The First Years sippy cup merits our time and attention and mention at The Perfect Cup since it possesses many vital aspects and benefits that are vital to concerned parents – without paying too much (as we do not believe in paying too much for any item that will only be used for a short period of development)!
Firstly, the ideal sippy cups are simple for a young child to manipulate, and this First Years one certainly is. This is the most important feature of any sippy cup. A toddler has to be able to easily handle and move the sippy cup. This idea may sound obvious and simple, but many sippys on the market, including the bpa free cups which naturally receive more attention and effort in their design, don’t always work well in little hands. Small hands have to be able to easily move it in every direction without losing the sippy cup.
Not only is this a functional issue, it is developmental too – a parent wants their preschooler to be encouraged by the experience of the sippy, not exasperated by it.
Second, a smart toddler sippy, in particular one without BPA, has to be simple for a mom or dad to wash. Again, this First Years bpa-free sippy cup meets that standard. It does not have a lot of pieces, and it can easily be disassembled and put back together. I personally prefer sippys that can go in the dishwasher, but will buy one occasionally that must be handwashed if it looks particularly promising. That is a personal call every parent will have to make. You may simply not have the time to mess with toddler sippy cups that are not ok for use in the dishwasher. Regardless, this sippy has only a few parts and is easy to clean, both important aspects of any sippy cup.
Last but not least, this First Years first sippy cup has, as all ideal sippys do, a bpa-free certification! The complete story about the long-term impacts of BPA probably won’t emerge for a good while, but in the meantime, it is worth buying those that are certified to be BPA free. The difference in cost is minimal, and the potential impact on your preschooler is – potentially – quite large!
