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      • Pre-feeding set by ezpz in sage green includes the tiny pops and oral development tools (silicone teethers)#color_sage

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    • ezpz oral development tools in sage green / silicone teethers for motor skill development

      Pre-Feeding + Oral Care

      For Baby-Led Weaning

    • The Happy Mat in Blush by ezpz / Self-Suctioning Silicone Plate & Placemat

      Placemats, Plates + Bowls

      The Original Silicone Mat

    • Cups, Straws + Utensils

      Sized for Development

    • Feeding Accessories

      Popsicles, Bibs, Cutters, Lids, Cleaning and More

    • Shop All

      Expertly Designed Products for Milestone Development

  • Shop by AgeShop by Age
    • Pre-feeding set by ezpz in sage green includes the tiny pops and oral development tools (silicone teethers)#color_sage

      0-6 Months

      Pre-Feeding & Oral Care

    • First Foods Set in Pewter by ezpz / Silicone Spoon, Cup & Suctioning Bowl for Infants

      6-12 Months

      Tiny Collection

    • Mini Feeding Set in Blush by ezpz / Silicone Plate, Fork & Spoon for Toddlers

      12-24 Months

      Mini Collection

    • ezpz Happy Feeding Set in Sage / Silicone, Self-Suctioning Plate, Silicone Cup and Straw, Training Utensils for Toddlers #color_sage

      2-5 Years

      Happy Collection

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      For Every Milestone

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  • GiftingGifting
    • Sets and Bundles

      Buy more and save! Shop our collection of giftable goods.

    • Build Your Own Box

      Get 10% off when you bundle 4 or more of our bestsellers.

    • ezpz Gift Guide

      Our favorite ideas for baby showers, birthdays, and more.

    • ezpz Developmental Utensil Set in Sage #color_sage

      Compare

      See how ezpz products are designed by age and stage.

  • Feeding TipsFeeding Tips
    • Baby-Led Weaning

      Discover best practices and the products we recommend.

    • Made for Milestones

      Read about age-specific goals for oral care, pre-feeding + mealtime.

    • Mealtime Advice

      Get professional tips from our in-house Pediatric Feeding Specialist.

    • See All Categories

      Explore fun feeding challenges, crafting, recipes, and more.

  • AboutAbout
    • Expertly Designed

      Our lines are created for ages + stages by an in-house specialist.

    • Awards + Reviews

      Check out our accolades and over 20K five-star reviews!

    • Press + Features

      The industry is raving about our innovative products.

    • Our Story

      Meet the powerful women behind our small business.

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    Choosing Between a Sippy Cup and a Straw Cup

    By Dawn Winkelmann, M.S, CCC-SLP
    Speech Language Pathologist & Feeding Specialist for ezpz

    Meet Ms. Dawn See All Articles
    Choosing Between a Sippy Cup and a Straw Cup

    Every parent has to choose what type of cup they are going to use with their baby or toddler. However, most families aren’t aware that their choice can affect their child’s oral motor development. There are so many cup options in the market, it's hard for parents to determine which one is the right choice for their family. Here are a few developmental tips to consider when choosing between a sippy cup and a straw cup.

    Lip Development: To decrease drooling or liquids escaping the mouth (and covering a clean shirt) your child needs to have an adequate lip seal. With an adequate lip seal both the upper lip and lower lip are able to contract.

    • Lips with a Straw: A straw improves lip rounding, which is an essential movement for drinking and swallowing (and also for speech and language development!). The ezpz Mini Cup and Straw Training System (for infants + young toddlers) and the Happy Cup and Straw System (for older toddlers + preschoolers) have sensory bumps on the training straw. This important design feature provides tactile input to help children understand (and feel) precisely where their lips need to be placed for age-appropriate swallowing. 
    • Lips with a Sippy cup: Most sippy cups promote an open-mouth, relaxed lip posture, which may negatively affect a child’s breathing, dentition, sleep and speech development.  

    Tongue Development: Another essential movement is for the tongue to retract and elevate to the roof of the mouth. This is considered a mature and safe swallow when drinking. As you read this, swallow your saliva. Did you feel your tongue touching the roof of your mouth? Yes – that is exactly the mature swallow pattern we want our 6-month-old babies and toddlers to do!

    • Tongue with a Straw: A straw improves tongue elevation and oral motor coordination. These movements help to improve your child’s swallowing skills and promote an appropriate resting position of the tongue. 
    • Tongue with a Sippy Cup: A sippy cup encourages a tongue thrusting position, which is contraindicated – especially when we are trying to safely feed babies. One of the signs of readiness for starting solids is for the baby to not have an active tongue thrust. This is why sippy cup use can delay starting solids. It can also make mealtime frustrating, too! Imagine watching your baby push out all the food with their tongue instead of actually swallowing it. Gasp!  

    Teeth Development: Teeth are not needed in order to drink safely. However, a parent's cup choice can impact the function, stability and development of a child’s teeth. 

    • Teeth with a Straw: Keeping the lips toward the front of the straw is key for protecting teeth alignment. Proper lip placement will decrease tongue suckling and avoid any pressure that could negatively impact teeth development.
    • Teeth with a Sippy Cup: Constant sippy cup use may lead to dental and speech issues. This is due to the tongue being placed in a forward position, which puts pressure on the upper teeth. This may cause the teeth to move forward and outward (i.e., misshape the oral cavity), which may lead to speech delays and difficulties chewing. If your baby or toddler swallows food whole, this may be one of the reasons why. 

    In summary, a straw cup can help improve your child’s oral motor abilities, which are needed for advanced speech and feeding skills. If you feel your family is unable to ditch the sippy cup entirely, consider decreasing its daily use. And if you switch to our Mini Cup and Straw Training System, please tag us in your pics so we can share your straw success stories! #ezpzfun #MiniStraw.

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    Speech Language Pathologist & Feeding Specialist for ezpz

    Dawn Winkelmann, M.S, CCC-SLP

    Dawn Winkelmann (M.S, CCC-SLP) is ezpz’s Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Feeding Specialist. She teaches parents and medical professionals how to start babies on solids safely and encourage toddlers to overcome picky eating tendencies. She is also the designer of our award-winning feeding and oral care products!

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