A while ago our son started drinking a lot of water. Some of this must have been in relation to his waning desire to nurse all of the time and his increasing desire to eat solid foods. When he first started drinking water he had a very small sipping cup and this served his needs for a while. He wouldn’t really drink the whole thing while eating (as he’d soon after nurse) and he’d eventually drink the whole thing but he wasn’t really seeking it out for a long while. The watercup would sit, lonely, on the bookshelf or somewhere else waiting for Mom or Dad to give it to the baby boy. He just didn’t think about being thirsty. His parents took good care of him.
Eventually he started needing more water. He couldn’t drink it fast enough from that sipping mechanism. We upgraded to a sportsbottle style with larger capacity and a wider spout for faster drinking. He was pleased. These bottles quickly began to never be left alone. He’d empty them, sign for water, and get a refill promptly. Quick side note: He started enjoying the bath and swimming this past summer. He started up a troubling activity recently though. Whether our fast refills spoiled him on the endless capacity of water in the bottle, or he just really enjoyed water in all its uses, our son started intentionally spilling his water all over the floor.
He’d turn the bottle upside down and press the spout into the ground. The water would fall out due to the magic of gravity. He would playfully spish and splash in his manmade puddle. His diaper would be soaked (even through clothing) and we had to wonder what he was sitting in. This activity has us taking the water bottle away again. Something we’re not happy about. However, for the sake of his clothing, diapers, books, tech equipment, etc… he needs to learn that spilling water on the floor isn’t the best thing. Some water is for drinking. I wonder if they sell a bottle for that?