my ds was between 24 and 30 months when he started using a proper cup. He's very good with his control and has rarely had an accident. He's now 39months and only uses a closed top beaker at school and for bed time. rest of time its normal plastic cups.
DS1 could use one with a little help from about 14 months but we only used them occasionally to introduce the idea. He has been using one on his own for snack/meal times since about 20 months - still uses a closed-top during the day & at some meals.
DS2 is 8 months & can drink from an open cup just as well as from a closed cup (but obviously with us holding it!!).
Dd began around 16 months but really it's only the last 2 months she's really mastered it (21 months), she always sits down to drink from it in fact she refuses to drink it if she can't sit down.
However I still give her a beaker for her main drink just coz I don't need to watch her as much.
You can try her with it whenever you like really. My ds has started properly drinking from an open cup with meals (so sitting still!) at about 22 months, and now at 29 months has all his drinks in an open cup - most recently his morning milk which he often drinks in my bed so I was a bit more reluctant to move from a beaker with this one! He does still use a strawed cup when out, but only because I need to take it in my bag (always like to have a drink for him with me).
I did start to worry I was leaving it a bit late, but with a bit of practice he's mastered it quite well, and I can generally trust him not to spill it.
My friend was here yesterday with her 18 month old who was happily drinking from an open cup (with handles) - I was very impressed.
The nursery my two boys go to have encouraged them to use a cup from the age of about 16 months (just small amounts at first). My eldest has used just a cup pretty confidently from about the age of 2 and a half, and my youngest who is 18 months is ok with a cup when sitting in his high chair but not if he is wondering around with it as he gets distracted xx
my dd was about 22/23 months when hse started to use one in nursery. she is now 26 months and has all her daytime drinks from a plastic cup (open cup) unless we are out and about then she uses a sports bottle. i still give her her bedtime milk in an amadeus cup as when she is tired her coordination is shot to peices
pippa is 20 months old and we went staraight from a bottle to a doidy cup and the last couple of months have just changed to a normal cup, she only has a beaker at nursery as they don't like spills but at home she drinks out of an open cup all the time and only occasionally spills anything, we had lots of accidents at first but she soon got the hang of it
Definitely recommend the Doidy cup. We started ds on his at about 5 months, so it took a lot longer than if they're older I think. He's drinking from it confidently now without spilling as long as we're there for him to give the cup to when he doesn't want any more. Otherwise I reckon it'd get thrown/knocked over/tipped down his front!
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DS2 is 8 months & can drink from an open cup just as well as from a closed cup (but obviously with us holding it!!).
However I still give her a beaker for her main drink just coz I don't need to watch her as much.
I did start to worry I was leaving it a bit late, but with a bit of practice he's mastered it quite well, and I can generally trust him not to spill it.
My friend was here yesterday with her 18 month old who was happily drinking from an open cup (with handles) - I was very impressed.
xx