My almost 18 month old son is addicted to the bottle! He goes all day at daycare with no bottle without any problems, but when he gets home right around 7pm he starts asking for it and when he sees it he is overwhelmed with joy, like love at first sight, its rediculous! We thought we would just limit it to bedtime, but he wakes up wanting more once or twice a night. We let him have the bottle in bed only because we thought it would be less messy and we could not loose sleep! He is a very solid healthy 32 pounder, the only time he gets milk is nap and bedtime after dinner. I have discussed his love for milk with his doctor and as long as it isn't replacing meals (which it isn't) there is nothing wrong with his milk consumption. My husband doesn't seem to think giving him the bottle is a big deal and would give it to him all the time if it wasn't for me. I know I need to get him on board the "No more bottle boat" in order to do this. I have already thrown away all but two bottles and we do have many sippy cups! I just don't want him to be sucking on a bottle for the rest of his life! My goal is to have him off before the end of this year... But how do I take him off the bottle when he wakes up at night for more? I've tried putting water in it, but trust me ladies,.. he knows the difference and will cry until he knows we're getting up to get milk instead. Urgh!
So I guess my question is, when did you finally take the bottle away? How did you do it? Anything to help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you everyone for all the great advice! I think this is more a battle between my husband and me. I had "the talk" with my husband that we were no longer going to give him the bottle, and he was upset because he doesn't think its fair to go cold turkey on Reece like that. It should be a gradual thing,.. I thought thats what we had been doing? I don't know about you ladies but my husband does not adjust quickly to change like us women do! At times it can be PAINFUL to wait for him to take his babysteps to get his comfort zone there! ANYWAY I reasoned with him and we decided he could have the bottle at night for comfort with only water. Around 5pm my husband called in a panic with my son crying out in the backround for the "bobble" wondering when I was going to be home to join him in the misery. So I told him to give him a "goodbye" milk bottle and I purchased a couple soft tipped sippy cups (the only kind we did not have!) on the way home. I told him to talk to Reece about what was going to happen so he could prepare himself for no more milk in the bottle. When I got home I switched out the bottle with the new soft tip sippy and gave it to him, he started to get upset and shake his head no immediately called it a "bobble" he looked at me, decided he was okay with that decision and took it without a problem!
We continued to talk throughout the night about only getting water in his bottle for bed and why. We walked down to the kitchen to get his bottle for bed talking the whole time about how big and important it was for him to take water in it instead, he watched me fill it up with water not even slightly upset. I gave it to him, he took me back upstairs, climbed in bed and had no problem! I think my husband, the "non-believer" was more surprised then I was that it was THAT easy...so far.
He did however have a little issue with it around 1am! He usually wakes up and climbs in bed with us around then. It took about 5 minutes of crying and thrashing I talked him through it and in the end he took the bottle with only water. I expected it to last a lot longer so I was happy and told him what a good BIG boy he was.
I don't have as much of an issue with the bottle if there is only water in it and decided to let him have it for a while longer for comfort. I guess I just didn't think he would ever take it with water, he never has before. He even knows when we water his milk down and refuses to take it. Thank you again for all your wisdom! If anything you have made me feel better about my decision and sometimes that is all you really need. Thanks!
Teach him to drink out of a regular cup, not a sippy cup. I had my daughter drinking out of a regular cup by the time she was 1 1/2. Only put a little water or milk into the cup at a time, and teach him to only drink at the table, and to keep the cup at the table. The new learning will replace the old wanting of the bottle:)
I'd just bite the bullet and get rid of the bottles.... all of them and offer him milk in his sippy cup. At night when he wakes up for more, offer water and if he screams.... let him scream. I was a nanny who went through something similar and after a week, he realized that life was still good even without his bottle. My own son went through a few nights of crying until now he's finally used to the idea and it's not permanantly detrimental.... People are always commenting on how happy he is.
Good luck!
Make the bottle unapealing put the water in it and also give him a sippy cup with milk. Yes, it is a little messier unless you have really good sippy cups that don't leak, but it is way better for his teeth to use a sippy cup. Be ready to let him cry it out!
You won't like my advice, but I have 6 kids and none of them took the bottle with them to school. I would just give him the bottle- it's his comfort and makes him happy. Is this really a battle worth picking? Obviously I can't make that choice for you, but I don't think it is. I am happy to report that all my kids are well adjusted, happy kids and there are no ill effects from having the bottle. The bottle is really no big deal!
The ideas below are good.
I know my dentist warned about sending kids to bed with milk or anything other than water as the sugars from milk and juice will sit and work on their soft teeth over night. But I'm no doctor so listen to your pediatrition.
If you're not already doing the brushing of the teeth (or mostly gums) as part of your nightly ritual, consider doing that. Make a big deal of becoming a big boy and part of that includes brushing teeth before bedtime. Make it fun by saying stuff while you brush like "Mommy sees some potatoes in there. Where's that banana you ate? I have to get that grape juice off your teeth." And be clear that once you've brushed the teeth, you can't let the yucky food gremlins back in there -- which means only water after they're brushed, nothing more. Have fun with it yet be firm. It'll be hard at first, but the long term gains will be worth the short term hassels.
I think that you just have to pick a time of when you want it done by and do it. I know it seems really hard, but you might be surprised how easy it turns out to be. We bottle weaned at 18 months and I thought it would be way worse than it was. I chose the most important bottle and kept that one until the very end. So, we eliminated nap bottle first. I told my daughter that at nap, we only get milk or water in a sippy cup because she was a big girl now. The first day was hard. She cried like crazy, but eventually gave into the cup and drank and then fell asleep. The next day, same thing but the crying was less. By the end of the week, nap time was done with only a sippy cup.At the time we started taking away the bottle, I noticed that my daughter became very attached to a blanket, so we incorporated the blanket into the routine instead of the bottle. I waited about 1 month and next I moved to bedtime bottle. I told her that bedtime bottles were for babies and she was a big girl and gave her the cup. Guess what! It didn't even phase her because she got use to it at nap time. No crying no fussing, etc. When she woke up in the middle of the night, I only offered the cup.
Now, I am working on eliminating the sippy cup at bed time all together and will probably take the same approach. Wish me luck.
Kids are super smart, so once you decide to do it, don't revert or cave in. They will remember that it took them 30 mins of crying until they got the bottle and they will do that the next time until you cave. It might be kind of tough, but you can do it. And your son will be fine.
My niece is almost 3 and still has a bottle but only at home. She doesn't get one at day care at all either. But her mom caves in and gives it to her the minute she gets home and she is packing that thing around constantly.
So, set your date and be consistent and I bet you that it will go much better than you think. Lots of luck to you.
:-)
Get rid of them. Offer a sippy cup. Say the bottle fairy came and took all the bottles away to deliver to other babies who need bottles.
Just wants a bottle/s at night?? Don't stress yourself out. I would let him have it.. but i would replace the milk at night with water. Not only is it better for his teeth then the milk residue sitting on there over night (potential decay issues ) but not as 'tasty' maybe to your son. I wouldn't worry about it. He will grow out of it. How many grown men do you see wandering around with a bottle. If he gets comfort from it, let him have that comfort.
My two-year-old was like that. We got her down to one bottle a day--her evening bottle. It helped her wind down. The doctor kept telling me to get her off by 15 months age. I talked to my mom about what she did and she said that all her 8 kids had a bottle until we were 2, as they didn't have sippy cups then. So I decided to let her go until she was 2. I started by moving them to a location she could not reach. Previously they were in a lower cupboard that she could reach and got her own bottle at night. For a while she would ask for one but shortly after her 2nd birthday there were nights she would forget to ask. After a while she stopped asking. It turned out to not be a big deal. Its really not going to hurt your son's long-term development if you give him a few more months. If you are determined to get him off the bottle, try giving him a snack he really likes at that same time of day he asks for the bottle.
Throw away the bottles and give him a sippy cup in his crib (prop in corner) or if in "big boy" bed put it on the night stand. If he wakes up at night then he can get the cup himself that way.
OK - so my daughter wasn't willing to give the bottle up - I tried taking it away there were lots of tears - then finally one day she was playing with more than drinking so that was the day - her doctor pointed out a sippy cup and bottle aren't that much different so no harm in either - so I'd say she was between 18 months and 2 when it finally happened - now just recently - it's cups - at almost 3.
Hi A.
First off I love the name you picked out!! =) I have 3 boys, my 2 youngest are almost 3 in Dec and just turned 16mo.s. My almost 3 yr old LOVED his "wattle", but when he was a little over 2, I know many moms are gasping, oh well, we went to the near-by clothes drop off bin w/ those smiley faces and he threw in all of them. I told him that the 'SMILEY FACE' was hungry for his "wattles" and that he would give all of his bottles to other little boys and girls, and that made him so happy!! He cried every so often about wanting one and then I just reminded him that we gave all of them to the "smiley face" and he was okay. It litteraly was not even like 4 days and he was weened!! Now my 16 mo. old loves his bottle and NOTHING but milk will do. I know you are worried that he's getting too old for a bottle, but like what my son's pediatrician said, 'He won't be going to college wearing diapers sucking on a bottle'. I'm not all that concerned w/ weening my 16 mo. old yet, I will start when he is 2 and can understand more. Seriously, he sounds like a very healthy boy, your ped. doesn't seem at all concerned, he's still just a baby in my eyes. He will be off of it soon enough so I would just relax and enjoy it!!! =)
Here is my take on it, I am still nursing my one year old, usually once or twice at night as well. I have no intentions of weaning her before she's ready - and would not consider taking away the bottle, if she was taking that at night.
However, I would truly discourage extended self feeding - once he's done drinking his milk and only sucking for comfort, the bottle needs to go, or be replaced by unsweetened herbal tea or water.
It is not the bottle in itself, or even a night feeding or two, that is bad for teeth, it is the non-stop flow of sugary liquid (Milk has sugar in it too)that causes tooth decay.
with my oldest i put water in the bottle (which she didn't like at the time) and i used a small 4oz bottle. i only offered milk in a sippy cup when she asked for it. there will be lots of fit throwing and crying but you have to stick to your guns and wait it out. every child is different, my dd gave up halfway through the day on the bottle of water not turning into milk. i kept the sippy cup on the coffee table where she could reach it and that seemed to work best during that time. when she finally came around to picking up the sippy cup i threw the bottle away and told her she was a big girl now and i was very proud of her.
with your son waking in the middle of the night for it i would only offer him a sippy cup with water in it for a small nighttime drink if he is thirsty or you can give him the spill proof cup at bedtime that way if he wakes for a drink it is right there. it will be hard not to give in and give him milk and i'm sure there will be tears, but eventually he won't wake at that time because his body will get used to not getting that extra milk boost.
good luck. i totally know what you are going through, so i wish you the very best.
It's a comfort thing with him, I would let him keep it for awhile longer. Maybe only put water in it at night for during bedtime. You have to look at it like a binky. You know your son best, but I would try to really gage him as to when he is ready to give it up. Every child was different. with my boys it was the binky. My first was 2 when we were able to get him off it. My second was almost 3. My third wanted nothing to do with them but is a thumb sucker and I do not know if we will ever be able to break that anytime soon.
Soon he will want to be seen as a big boy not a baby and we all know bottles are for babies. I would call it a baby bottle with a neutral tone and be sure to praise him offen about what a big boy he is.
My first son was 12 months and my second 16 months. We made a big deal out of getting big boy sippy cups at the store. They have so many cute ones now and he could help pick them out. He really shouldn't be going to bed with milk anyway. Just switch to cups. My boy's both loved them. I was the one who didn't want to give them up.
S.
A.,
You may have to try the "cry it out" method. It is much harder on the parent than the child. Cold turkey was how we did the bottles...a few days and we were fine -- I will say that our boys (twins) were not addicted to the bottle the way your son is...I pray you find the solution that works best for you all.
T.
It sounds like there is no harm in letting him keep the bottle a while longer. Maybe take a break from worrying about it for a month and then see where things are at. And, I have yet to see an adult walking around with a bottle.
We had a bottle lover too. And like you at daycare all day she did not have one but as soon as she got in the car she would ask for one. I wanted her off the bottle so I threw all of them away... that way you are not tempted to give int. I got some of those soft top clear sippy cups.. it was hard the first night but after that she was okay with the sippy as long as she never saw a bottle. She doesnt even remeber them. We too put her to bed with a sippy cup of milk but we delute it with half water so it isn't so bad.She sleeps so great at night and so do we when we arent waking up with our 4 month old. I know that we will have to start whinning the sippy cup she is 20 months old now... but I figure when my younger one is sleeping through the night we will address that. Good Luck and be strong. My suggestion just throw them all away so you wont have the temptations if it really means that much to you!
Good Luck A.!
~ Cori~
Throw them in the garbage. Weather the storm for a few days. Blue skys ahead.
Get all your bottles out of the house. Tell him there gone or lost and soon here wont even think about them. If there not around to see or want than he'll forget about it in a few days. Hope this helps.
D.
Hi A.,
I took the bottle away when my kids (I have 3) were 13 months. I found that cold-turkey works best and after a day or two of a little grumpyness from them, it's over and done with. It was always harder on me then it was for them. Good luck :)
I still gave my son a bottle until he was about 2ish or so. But I didn't have to go through the drama of taking it away - it just happened in my house. He wasn't as "addicted" to it either. You said your son is using a sippy cup. I don't know what kind of sippy cup, but you could try a sippy cup made by Nuby it has a soft nipple/top. It's a good way to transition from a bottle to a sippy cup.
Hi A.:)
I'd say you have to get rid of those two remaining bottles. I know moms that have had "goodbye parties" for thier child's pacifier.. maybe it would work for the bottles too? you could make a bog deal out of him being a big boy and wrap up a sippy cup like a present.. I've never done this so it's just a suggestion. I threw all three of my childrens bottles away at one tear and immediately gave them spill proof sippies like it was nothing else but normal and they were all fine with that.
If you don't get rid of them you're giving him (and your husband) the message that they're still ok to have around:)
good luck and i hope it helps!
A....
Just do it! It's that simple. Pick a morning and have your son throw away ALL the bottles you have and tell him we are all done with the bottles. Talk to him through out the day and tell him over and over we have no more bottles...when it's bedtime remind him again they are all in the trash and poor him a glass of milk instead have him drink it in the kitchen and of to bed. He might cry for awhile but if you spend the day reminding him of how its going to go at night he should be slightly more prepared. You will probably see its not as hard as you are making it out to be:)
K.
Mom to a grip of kids who has done getting rid of the bottle & binkys 5 times over... with just one more to go!
Oh yeah...Congrats on the new house, thats very exciting news!
