Cups

[GirlMomma]

I am just curious what everyone does with DCK drinking cups.

Do you leave them out all day for them to drink whenever or do you only let them have them during meals? In my (very little) experience with centers, the kids only drink during their meals.

I currently leave their water cups on the counter all day (milk is served at breakfast and lunch in a different cup) and refill them as needed but the kids hardly touch them after our afternoon snack.

[Rockgirl]

I keep water cups out all day. The older kids fill their own cups from the fridge dispenser, and I fill the younger ones as needed.

[Alwaysgreener]

I went to the dollar store and got each child a plastic water bottle. I fill them and leave them out all day. The kids will take them outside with them. Because they will chew on the top, I intend on sending them with them when they leave. Each bottle cost between $1-3 and all have different pictures/ pattern/ color.

[GirlMomma]

I’ve thought about assigning the water bottles like you do

[Alwaysgreener]

Yeah getting them each their own bottle made it so much easier for me to have water on demand for them. And then we go outside and there's no issue with bugs.

I use assigned colors for the plates and stuff, but I had trouble finding plain water bottles that matched everybody's color so I went with the pictured ones. It took a couple of them a little bit to get used to not grabbing other people's bottle but for the most part they know that this one is theirs.

I also didn't want anything that had a straw because I didn't want to have to clean all those straws. So that's why I went with the pull top even though they chew on those.

Oh when I had child start in the winter, the stores don't carry the bottles so I had to improvise until May and then I purchased extra.

[BaileeB]

I do the same as you. Everyone has a water cup and a milk cup. The milk cup stays in the fridge and they get it at breakfast and lunch with their meal. The water cup is out all day on the counter and they can come get drinks as needed and they get it with afternoon snack. A few of my kids bring their own water bottles or cups and they get sent home each day, others just use the cups I have and everyone is assigned a color for plates, cups, bowls etc so they know which is theirs .

[Blackcat31]

I serve water and milk only Milk during lunch and/or snack. We take frequent water breaks during the day but I don't leave cups out or in the fridge. If kids want a drink, they ask. The ones that are not verbal usually drink when I offer. When outside, we have a water fountain they can drink from when needed. I dont assign cups and don't use sports bottles or sippy cups. Mostly just Dixie cups or Take'N Toss cups.