BRAND NAMES
A sippy cup is a sippy cup. Right? No. That"s why sippy cups made my When To Buy Generic List. You need to purchase brand name sippy cups at all cost. Brand name sippy cups don"t leak as often, are easier for your kid to hold, and last longer.

Now that you have been overwhelming convinced by those proof points, there are some additional things to note. Many popular brands try to alter the design of their sippy cups every year. Some are improvements, but most are just excuses to sell more sippy cups to the same people. Its sort of like when Lucas put out the Special Editions. Changed not because it s broke. Changed because people will buy again. Or like when they came out with Rodimus Prime. He may have been gold, but Optimus still ruled. The point is, buy brand names but with brand names you still need to be cautious.

CLEANING
Obviously it is important to properly clean the sippys. The last thing you want to hear is, "Daddy, this bumpy yogurt milk tastes funny". Because sippys are designed to be leak-proof, there are frequently parts that need to be properly cleaned and dried. A dishwasher is best. You have the satisfaction in knowing super hot water got blasted at the plastic pieces. But when a dishwasher is not available, I recommend soaking all the parts in soapy water for a few minutes.

No matter the cleaning method, it is imperative to make sure all parts are completely dried before putting them back together. Ever put something remotely damp in an airtight container? Its dry heave city, my friends. To paraphrase Chunky A (Arsenio Hall"s rotund gangsta alter ego) "That cup"s got stank breath, yo man I ain"t lying. That cup"s got stank breath, I almost started crying".

QUANTITY
So how many sippy cups do you need to buy? I recommend 6 cups per kid. It breaks down like this. You will need 1 sippy cup for milk and another cup for a beverage outside of milk. Then you need an alternate cup for one of the following scenarios: Your kid dropped one of them in the dirt, your kid yacked because the milk was bad, or you"re out of the house and you need one for the car or restaurant. I then doubled the number to 6, assuming worst case scenario, that you run your dishwasher every 2 days.

That"s my recommendation but there really isn"t a right answer. The funny thing about sippy cup quantities, is that you will go through as many as you buy. Remember we have 18 sippy cups for 2 kids and we go through almost all of them every time we run the dishwasher. There"s always some case of the sickly neighbor"s kid picking up your kid"s cup by mistake. Or your son using his sippy cup to scoop out toilet water onto the bathroom floor.

BUYING THE RIGHT CUP
There are hundreds of sippy cup options out there these days. Sorry to say, one model will not last you the life of your kid"s sippy cup drinking years. When they are first starting the sippy experience, they will require smaller cups with bigger handles. They will need smaller mouthpieces and more grip-able bodies. As they get older, they will use taller cups with no handles. Then they will work up to taller cups with no plug. Then onto your vintage Burger King Empire Strikes Back glasses. Just kidding noodads. You have my permission to restrict lip contact with your beloved Lando cup to just you. When choosing sippy cups you should target cups that have a minimal amount of pieces and look like they won"t dent when it gets thrown down onto the ground.

ORIENTATION
You should get to know the sippy cup when you bring it home. Feel the texture. Put the pieces through its paces. Sleep with it like you did when you got your first baseball glove. You should be able to take it apart and put it together correctly every time. Then you should be able to do the same thing with one hand and in the dark with the pieces scattered in a drawer. (Warning: Do not put the loose parts in your knife drawer). Don"t knock the method! One day, and that day may never come, you will be asked to perform a service to the Godfather (AKA your kid: you know, the one who pulls all the strings) and that service will be to put together the sippy cup in the dark with one hand and with the parts loose in a drawer.

THE LINEUP
The following are some models from my personal collection. I have noted the pros and cons of each. First let me offer some more advice. When you find a sippy cup that you like, buy a ton of the same kind. That way you never have to worry which top or plugger goes to which cup.

Gerber Fun Grips 10-oz Spill-Proof Cups
Pros: Durable, colorful and only 3 pieces. Hard to knock down. Also comes with temperature sensitive plastic so you can quickly tell if the milk is warm.
Cons: If dropped, sometimes the plug pops out. It is too wide to fit on most stroller cup holders.

Playtex "The First Sipster" 7-ozSpill-Proof Cup
Pros: Built-in handles are very easy for your kid to grasp.
Cons: Hard to screw the top on with one hand.

Evenflo Trainer Cup 6-oz Soft Spout
Pros: Handles are separate so the cup can transition with your kid.
Cons: Too many pieces (4). Soft spout is easy to chew bits off of it.

Playtex "The Insulator" 9-oz Straw Sport Cup
Pros: Straw closes within the cap. Tall and skinny makes it easier to hold and fits most cup holders.
Cons: Your kid can chew a piece off the straw. Inside straw can fall off when cup is dropped.

Avent Magic Non-Spill 7-oz Trainer Cup
Pros: Soft spout. Magic Valve allows for OJ and other "pulpy" juices to flow.
Cons: Tons of pieces means tons of pieces to lose.

Good luck noodads.