There have been stories in the news lately about sippy cup lids getting all moldy and disgusting. There is a really easy solution to that, but most people don’t want to hear it. It makes them nervous and uneasy. They have lots of questions about how in the world you can make it work. But I have a really easy solution to make sure your child isn’t drinking mold: get rid of the sippy cups and use an open glass instead. Yes, even for babies and toddlers.

What Glass Do You Use?

Mac drank out of a shot glass from the age of 6 months until about 14 months. Now she drinks out of what looks like a larger, double shot glass. We found both kinds at Ikea, but any shot glass would work. Juice glasses are also a great size for toddlers. Just make sure they can hold onto them with two hands. We had Mac at the store with us and had her hold one of the glasses to see if it was the right size.

When we are not at home, we just use any glass around. I can’t think of many places that won’t have some sort of glass Mac can use. She will also drinks out of a plastic water bottle, but I hold it to make sure she doesn’t dump it down the front of her shirt.

Are You Crazy? It Could Break!

Yeah, but that is part of the point. The only way children can be taught how to handle fragile objects is to handle fragile objects. Lots of children like to toss things over the edge of the high chair tray. Imagine if they tossed a glass that broke. Action-reaction. When they toss something plastic over the side, nothing happens. So they keep doing it to get a reaction. A glass is different because something actually happens when you throw that.

You may think, so what happens when it breaks? You clean it up and move on. Don’t make a big fuss. Just clean it, vacuum it, put it in the trash and move on with dinner.

How Do You Use an Open Glass with a Baby?

You use it the same way anyone else uses an open glass. The only difference is that at the beginning, we held the glass for her while encouraging her to hold it. As she has grown older, she is fully capable of getting herself water. I’m actually impressed with how well she can handle it.

But How Do They Drink in the Car/Bed/the Couch?

Do they really need to? I know one of my worst habits is eating while I’m distracted. I really don’t want Mac to get in that habit. Except for special circumstances (sickness, a party, etc.), Mac eats sitting down at her table or in her high chair. I want to instill good eating habits in her. I want her to treat eating as an event, not a mindless addendum to something else she happens to be doing.

So tell me, do your kids drink out of a glass or a sippy cup?