For many families, the transition from bottles to cups and true self-feeding comes with spills, refusals, and a lot of “Am I doing this right?” The TalkTools® Itsy™ Collection was created by speech and occupational therapists to give you a clear, approachable path instead of guesswork—especially for little ones with sensory, neurological, or developmental needs.
This simple 3-step Toddler Feeding Reset anchors your routine around one coordinated tool set, so parents and pediatric feeding therapists can work from the same playbook.
Who this reset is for
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Toddlers transitioning from breast/bottle to straw and open cup
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Families who want calmer, less chaotic mealtimes in 2026
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Pediatric feeding therapists looking for easy-to-teach home programs using consistent tools
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Children who may benefit from extra support with sensory regulation, fine motor skills, and independence at the table
Step 1: Reset the Cup
From bottles to confident sipping with the Itsy Cup™
The TalkTools® Itsy Cup™ is an all-in-one training cup that moves your child from caregiver-led sips to straw drinking to independent open-cup drinking—using the same cup at each stage.
Key features that support a calmer reset:
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4-piece design (cup, lid, straw, flange) that you can assemble based on your child’s current skills
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Sloped lid that helps little ones drink with less neck extension and more safety
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Dual straw ends to support straw progression
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Soft, squeezable yet sturdy silicone that supports oral-motor practice and safety
How to use the Itsy Cup™ in your reset
Week 1: Practice “just-right” support
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Start with caregiver-led sips: assemble the cup with lid, straw, and flange. You can gently squeeze to help bring liquid to the straw while your child learns the motion.
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Offer tiny amounts of water, breastmilk, or formula at predictable times (for example, after meals).
Week 2: Introduce more independence
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Gradually reduce caregiver squeezes and let your child suck independently with the straw.
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Allow short “practice sessions” during meals and snacks—low pressure, lots of modeling.
Week 3 and beyond: Open-cup confidence
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Remove the lid and straw to practice open-cup drinking.
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Keep the same Itsy Cup so the only change is how they drink, not the object itself—this consistency can really help sensitive or anxious feeders.
For therapists:
Build your home carryover plan around the Itsy Cup: one tool, clear instructions, and easy skill progression families can follow between sessions.
Step 2: Reset the Spoon
Supporting self-feeding with Itsy Spoons™
The TalkTools® Itsy Spoons™ set includes two spoons—one textured, one smooth—designed to match where your child is on their self-feeding journey.
What makes them different from “any spoon”?
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Textured spoon
-Grooved bowl adds extra sensory feedback
-Helps hold food in place and gently channels it into the mouth
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Smooth spoon
-Shallow bowl encourages safe bites and more efficient clearing
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Bulb-shaped ergonomic handle
-Sized for small hands
-Promotes grasp, fine motor skills, and hand/wrist rotation needed for independent feeding
A simple 3-day “spoon reset”
Day 1: Explore, don’t perform
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Offer the textured spoon with familiar, easy-to-like foods (yogurt, puree, mashed foods).
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Let your toddler touch, mouth, and play—this is about sensory exploration, not “cleaning the spoon.”
Day 2: Invite participation
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Begin with you loading the spoon and guiding their hand.
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Alternate: one bite you feed, one bite they “help” with the Itsy Spoon.
Day 3 and beyond: Share the job
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Move toward your child loading and bringing the spoon to their mouth.
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Use the smooth spoon when you want smaller, safer portions or when your child seems ready for more precision.
For therapists:
Use both spoons in-session to meet sensory and motor needs, then write a “Spoon Plan” for caregivers (e.g., “Textured spoon at snack, smooth spoon at dinner”) so everyone stays consistent at home.
Step 3: Reset the Table
Structure meals and snacks with the Itsy Plate™ + Itsy Bowl & Snack Lid
A calmer feeding reset isn’t just about the cup or spoon—it’s also about how food is presented. The Itsy Plate™ and Itsy Bowl & Snack Lid give you flexible, toddler-friendly ways to offer variety, support selective eaters, and reduce mess.
Itsy Plate™
The TalkTools® Itsy Plate™ is a circular, sectioned plate designed with both sensory and motor needs in mind.
Highlights:
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4 open triangular sections
-Great for toddlers who prefer foods separated
-Also supports kids who like to “mix and match” at their own pace
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Curved walls that make scooping easier (fewer “pushes off the edge”)
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Strong suction base to help keep the plate in place
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Sized for most standard high chair trays
This helps toddlers know what to expect and gives them a low-pressure way to see new foods on the plate.
Itsy Bowl & Snack Lid
The TalkTools® Itsy Bowl & Snack Lid adds flexibility for snacks, thicker textures, or “on-the-go” eating.
Key features:
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Curved walls + volume lines for easy scooping and portion awareness
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Strong suction base to stay put on the tray or table
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Locking lid to keep food fresh and contained
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Snack lid to help contain snack-time messes and support hand-in-bowl exploration
How to use it in your reset:
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Serve practice textures (like thicker purees, oatmeal, chia pudding, or mashed foods) in the bowl for dedicated learning time.
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Use the snack lid for puffs, small crackers, or soft cut foods—your toddler practices reaching in, grasping, and bringing food to their mouth with built-in mess control.
Make it easy: Start with the Itsy™ Bundle
To keep things simple, you can anchor your entire feeding reset around the TalkTools® Itsy™ Bundle, which brings key pieces together in one coordinated set.
At a glance, your reset toolkit includes:
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Itsy Cup™ – for bottle-to-straw-to-open-cup transitions
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Itsy Spoons™ – textured + smooth spoons for sensory and motor needs
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Itsy Plate™ – suctioned, sectioned plate with curved walls
Add the Itsy Bowl & Snack Lid as your go-to for snack time, thicker textures, and on-the-go feeding.
Your 2026 Toddler Feeding Reset, in one place
Instead of reinventing mealtimes from scratch, this reset helps you:
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Change how your toddler drinks (not just what they drink)
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Support safer, more confident self-feeding with the right spoon options
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Use thoughtful plate and bowl design to reduce frustration and support exploration
Whether you’re a parent or a pediatric feeding therapist, the Itsy™ Collection gives you a clear starting point for calmer, more successful feeding in 2026—one small Itsy™ step at a time.
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