Non spill or free flow...that is the question!

Hi all, I am currently in the process of weaning young Sam and as a result his milk intake is dropping so I'm trying to get him to take more water. Easier said than done...he doesn't like ordinary cups, or free flow spouts so I got him a cup from Boots that has a removeable valve so it can be a non spill or free flow. He seems to prefer the non spill so he has to suck but I keep reading that these are bad as they can slow down speech as they don't use the muscles required to drink rather than suck. But at the moment, if it's the only way of getting water in I'm sticking with it. What does everyone else do? He also won't take it out of a bottle, he has a few sucks and then looks at me like i'm mad! We also tried juice but he prefers water.

Just wondered what people's thoughts were and what you do.

Ta girls

Rach and Sam x x x

Hi hun

I had trouble with getting my daughter to drink water. She wouldn't drink out of ordinary cups when she was as young as Sam.
I also got her a cup like that from boots and she prefered the non-spill. I battled with her for ages but she wouldn't take it from a cup or free-flow.
In the end I just gave up and let her drink with the valve in the cup so she had to suck. My HV said they will do it when they are ready so I left her too it and eventually one day, right out of the blue she got her cup out of the cupboard and asked for a drink!
I gave her it and we've never looked back! She was about 2 when she started drinking out of a proper cup and honestly it hasn't done her any harm speech wise. She never shuts up talking!!

I'd just let him have the non spill cup and keep trying him with the proper cup every so often. He will take it when he's ready And he is still very young too so I wouldn't worry, as long as he's taking some water.

Good luck

Kirsti, Daisy (3) and 28+2 Yellow Bump.xx