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  • 516-669-0434
  • Blog
  • Courses
    • Picky Plate To Clean Slate
    • How To Manifest Help And Money For Your Struggling Child
  • Free Webinars
    • How Word Choice Can Make Or Break Your Mealtime Webinar
    • Strategies for Improving Mealtimes With Picky Eaters Webinar
    • Setting Up Family Meals For Success Webinar
    • How To Navigate Unwelcome Comments From Well Meaning Family and Friends
  • Products
    • Freebies
    • Audio Downloads
    • Scoop Clip
    • Mealtime Mindset Book
    • 1:1 with Christine
    • Therapist Resources
  • Podcast
    • Listen Now
    • Watch On YouTube

Feeding Blog

how to raise a happy healthy eater

Stop Letting Insurance Dictate Your Child's Health: Learn How to Manifest Money for Their Care

4/25/2023

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Are you tired of feeling trapped by insurance companies when it comes to your child's health? It's time to take control and learn how to manifest the money you need to get your child the help they deserve. No more choosing between your child's health and feeding your family.

If your child needs help, there's nothing more heartbreaking to learn than the provider you want- that will be the best fit for your child -doesn't take insurance or doesn't take YOUR insurance. Stop the cycle of being at the mercy of your insurance provider to pay for your child to get the help they need. It ends today.

Personally, I had to unlearn my past ideas about money and I want to share what I've learned with you. This course isn't just about helping your child, it's about changing your entire life. You shouldn't be struggling with money, ever. You shouldn't have to choose between 

Join me in learning how to manifest the money you need to get your child the help they need. Don't let insurance dictate your child's health. It's time to empower moms everywhere and leave the antiquated insurance companies in the dust.

Let's make sure every child gets the help they need, no matter their financial situation.

Join me in my masterclass on how to manifest in 5 easy steps. It's affordable yet comprehensive to help you get on your way with getting the best help for your child. 

Click here to learn more and sign up!

This course is easy to follow with only 4 modules. Do it on your own time, from the comfort of your home. Click the link above to get more details on how to completely transform your life. 

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ADHD, mouth breathing, and feeding... is there a connection?

4/18/2023

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Oral motor issues that affect feeding often also affect feeding and sometimes speech as well! In a perfect world, when we are not speaking or eating, we breath through our nose alone, mouth closed! When this doesn't happen, we say that a person is a mouth breather, meaning they have an open mouth posture at rest and this can happen during the day or a night, or both! 

Scientists are discovering that there's a link between mouth breathing and one's ability to focus and pay attention along with a host of other things! Why? Well, mouth breathing brings less oxygen to your brain and we know we need oxygen to do anything well. Nasal breathing is significantly more beneficial to the body and mouth breathing is quite harmful actually. In most cases, mouth breathing is a temporary solution for a child who has blocked nasal passages from a cold or allergies. However, if mouth breathing persists over time, it can be a sign of sleep apnea, a deviated septum, tongue-tie, enlarged tonsils, or sinus polyps. 

Although snoring and mouth breathing are common now in children, physicians don’t usually screen for sleep-related breathing disorders. Parents should share ALL symptoms with their child's doctor at their next appointment.

ADHD and mouth breathing share some common symptoms, including: 
  • Brain fog 
  • Lack of attention to detail 
  • Irritability upon waking
  • Mood swings
  • Problems concentrating 
  • Crying episodes at night (not always)
  • Inability to concentrate 

How to Tell If Your Child Is Mouth Breathing 

When they are awake: 
  • Is their mouth open while awake and doing something that doesn't require talking (like watching tv, coloring, etc)? 
  • Do they chew with their mouth open? 
  • When looking at a profile of their face (side view), is their chin recessed or jutting out?
  • Are any of their teeth crooked? 
  • Do they struggle with making certain sounds? 
  • Do they wake with a dry mouth? 
  • Does the pillow have drool in the morning?
When they are asleep: 
  • Does your child snore or have audible breathing? (Snoring is a huge indicator of a sleep-related breathing disorder)
  • Do they wet the bed? 
  • Does your child wake up frequently throughout the night?
  • Does your child move around a lot during the night?
  • Does your child grind his or her teeth?  


Why is ADHD and Mouth Breathing Connected?
Mouth breathing brings less oxygen to the brain compared to nasal breathing. Less oxygen, along with poor sleep creates a perfect storm for an unfocused day. One study proved that mouth breathing brings less oxygen to the brain compared to nasal breathing, which adversely affects brain function and gives rise to ADHD symptoms. It also found that, “Children with sleep-disordered breathing were from 40 to 100 percent more likely to develop neurobehavioral problems by age 7, compared with children without breathing problems.”

It’s not uncommon for a medical provider to prescribe medication for this condition, but it is not also a condition that warrants medication. It requires a closed mouth! Many countries require a sleep test in children before these medications are given, but the United States is not one of them.  It is important to explore all reasons for attention disorders before starting medication that may cause other effects. 

Why is Mouth Breathing and Feeding Connected?
Mouth breathing happen with the jaw is low and usually the tongue comes along with it. When the tongue and the jaw are not doing what they are supposed to do, it indicates weakness, possible restrictions (ties) and instability. When you are that, it means the oral motor skills are generally poor and poor oral motor skills means difficulty moving food around in the mouth. This can create a negative experience with food and lead to children pushing out foods from their diet until they are left with a minimal number of 'safe' foods. 

What's The Solution?
Helping your child stop mouth breathing can be done in a number of ways, depending on your child’s specific needs. It starts with an airway and a myofunctional assessment to determine what is exactly going on. Then, some options include myofunctional therapy to strengthen the tongue, a frenectomy to release a too-tight tongue, or other orthodontic appliances to expand the mouth and airway. 

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or has ADHD symptoms, and if you think they may breathe through their mouth, schedule an evaluation with us! We can asses your child's oral motor status virtually or in person. This will require a team approach though! Usually an ENT and orthodontist are an integral part of this team to remediate fully. 

Give us a call to schedule today 516-669-0434


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oral motor red flags

4/5/2023

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If you are struggling to figure out your child's pick eating habits, oral motor may not be an area you have explored enough. In fact, I can almost guarantee you haven't explored this enough! Why? Because most people pay it no mind. I know I didn't for many years until I took more focused training courses. 

I talk a lot about ties in my podcast and newsletter when I discuss oral motor, it's just bound to come up. It's been so prevalent in my work that it's impossible to ignore. I get into some theories about why ties are becoming so "popular" these days. 

A tongue or lip tie occurs when the connective tissue under the tongue doesn't recede in utero and attaches further forward than it's supposed to. In infancy, it can impact breastfeeding, and as the child grows, it can impact feeding, speech, sleep, and result in the need for orthodontic treatment.

Here are some red flags on a possible tongue and/or lip tie that may need to be addressed:
  • Open mouth posture
  • Low forward resting posture (tongue-thrusting) when swallowing
  • High and narrow palate
  • Crowding or crooked teeth
  • Sleep issues (sleep apnea, restless sleep or trouble getting to sleep)
  • Trouble clearing food in one swallow (food is left on the tongue)
  • Torticollis in infancy
  • Enlarged tonsils

impacts

  • Breastfeeding difficulty (poor latch/suction, painful for mom, low supply)
  • Feeding concerns, including picky eating
  • Speech (misarticulation of sounds)
  • Sleep issues (mouth breathing, sleep apnea, or even bed wetting)
  • Orthodontic issues (including shifting following braces or a retainer)
If you feel as though your child has some of these red flags, look into getting a myofunctional evaluation with someone who has training and specializes in oral motor issues. 

You can also listen to the podcast episode where I break this down further! Click the link here. 
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5 Ways to get your picky eater involved in the kitchen

2/21/2023

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Getting kids involved in mealtime prep can help get their mind and body ready for food consumption. It prepares them for what they will be seeing when they get to the table and it will start to (hopefully) get them hungry. We encourage you to invite your child to participate in meal prep in whatever way they can!

getting out ingredients

This is a good first step for kids who don't love to be around food. Ask them to help you move ingredients from the pantry to the counter, or to hand you an ingredient that you need when you need it. ​Sometimes, you may need to plan ahead and create a setting where it just makes sense for them to get the ingredient for you. Like, "Oh hey, I left a box of pasta on the couch. Can you bring it to me please?"

prepare the table

Ask your child to set up the table for mealtime. They could help set out plates, utensils, cups, etc. And, if you're serving a family style meal, you could give your child a "job" to help serve each family member different food items. Kids love to help out!

go shopping together

I know shopping may be something you just need to get through quickly, but if you have a few extra minutes, try letting your child explore some different foods at the store! Let them choose out a couple of fruits or veggies as you're walking by. Even if you just buy a small amount of it, your child may be more willing to try it later.

help prepare the food

There are so many different preparation steps your little one could help with - pouring, mixing, measuring, stirring, chopping (there are kid-friendly knives), and more. If your child won't touch the food outright, try offering a fun tool. Some kids won't dip their finger in, but they're willing to use a tool to interact with the food! Here are a few fun tools or gadgets you could try: colorful spoons, cookie cutters, a salad spinner, tongs, or one of those push whisks!

let them help plan the meal

Getting your child involved in meal planning will help your child know what to expect to see at the table, and they can help plan out which "safe food" they want to eat with the meal. If you child can read, you may even try "posting" your meals on a whiteboard weekly!
Want to learn more strategies? Check out my book
Mealtime Mindset
​to help switch gears in your child's mind from fear and frustration to fun and joy. 
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How Words impact your picky eater's success

1/3/2023

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How did your family talk about food growing up? Were your parents the type of parents who said, "you can't eat dessert until you finish all of your vegetables?" For some families, food is an all day event, which can be tough for our picky eaters!

stop interviewing,
​start commenting

"How does it taste? Is it too hot? Too cold? Is it yummy?"

It's tough for our picky eaters to answer these questions when they are trying to focus on food - which requires all of their focus at the moment. 

Their sensory systems are overloaded and they are likely in fight or flight mode so answering questions becomes a daunting task. 

Instead, make general comments as if you were talking to yourself. 

"These carrots are crunchy, This tastes just like grandma's. This tastes so sweet!"

​Commenting reduces demands on the child to respond; they can instead just listen to you in the background.

keep demands off the table- literally

"Take a bite. Lick it. Just try it!"

​Demands put pressure on kids and can cause them to backslide/regress in their eating! We want them to be excited about food and excited to eat food, which will not happen if we're constantly imposing.

replace negative with positive words

"Yuck!" "Ew!"

We want to squash these negative words! We can say things like:


"We are hurting the food's feelings" (for the younger kids)
"We don't talk about food that way" (for the rule followers)

Instead, teach your child to use their five senses to describe their experience.

"That smell tickles my nose."
"That feels sticky"
"That's a big smell"

This makes what they're feeling concrete, and means that we can overcome this! We can overcome touching sticky things, but we can't overcome something "gross" (because what does that even mean?)
Want to learn more? Listen to my free podcast episode on this exact topic for more details! Click the link here to listen in!
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WHEN TO START STRAW & OPEN CUPS WITH YOUR CHILD

12/23/2022

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If you go down any feeding aisle in any baby store, you are sure to see about 30 different types of cups. Don't even start typing it into Amazon! You will be in a never ending rabbit hole of drinkware. But when and what type of cup to get? How soon is too soon?  Let's dive into the details! ​

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL SIP OF LIQUID LOOK LIKE? ​

By 12 months of age, your child will begin to develop a mature swallow pattern rather than suckling with their tongue, which is used when your baby is breastfeeding or feeding from a bottle nipple. When taking a sip from an open cup, the head is in a neutral or slightly tucked position. The tongue is initially retracted, then the tip of the tongue will elevate to touch behind the teeth to swallow the liquid. The tongue should not go into the cup and does not rest on the rim of the cup. When taking a sip from a straw, the head is again in a neutral or slightly tucked position. The straw will touch the lower lip, then the lips will round around the straw. The tongue again stays initially retracted, then the tip of the tongue elevates to touch behind the teeth to swallow. The tongue should not stick out and the tongue should not wrap around the straw. 

It is important that your child elevates their tongue tip behind the teeth to ensure safe and effective chewing and swallowing. If the child pushes their tongue forward when taking a sip or if they continue to rest their tongue on the rim of the cup or straw, they may develop a low resting tongue posture and/or tongue thrusting over time. These immature postures can cause significant feeding, airway, and speech and language difficulties.
When first introducing a cup to your baby around 6 months of age, start with an open cup where they can take small sips a few times throughout the day, such as during mealtime. Then, between 6-9 months of age, introduce a straw cup that assists their ability to sip through a straw by priming liquids into the straw (e.g., Honey Bear Straw Cup or Rubbermaid Juice Box Straw Cup). After they can successfully and consistently take sips from this type of cup with a straw, you can start to introduce more advanced straw cups that require your baby to independently sip through the straw. 

It is recommended that you continue to offer a variety of cups (i.e., open cups and straw cups) that promote a mature swallowing pattern and appropriate tongue placement rather than focusing on use of a single cup. This allows your baby to learn to use and become comfortable with various cups, just like us. 

If you have concerns related to your baby’s feeding and/or swallowing, reach out to your pediatrician or to a speech language pathologist in your area, or contact our office. If you’re interested in how your baby’s development relates to feeding and swallowing, you may want to check out, “Feed Your Baby & Toddler Right: Early Eating and Drinking Skills to Encourage the Best Development” by Diane Bahr. 
​
If your child is struggling to master this or you just want some personalized guidance, Contact us to work with us directly, and if your child is a picky eater, you can also learn how to work with your child yourself using our proven strategies in our self-paced parent course. ​
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7 Ways to help your picky eater during the holidays

11/22/2022

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Holiday time! This can be stressful enough without throwing a cracky picky eater on top of it! (If they would only eat something they wouldn't be so cracky, right?!). I put together 7 tips and tricks to help you make it through! 

strategy #1: Have your little one help with meal prep 

Depending on their age, your little one could help with chopping, pouring, scooping, stirring and more! We know that when kids are engaged with food during meal prep, it increases the chances of them consuming said foods! 

STRATEGY #2: Regulate their sensory system ahead of time

  • Holidays can be overstimulating for our little ones - provide sensory input to help them regulate. If your child gets OT, ask them how their child's sensory system is wired so to speak to give you ideas on what to do! No OT? just observe them? Are they calm after they bounced or played in water? That would tell you that those activities are regulating to their nervous system. 
  • Ask someone else for help if you're hosting!

STRATEGY #3: Offer a preferred food with their meal

Children are often more willing to sit down and eat with the family if there is a food on their plate that they want to eat. Don't miss this key step in the process! Preferred foods should always have a place on their table to increase comfort and feelings of safety. 

STRATEGY #4: EXpose them to foods in advance

Kids are more willing to try foods they have had multiple exposures to (E.g., if you will be eating cranberry sauce during the holidays, try offering it (pre-made works too!) or even dried cranberries at least a few times beforehand.

STRATEGY #5: Chain foods and condiments

If you're working on your child eating new foods, then you'll want to introduce foods similar to what they already love based on properties (texture, color, size, etc.) (E.g., If your child loves PB&J sandwiches, try putting cranberry sauce on bread (similar to jelly in texture and color, served on something they already love)

STRATEGY #6: Serve family style

Serve all the foods at the table rather than pre-making plates and bringing them to the able. This helps them be in charge of their own plate! It also takes some of the pressure off and gives them options and choices. 

STRATEGY #7: Have your child be in charge of their plate (or yours)

Let your child serve themselves (make sure a preferred food is on the table too!). This gives them a little bit of control over what they're going to eat and how much. If they don't want to put foods on their plate, ask them to help you put food on your plate instead.
Want to learn more? Listen to the podcast episode where I break down these. principles and give more detailed information! Click here to listen to the free podcast!
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ORAL HABITS YOU DIDN’T REALIZE WERE PROBLEMATIC

1/29/2022

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WHAT ARE ORAL HABITS

We’ve likely all engaged in oral habits at some point or another. There are some oral habits that are considered developmentally appropriate as long as they resolve before our mouth and jaw finish developing. Oral habits are repetitive, automatic actions or patterns of behavior surrounding the oral structure. These may include thumb sucking or lip biting. Oral habits often develop as soothing mechanisms during infancy and childhood, however prolonged use of oral habits can significantly alter how the teeth, mouth, face, and airway develop and lead to oral dysfunction, tongue thrusting, poor sleep, and more. ​
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COMMON ORAL HABITS & POSSIBLE IMPACTS 
Biting Nails - Regularly biting your nails is not only unsanitary, but it can cause:
  • Wearing, chipping, cracking of the teeth
  • Tongue thrusting
  • Teeth and jaw misalignment (malocclusion)
  • Temporomandibular Joint dysfunction (TMJ)
  • Abnormal jaw growth and position
  • Periodontal disorders
  • Orthodontic relapse

Lip sucking, cheek biting, and lip biting
  • Malocclusion, such as an underbite or overbite
  • Impacted swallowing due to abnormal position of the lips
  • Possible tissue trauma, swelling, and irritation of the skin
  • Intolerance of certain foods or dental products
  • Tongue thrusting

Chewing on Straws 
  • Increased digestive issues due to an intake of air leading to gas and bloating
  • Frequent cavities
  • Jaw instability
  • Malocclusion

Thumb sucking - Although thumb sucking during infancy helps the infant become ready for feeding and can help soothe them, prolonged thumb sucking can cause:
  • Altered bite and oral development
  • Narrow, vaulted arch that can cause crowded or misaligned teeth
  • Forward positioned teeth due to pressure from the thumb
  • Tongue thrusting
  • Skin issues on the affected thumb

ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS THAT CAN ARISE

Aside from the significant impacts to the teeth, mouth, and face listed above, failure to address these can create additional problems. 

  • Tongue Thrusting can lead to malocclusions (such as an open bite, or overbite), difficulty biting, chewing, and gathering food in the mouth. Tongue Thrusting can additionally result in difficulty with certain food textures or food aversions related to texture.

  • Malocclusions can result in speech articulation errors and speech distortions, as well as difficulty chewing, especially meats and tougher foods. 

  • Malocclusions resulting in misalignment can lead to poor sleep by increasing your risk of grinding and clenching your teeth while you sleep and sleep disordered breathing patterns (e.g., open mouth breathing and snoring). Disordered breathing means that we are no longer receiving optimal levels of oxygen throughout the night which can result in changes to muscle activity for speaking, chewing, and swallowing, reduced attention, increased fatigue, learning disabilities and a decline in health.

  • Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction and jaw instability can lead to facial pain, jaw pain, and difficulty chewing, as well as possible tinnitus and/or vertigo. Misalignment of the temporomandibular joint can impact the tongue’s resting position during sleep. The tongue may block the airway and lead to snoring. 

  • Early delays in feeding and swallowing.

  • Chronic Peripheral Pain, such as teeth grinding or teeth clenching, neck and back pain, tinnitus, and/or vertigo.

  • Decreased self-esteem due to appearance of the teeth, embarrassment related to continued use of non-age-appropriate soothing strategies, and possible resulting speech articulation errors or distortions. 

HOW CAN WE HELP?

We will help you or your child eliminate poor oral habits. The ideal time to start Orofacial Myofunctional Treatment is 7-8 years of age, but adults and children as young as 4 can benefit from support in oral motor development and elimination of poor oral habits. We don’t stop there though! It’s important to treat all resulting factors and therefore treatment targets may also include establishing correct resting tongue posture, establishing nasal breathing, learning to chew and swallow correctly without tongue thrusting, and correcting speech sound errors. ​
If your child is struggling to master this or you just want some personalized guidance, Contact us to work with us directly, and if your child is a picky eater, you can also learn how to work with your child yourself using our proven strategies in our self-paced parent course. ​
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WHAT ARE THE WORST CUPS FOR YOUR CHILD?

10/27/2021

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So your little baby is growing up fast, and it's already time for them to start drinking from a cup! At 6 months of age, we want to start teaching them how to use cups and straws, right when they start solid foods! 

Just because a cup is on the market doesn't mean that it's good for your baby. In fact, many cups on the market today HINDER your baby's oral motor development. 

It’s best to avoid cups that promote continued use of an immature swallow pattern which utilizes the tongue for control as opposed to the lips and other facial muscles. This can lead to a prolonged tongue thrusting pattern that eventually is no longer developmentally appropriate. This behavior has the potential to lead to additional difficulties later related to eating, drinking, speech, and more.  Here are some examples of items to avoid: 

Spouted sippy cups are very common, however, they are not ideal for mouth development. Spouted sippy cups promote jaw thrusting when sucking and require the tongue to protrude out under the spout to engage in a suckling pattern to take a sip of liquid. This promotes your baby to maintain use of an immature sucking and swallowing pattern and can lead to prolonged tongue thrusting. In addition, the head must tilt back, which extends the neck. This can open the airway and allow liquids to enter the airway rather than traveling down the esophagus.

Cups with a top membrane, such as the Munchkin 360 cup, may also promote an immature swallow pattern. Your baby must tilt their head and extend their neck to take a sip, similar to a spouted sippy cup. Additionally, you must press your upper lip into the top membrane of the cup and suckle the rim of the cup to take a sip of liquid, which again promotes an immature sucking and swallowing pattern. 

While we have discussed some straw cups recommended for your baby, be careful when choosing a straw cup. There are some straw cups that promote suckling and immature swallow patterns. Here are some considerations when choosing a straw cup:  

Consider the length of the straw. Short straws promote a mature swallow pattern and reduces the likelihood of the child biting the straw or using the straw on one side of their mouth. Instead, the child must use their lips as well as their supporting facial muscles to take a sip and a short straw ensures use of the straw in the center of the lips which supports balanced facial muscle development. 

Avoid cups with soft straws, such as the Dr. Brown’s straw cup which has a soft, silicone straw. Soft straws often collapse when you try to take a sip as expected (i.e., straw touching the lower lip and the lips rounding around the straw) and therefore no liquid will go through the straw. However, if you suckle the straw, you’re able to get sufficient liquid through the straw, prompting continued use of an immature sucking and swallowing pattern and tongue thrusting. There are additionally some weighted straws that similarly collapse while your child takes sips of the liquid from their cup causing them to rely on sucking. It’s recommended you try out the straw ahead of time to ensure that the straw does not collapse or require suckling to access the liquid.

Also consider the diameter of the straw. Monitor your child’s sips. Straws with a large diameter are great for drinks such as smoothies, but a larger diameter allows for a greater amount of a thin liquid, such as water, to move through the straw. You may need to choose a straw with a more narrow diameter to restrict the flow of liquid if your child is coughing or showing other signs that the amount of liquid is overwhelming.

As a parent, I know how much worry and planning goes into every detail of your child’s life. We want the best for them at every turn, and there are so many decisions to make! Hopefully, we have helped narrow down some options for this one topic, and guided you on the right path so you can check this off your list! 

​Contact us
 to work with us directly, and if your child is a picky eater, you can also learn how to work with your child yourself using our proven strategies in our self-paced parent course. ​

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WHAT ARE THE BEST CUPS FOR YOUR CHILD?

10/25/2021

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Are you ready to start introducing your baby to drinking from a cup? Babies can start to take single sips to drink from an open cup at 6 months before progressing to taking multiple, consecutive sips at a time and can learn to drink from a straw between 6-9 months of age. 

You may be looking into buying a cup for your baby and notice there are A LOT of cup options out there –hard cups, soft cups, sippy cups, straw cups, open cups, weighted cups, cups with handles, non-spill cups, big cups, small cups… Whew! And that’s not even a comprehensive list.  However, many of these cups promote poor oral motor skills, so, let’s talk about what a sip of liquid should look like, then about the best and worst cups for your child. ​
Here are a couple of recommendations for open cups that promote healthy oral-motor skills: 
  • The Tiny Cup by ezpz – 2-ounces; silicone cup that is designed to fit in your baby’s hands.
  • Flexi Nosey Cup Combo-  1oz, 2oz and 7oz sizes; this set up cups has a scooped out opening for the nose that facilitates drinking without tilting the head or neck.
  • Shot glass (e.g., small shot glass made of a glass material, hard red solo cup shot glass) –1.5-2-ounces; shot glasses are small and allow your baby to work on tipping the cup to take single sips or consecutive sip
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It’s recommended you choose a cup that promotes a mature swallow pattern, just like we use. These include open cups and straw cups. It’s best if you can find a cup that is easy for your baby to hold (think, “tiny hands!”) so they can take small sips and slowly build up the skills needed to take sips. The swallow is initiated when the liquid is approaching the oral phase and the mouth is anticipating the liquid. So, we want to do everything we can to promote independence with drinking as soon as it’s developmentally appropriate. It might be messy at first, but worth it in the long run!
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We also want to give you recommendations for straw cups that promote healthy oral-motor skills:
  • Honey Bear Straw Cup by TalkTools – 5- or 7-ounces; has a short straw that comes in various diameters so you can control the flow of liquid
  • Take & Toss Cup with Straw –10-ounces; replicates drinking out of a normal cup with a straw; there are handles that you can attach to the cup so your baby can hold the cup easily.
  • Rubbermaid Juice Box Straw Cup – 8.5-ounces; this cup has a short, hard, and narrow straw which limits the amount of liquid that will move through the straw at one time.​

For some of the options above, your baby can squeeze each of these cups to help prime the liquid into the straw, which encourages and eases them into straw drinking. You might be asking, why the emphasis on short straws? Short straws will continue to promote a mature swallow pattern through facilitating the use of lips and other facial muscles when swallowing; not the tongue.
For the more advanced straw users:
These options of cups with straws are great for a child with a more mature swallow pattern, where they are able to utilize lip and jaw strength with more consistency and have moved away from the suckling pattern with the tongue. Some are faster flow, which also requires more control and strength.

  • The Mini Cup and Straw Training System by ezpz – 4-ounces; designed by a speech language pathologist who is a feeding specialist; can also be used as an open cup. It is notable that the straw has a large diameter, which can be overwhelming for the child at first. You will also want to ensure your child does not rest their lower jaw on the cup for stability.
  • Click Lock Weighted Straw Cup  – 7-ounces; has handles that makes the cup easy to hold; there is a flip top lid that covers the straw and locks to ensure there are no spills. 
  • ThinkBaby Stainless Steel Straw Cup - 10oz; this cup has a short and narrow straw and requires a slightly stronger than normal suck, activating cheek muscles. Comes with handles for easy grabbing.

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    Author

    Christine Miroddi Yoder is a parent and feeding expert. She is the author of the book Mealtime Mindset and the Podcast How to Un Picky Your Picky Eater and owner of the feeding clinic Foodology Feeding Therapy. 

    WANT TO WORK WITH ME? 

    Book a package of 3 virtual sessions with me by clicking here

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