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My Sippy Cup Runneth Over

We have tried every possible brand of sippy cup, from cheap, Spartan designs to the high-tech jobs emblazoned with licensed cartoon characters. The good ones are merely adequate, while the bad ones either leak all over the place, or have faulty valves that require your child to suck so hard that orthodontia later in life will be a foregone conclusion.

For some reason, I've been unable to hang onto any of the good ones. The inferior models clutter my kitchen while the decent ones invariably get lost or broken. The lids become separated from the cups, and the valves either get melted beyond recognition in the dishwasher, or else dropped on the floor and sucked into the vacuum cleaner. Otherwise, they disappear, lock, stock, and barrel, only to turn up several weeks later wedged behind a sofa, full of highly fermented fruit juice that explodes onto my shirt when the unit is opened.

We no longer own any complete sippy cups, only various sippy cup parts. Our cupboard resembles a sippy cup junkyard, with shelves full of totally incompatible bodies, lids, and valves from all makes and models. The simple act of providing Emma with a functioning cup has become a harrowing process involving masking tape, crazy glue, and an exacto knife.

Yet, an interesting thing is happening. During this process of modifying parts, tinkering with the fittings, and making customized setups, I've begun to enjoy myself. What began as a royal pain in the neck has suddenly become a real guy's hobby.

I could be on the cutting edge of something. Perhaps the sippy cup industry, in recognition of the growing ranks of Homedaddies, will eventually start to develop and market specialized components for the "high performance" crowd. Regional Homedaddy associations will sprout like hot rod clubs, holding Sippy Cup Rallies and competitions.

The "Homedaddy" column will then focus on product reviews of "high end" sippy cup components and modification techniques. For example:

Fisher-Price Performer RPM - This is an excellent sippy cup for the toddler with moderate to heavy sucking torque. I upgraded this cup with a GTX Juice Warrior¾ output valve and it is a great combination. The fluid response has been greatly improved, with a very consistent flow rate. The lift of the valve diaphragm is .000496 cm (intake) and .000520 cm (exhaust), which makes the idle a bit rough, but not too rough. I recommend this sippy cup for anyone who wants to maximize performance within the Modified Stock Cup category.

Gerber Competition Valve - This input/output valve continues to be one of the most popular modifications for Class A sippy cups. I've installed one on my 1999 EvenFlo 289 with excellent results. This all-plastic high rise dual plane intake is one of the finest water/milk intakes anywhere, performing well in the car or the stroller. If you're looking for extra flow between 15 and 20 pounds of suction, this intake will not disappoint you. It comes with large ports with smooth angles and fits easily under the Playtex XP1 replacement lid.

Like all men's hobbies, it would get out of control. We'd end up with glass display cases full of our prize cups that are strictly for show ð while our children will get by with the cheap, leaky ones.

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© Todd Pinsky 1998-2002. All rights reserved.