When Mackenzie was 5.5 months, I took her out to my local café for a cup of tea and biscuits. The food came with a carafe of water and a small cup. I took a sip of water and realized the cup is the perfect size to feed a baby, so I offered some to Mackenzie. She took it immediately.  Some water spilled, but it wasn’t a big deal compared to giving her a new experience.  She drank more every time I offered it to her – she clearly enjoyed it.

Now, one meal per day, they drink water out of a small glass cup along with their food. There’s quite a lot of spillage, but they love it.  Another step toward independence.

Once your baby starts eating solids, introduce her to a cup. Not a sippy cup, but a real baby-sized glass cup (we use shot glasses). It will take some time for her to learn to drink without spillage, but it is worth it. Pour just 1/2 inch of water each time till they get better and better at drinking without spilling.

Brooke at 8.5 months, she loves drinking water by herself!

As soon as you see your baby manipulating things with his fingers and have decent control over them, show them how to turn the light on and off. A couple things to consider: make sure the switch is VERY easy to turn on and off, otherwise, your baby will just be frustrated. It’s better not to do it if they will just be frustrated.

I showed B and M how to turn the light on and off using the light dimmer in our bathroom because it slides very easily, whereas the dimmer in our bedroom is very tight and you really have to push hard to turn it on and off. It’s difficult even for an adult. If you have the right light switch, this exercise can be so much fun and confidence-boosting for your baby, but if you don’t, there are many other things to do, don’t do this one!

Mackenzie is ready to do this at 8 months