To introduce a sippy cup or to teach your baby how to use a sippy cup instead of a bottle, the first trick, and the most important trick, is to make sure you're putting something in the sippy cup that the baby likes. If your baby doesn't like grape juice, don't use grape juice in your sippy cup. Apple juice is accepted by most babies and is a great first training tool. You can also use formula. There is no reason the baby can't have formula or breast milk in a sippy cup.
Another way to transition the baby to a sippy cup is to provide it during times when the baby is playing with food, like when you're feeding it other solids. Let the baby have fun with the sippy cup. The more you discipline away from the sippy cup - such as, "Don't touch it that way. Don't throw it. Please don't tip it." - the more you do that, the more the baby will learn to fear the sippy cup and not play with it. Make the sippy cup a lot of fun. Let your baby make a mess. It's not going to hurt either of you to have to clean him up a little bit. Remember when transitioning your baby to a sippy cup that juice and water never go into a bottle. They should always go into a sippy cup.
So the more your baby likes juice and water, the more likely they are to learn how to use the sippy cup. Use a sippy cup that's a lot like the cup you will use. If you and your family use tip cups, use a sippy cup like it. If you and your family only use straws, this would be an inappropriate sippy cup. Look for one that has a straw.
