Does/Did anyone have this particular problem with sippies?

Discussion in 'The Toddler Years(1-3)' started by SC, Mar 22, 2011.

  1. SC

    SC Well-Known Member

    My boys are a little shy of 18 months old, but 15 adjusted.
    They have had the hang of sippies (tip and sip) for a while now, but our issue is that they spit their water everywhere (I am limited to giving them water right now because of the mess).
    We are still giving three bottles a day because we cannot rely on them getting their hydration through sippies.
    I give them sippies after each meal and they'll start off drinking a few sips okay and then within a couple of minutes the spitting starts. And, when one starts doing it, of course, the other copies. A few weeks ago I thought maybe I was making the sippies too much of a "treat" at the end of meals, so I let them roam the house with them throughout the day. Well, that was short-lived because I had pools of water everywhere. It's so bad at most meals that I have to strip them afterward.

    Just wondering if anyone has experienced this? When did it stop? Any tricks for helping them stop (I have switched sippies more than once with no luck). We constantly tell them "do not spit your water, swallow your water," "big boys don't spit," etc... but it almost eggs them on more. I have taken the sippies away and then I feel badly that they don't understand yet why I am doing that.

    At this rate I feel like they'll be on bottles forever.
     
  2. maybell

    maybell Well-Known Member

    when does it stop?? haha... for the most part it didn't last too long for us, but even now I'll look over and my ds is doing that, and spitting water into his food bowl. UGH!

    I can't remember what I did, but maybe they are getting too much water in their mouths... maybe a sippy that takes a little more sucking to get the water out?

    I remember the Munchkin ones that were simple were really hard to suck. We also switched to hard spouts at some point because the soft spouts would spill on contact if they were touched at all because the "valve" is right there at the tip... most others have the valve down an inch or so and moving the spout will keep the liquids in... unless... it's the kids sucking it all in and then spitting it out...

    hope you get it figured out!
     
  3. eagleswings216

    eagleswings216 Well-Known Member

    Our boys don't spit too bad, but mostly they will take a drink and then let it run out of their mouths. Once they start doing that, I usually just take the water away and offer it to them again later on. And they also like to turn the cup upside down and bang it to see if they can get water to come out. Another reason I take it away! Some days their shirts and the floor both end up soaked if I don't catch them quick enough.
     
  4. kingeomer

    kingeomer Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    Oh yes, I remember the spitting phase. It's more of "look what I can do" and "cool, this annoys Mommy!" I would tell the kids "no spitting" and put the sippy in time out for 15-20 minutes and they could get it back. It was a phase that my two got over pretty quickly (4-6 weeks at most). Another thing, it was hard, but I tried not to let the kids see how much it bothered me. When I had to reprimand them about it, I had to be as emotionless as possible and say, "no spitting, that's not polite and that's not how we drink."
     
  5. Heathermomof5

    Heathermomof5 Well-Known Member

    Maybe put milk in the cups to see if they swallow it?

    Once my girls figured out that they could spit, they thought it was the funniest thing ever! The phase did not last long but it comes back in spurts. They are 4 now and every now and then will still spit the difference is when they spit on each other the one who got spit on tells so it is not funny for long!
     
  6. MarchI

    MarchI Well-Known Member

    Mine do it for the same reason Nancy's did it. I put the sippy in time out when it happens.
     
  7. HorseyLover

    HorseyLover Well-Known Member

    I found my boys drank more out of the sippys as we removed the bottles. At this point - they just get a night bottle. If they don't get enough for a day or two until they adjust, that's okay. So maybe start with eliminating the middle of the day bottle. When my boys start spitting, i take it away.
     
  8. brieh

    brieh Well-Known Member


    My one daugher does this. Holds it for a second and then lets it all pour out. She doesn't do it with her milk, but still does it with water at mealtimes. I just us the rubbermaid straw boxes at lunch and dinner with water, but she'll do it with a regular glass as well. I found doing sippys and bottles was confusing and went cold turkey on them. It took a bit of adjustment. When she was thirsty she drank, if she messed around I took it away. It is really frustrating and messy!
     
  9. mommylaura

    mommylaura Well-Known Member

    One of mine did this briefly and I would just walk away. I think any attention to it encourages it. Now to get them to stop dropping the sippies and popping them open....grrrr.
     
  10. jajajayme

    jajajayme Active Member

    Oh my goodness! My girls use to do this and it drove me crazy! Lol... The first time they did it was funny. But then it quickly lost its 'funniness' lol. Whenever they did it, I would tell them no, or don't spit out your water, etc, and If they kept doing it, I take the sippy away. Eventually they stopped on their own. It probably went on for a couple months though:/ I believe it will stop eventually though!
     
  11. SC

    SC Well-Known Member

    Well, it sounds like we'll just have to wait it out. Maybe we are giving it too much attention by reprimanding every time they do it. Perhaps ignoring would be more effective. I don't know. They do both-- spit and let it run out of their mouths. My one DS likes to spit halfway across the kitchen while my other will let it run down his chin/chest.

    I did switch from the Munchkin soft spout sippies to the Avent harder spout sippies to make it more difficult to take huge gulps. It worked for about a week and then they mastered those and began the spitting again. With the Munchkin ones, my one DS also figured out he could easily push the whole nipple in and spill the water everywhere. That's what ended our use of those!

    Maybe I'll try taking them away when it starts. I'm just not convinced they understand consequences yet. But, I suppose with repetition they'd start to get it.

    Aaahhh, the joys of toddlerhood. This week they're teething again which has been a nightmare in itself, so I haven't even thought much about the spitting :rolleyes:!
     
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