Cup Equipment Information Sheet

Mealtimes are an important aspect of family life.  Children begin to develop self-feeding skills from birth.  Self-feeding is a very complex task and it is common for children to have difficulty using cutlery to feed themselves.  It usually takes until a child is 7 years old before they can successfully use cutlery to feed themselves without being too messy.  There are a variety of tools that can be used to support children with mealtimes if they continue to find these skills challenging.  Many of these are readily available and are not seen as specialist equipment.

• Try a variety of cups/beakers/bottles to find one that suits your child.
• Avoid light plastic cups as these spill easily.
• Try with 1 or 2 handles and without handles.
•  Try a variety of spouts, straws and water bottle caps.