Photo: Min An

Are straw cups good for oral development?

By drinking from a straw cup or an open cup your child must use more movement and control from their jaw, tongue, lips, and cheeks. This additional movement (in part to prevent spillage) works on strengthening their oral motor skills and can contribute to their speech development!

thespeechspacedc.com - Why Straw Cups Are Better For Your Child! - The Speech Space

What causes visceral belly fat?

What causes visceral fat? Fat gets stored when you consume too many calories and have too little physical activity. Some people tend to store fat...

Last updated Jul 3, 2022

How can I glow my whole body?

10 Home Remedies for Glowing Skin Coconut oil. Aloe vera. Moisturize. Sunscreen. Cleanse. Avoid smoke. Hydrate. Healthy diet. More items...

Last updated Apr 16, 2018

Fizzy juice “eats through” 59lbs of stubborn fat

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »

Promotion

Why Straw Cups Are Better For Your Child!

Did you know that using sippy cups may hurt your child’s speech development? Over at The Speech Space, we are huge proponents of straw cups, straw drinking and open cups instead of sippy cups for younger children. The type of cup your child regularly uses can impact their speech development! Here are a few reasons why at The Speech Space we like straw cups instead of sippy cups:

1. Oral Musculature (or the muscles your child uses to talk!)

When children have strong oral musculature (i.e., lips, tongue, cheeks, jaw stability), they are more likely able to clearly imitate a variety of movements needed for speech sounds. This is the core for developing clear speech. Children with weak oral motor skills have a higher risk of having a speech impairment. Straw cups and open cups are one way of helping your child develop these critical muscles that they will need to produce sounds. While using a sippy cup does not necessarily mean your child will need speech therapy, it’s best to encourage oral motor development by using straw cups at home. Note that he’s using those lips instead of biting with his teeth to control the straw You can start your child drinking from a cup early on!

2. Swallowing

Another area of your child’s development is swallowing, which requires strength from all those oral structures we mentioned earlier! When your child drinks from a bottle or a sippy cup, the spouts prevent your child’s tongue tip from elevating, often requiring them to stick their tongue out in order to drink. Liquid rushes out from sippy cups, so your child doesn’t use their oral structures while drinking. This can contribute to weaknesses in your child’s lips, cheeks and tongue. By drinking from a straw cup or an open cup your child must use more movement and control from their jaw, tongue, lips, and cheeks. This additional movement (in part to prevent spillage) works on strengthening their oral motor skills and can contribute to their speech development! This little girl is using her lips, cheeks and tongue to drink! Notice this little girl’s flat lips and protruded jaw (and thus tongue).

3. Dental Concerns

A final concern is liquid pooling around your child’s teeth when using a sippy cup. Sugars from drinks sit on their teeth causing decay (both milk and juices have sugars). Furthermore, if your child pushes their tongue forward to swallow (more likely with sippy cups instead of straw cups), there is a possibility their front teeth will get pushed forward. This might impact future speech development, particularly for certain sounds. If you’re interested in trying out straw cups with your child, there are some great ones on the market! Some of our favorites are available here and here, but there may be cups you like more. As a parent, we know you are solving for a variety of factors (when traveling, something that doesn’t leak, your child may have a favorite color or character, or a handle so your child can hold the cup by themselves). The most important thing to look for in a straw cup is that the straw is not too soft (so your child cannot bite it too easily–that’s cheating!) and not too thick. If you have any further questions or concerns feel free to reach out to us at The Speech Space! Until then, bottoms up…or straws up, we should say!

What is the number 1 healthiest thing in the world?

So, having scoured the full list of applicants, we have crowned kale as the number 1 healthiest food out there. Kale has the widest range of...

Last updated Jul 8, 2018

How long after you stop drinking do you feel the effects?

Withdrawal symptoms are likely to begin within the first 24 hours of stopping drinking. Depending on the individual and how often alcohol is...

Last updated May 24, 2022

Traditional “juice” activates 24/7 fat-burning

A scrumptious morning smoothy based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.

Learn More »

Promotion

Whats the difference between fake and real carts?

Real carts will be thick in consistency and slow moving. Most fake carts, due to the additives will be thinner, faster moving and may contain...

Last updated Mar 7, 2022

What is an immediate remedy for fatty liver?

Losing weight, being physically active, cutting back on sugar, eating a nutrient-dense diet, and drinking coffee (if you can tolerate it) are some...

Last updated Jun 19, 2020

Weird “juice ritual” removes 65lbs in weeks

A potent powdered supplement, based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.

Learn More »

Promotion

How many sizes do you drop after a tummy tuck?

Most women lose between 2 and 3 pants sizes after a tuck, but there are patients who lose even more. If you had a lot of loose skin before the...

Last updated Apr 17, 2018

7-second natural hack eats through 64lbs of belly flab

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »

Promotion

What is the most fattening fruit?

The 7 fruits with the highest calorie counts Avocados. Calories: 322 per whole avocado. ... Figs. Calories: 150 per five small figs. ... Dates....

Last updated Jan 9, 2018