Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Drinking Paraphernalia

I know someone out there has to understand my pain. Plastic cups make me crazy! None of the lids work together, even if they are supposed to. The same brand will make two or three different styles. And, even if I've got children who are old enough to drink without a lid, the more I read about the harm we are doing to ourselves with all this plastic, the more I think they are more than a pain. I'm done with them!

Here's my new plan:
Everyone is just getting a pint jar.

With a colored hair band so they can be identified by the owner, each child gets a color. Easy to slip off for washing and reusable.

I haven't exactly tried this out yet. Today they will wake up to my new and improved idea. I am slightly worried about my one-year-old with an open lidded glass - not the glass part because they have to be at the table with it, not running around - but the spilling part. But I figure, she'll learn. My back up plan is to put the two piece lid and ring on one, punch a hole in it and give her a straw if all else fails!

6 comments:

JenT said...

What a great idea!

I've been using the "use and toss" ones from Wal-Mart (I don't toss them, but re-use them). I love the lids and straws idea because of the less spills, but they get lost and torn easily. I found the really nice tupperware ones at a yard sale, but I only have 3 (I had 4 but someone took one and never brought it back).

Anyway, I'll keep this idea in mind and I might start using it soon.

Emilie said...

My kids don't use sippee cups anymore. They were a pain to wash and the pieces kept getting lost! Now, when they want a drink, they sit at the table and use an open lid mug. Even the 2 year old can do it :)

Gail said...

Ha! I am glad to see others using the pint fruit jars! We use permanent markers with the child's name on them (it eventualy comes off after repeated washings)so I don't end up with a million laying around the house. (I don't have a milion children)

Karen UK said...

I had a cupboard full of these and I chucked away all except one because the parts never matched and it drove me crazy. My children are too old for them now but I kept one because if my 4 year old is unwell it's easier to get him to drink laying down and he can do that with a sippy cup. I'm expecting my 4th in June though so will be starting over - Maybe I'll just teach the baby to drink straight from a cup once off the breast. I'm sure I said that with the last two though and still ended up with the cupboard full! The only thing is they're good for going out and about when you can give them a drink in the car or stroller. What did mothers do before plastic?

Jacque said...

I am so tired of all the mis-matched sippy cups we have. I bought them each one final sippy cup last summer and told them that was their cup and that was all they could use. I *think* we still have all the cups and lids together still.
[Those cups are really expensive!]

I am trying to remember what I used the scrunchies for last summer to identify for the children. It wasn't glass jars, but I think it was cups of some sort... We do use the glass jars in the summer, but have few canning jars in that size yet. We got out of the habit.

Thanks for the great reminder! Great idea!

Molly said...

I found there were far fewer spills when I used glass instead of plastic. I bought the "working glass" style of tumbler that has a very thick bottom. They are nearly impossible to tip over.