Too Late or Early for a Sippy Cup???

I have read articles that say that “babies began to actually drink liquids from a sippy cup around 9 months of age.” Then the next article says “the sippy cup should be introduced at six months of age in preparation for weaning from the bottle or breast at 12 months.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that you should "teach your child to drink from a cup as soon as possible, usually by 1 year of age. Drinking from a cup does not cause the liquid to collect around the teeth, and a cup cannot be taken to bed. If you are concerned that a cup may be messier than a bottle, especially when you are away from home, use one that has a snap-on lid with a straw or a special valve to prevent spilling."

Sam is now 10.5 months old and we have yet to successfully offer him a sippy cup. I purchased three Thinkbaby Trainer Cups on sale (I heard that they were good), but Sam liked his bottles when he wasn’t drinking from me.

I’m not ready for Sam to wean, but I think that he needs to start to move away from a bottle when he is drinking other liquids (formula and water). He is a lot stronger now and can hold a 9 oz bottle and feed himself, no problem. This may now be the time to move to a sippy cup.

I have also heard that not every child does well with a certain cup, so it may take purchasing different cups to see what fits him best. That could cost a whole lot of money, so I put a question to a mom’s group that I belong:

What types of sippy cups worked best for your child?

So far I have received 4 responses with 4 different products.
• Take N Toss cup with a straw
• Playtex brand cups
• Born Free Trainer Cup
• Gerber sippy cups

I expect to get as many different cup brands as I do responses. I would love to have a Sippy Cup Lending Program where people would lend me some to experiment with first, so as to save money.

I might have to go to garage sales and buy some (of course sterilize them first) and try them on Sam.

Wish me luck.