How to Separate My 2 Yr Old from Her Bottle

My son just stopped on his own, but my sister just went through this with her 3 year old. First she put only water in the bottle at bedtime because of his teeth. Then a week later she packed up every bottle in the house and sent them to a new baby down the street. That way when he asked for a bottle she could stay firm in saying I don't have any in the house.
Once he knew she could not give in he was fine in a few days.
She also had the new baby send him a small blanket to thank him for the bottles.
I hope this helps.

My son was a little bit harder to ween to the sippy cup. After you feed them a meal, offer them the sippy cup, or put the sippy cup on they're high chair tray. Just keep trying, she might have fits, but will eventually give it.

My son was the same way. My daughter actually was the one who gave up the bottle more easily. First, I know it may bother you and people may make stupid comments, but wouldn't sweat 2 bottles a day at the age of two. Time of day may have something to do with the answer. If the bottles are at naptime and bedtime and help her fall asleep, you might try finding some other ritual to replace them. Let her be involved in chosing it. For my daughter it was two books and two songs and then sleep. I know you've probably tried this, but have her pick out two of new sippy cups and have each special cup replace the bottle time. Don't go cold turkey unless that's worked with her before. My daughter was an "all or nothing" child. My son was a step, by step kid. If steps are her thing, maybe replace what appears to be the easier bottle first, then once that has settled in as habit, go for the second. I know how you feel. My son was a tough customer and it took a while to get him to give up those last bottles. Good luck and don't be too hard on yourself or her. It'll happen.

I would try the Nuby soft spout sippys, its the only cup my son used for a while but he eventually started using the others we had.
Also just tell her its a differnt kind of bottle.

My kids were all bf and they were all off the bottle too at 1. The best way to do this, especially since your little one is 2 and can understand more, is say, you are a big girl now, and you can drink out of a cup. Take her to the garbage and have her throw it away and then say, lets go get a big girl reward and do something fun, or get her something small as a reward. This works wonders. It has worked with so many other moms.

S. Bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermoments.com

My son was off the bottle at about 13 months - I just took it away and gave him the sippy cup. I did the same thing with his pacifier - we went cold turkey. We put all his pacis in an envelope that he decorated with stamps and we sent them to the "babies" that needed them b/c he wasn't a baby anymore (at 19 mo!). You could try a similar thing with the bottle. Also, he now has a blankie he uses to go to sleep with - so maybe you could replace the bottle with something else that makes her happy.

Instead of a sippy cup - you could try one of the straw cups - at 2 the kiddos are old enough to know how to drink out of a straw. OR you could just let her drink out of a regular cup (no lid) at mealtimes - maybe she would think that is a big girl thing to do etc.

Just some thoughts - Good Luck.

J.,

Announce to your daughter that it is time to use a sippy cup now. Then take her to the store and have her pick out a few sippy cups for herself. This will be her feel in control.
Diana

J., I too had that probelm with my daughter and the advice my pediatrician gave me was to stand firm. She said that kids are way more intelligent than we give them credit. They know that if they holler and scream that we will probably eventuall give in. Unfortunately, they play us like violins (smile). It took me a weekend to accomplish this. We just decided that one weekend we were not going to get any sleep, and we didn't cause she cried for like 10 minutes then fell asleep, then started back up a couple of hours later. What you are doing is training her to realize that to get her milk that she will have to get it from the sippy cup. Once she realizes that is her only option, she will give in. The one thing I did do was buy those Nubby brand sippy cups where the top is soft rubber, like a bottle nipple, instead of those hard plastic ones. I sent through this at around 18 months with my daughter and now she will be 2 next month and will only take the soft sippy cups, she does not like the hard ones. I hope this helps and good luck.

my daughtet was nursed until she was about 6 months old. she just didn't want it anymore. she was about 2 when i decided that the bottle was done. she also didn't have a blankie or binkie, so the bottle was her thing. what i did was we all went out of town for the weekend and i told her that mom and dad forgot her bottle and that she needs to try and be a big girl and drink from a sippy.of course i had a bottle just in case that did not work. the first night she was okay to put to bed but woke up with night mares crying for her bottle. by the first nite back home she was done with her bottle and the next day she helped me throw them all awaay. we were only gone from fri-sun. i hope this helps out a little. my son "NEEDED" his bottle. it was alot harder with him and about the same age i just stopped giving it to him and let him cry it out and within a weeks time my house was bottle free. good luck

My son was attached to his bottle too. After he turned one he only got water in the bottle, but he still wanted it. He never took a pacifier. When he got to two I finally decided we had to take it away. Once we decided to do it, we told him that his cousin (a newborn)needed the bottles. He helped pack up the bottles. It was a hard week, but it was just a week. So that's the moral of my story. Just decide you're going to do it and I bet it will be over in a week. Good luck!

Every baby is different. My 2.5 year old still nurses on demand. My nephew is three and still uses a bottle. I always tell people: "at least he won't have to put it on his resume that he nursed for 2.5 years" Then I laugh it off and walk away. I have bigger fish to fry. :)
I can remember when I was a little girl that my mom and dad would't let me suck my thumb. I used to feel shameful and even more insecure- so I sucked my thumb until I was in my 20s just to each them a lesson :)

If you really must wean her for whatever reason you have.
I would say to put a less desirable liquid in the bottle and put her yummy milk or juice in the sippys and offer her the CHOICE. I think you'll find less resistance that way.

anyway, good luck to you.

M.

HI J. MY NAME IS A. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM YOU DO, SORTA. MY SON WILL BE TWO IN OCTOBER, AND HE IS STILL NURSING AND HIS PEDIATRICIAN SEEMS TO THINK IT IS OKAY BUT IM GOING CRAZY. SO I CAN ONLY SUGGEST TO JSUT TRY TO QUIT COLD TURKEY THATS WHAT I HAVE TO TRY TO DO. GOOD LUCK!!! MY OTHER QUESTION WAS I SEE YOU DO HOME DAYCARE, I WAS WANTED TO START MY HOME DAYCARE AGAIN BUT PREVIOUSLY HAD SOME NOT SO GOOD PARENTS SO IT DIDN'T WORK OUT. DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO FIND GOOD PARENTS. PLEASE CALL ME OR EMAIL ME BACK
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I actually had a problem like this with a pacifier, and I just took it away cold turkey after about a week of prepping my daughter for it by saying I had seen the "pacifier fairy" hanging around our house. I left little stickers under her pillow or in her pockets, etc. as evidence that the fairy was hanging around! I would tell her the fairy must know that she was getting to be a big girl and would come and take her pacifier (in your case, bottles) and leave her a big present when she was grown-up enough.
I tried to make it sound very exciting and it worked! I think she made have cried a little bit a few days, but I reminded her how many grown-up "big-girl" things she was learning to do now and we didn't need it anymore. It was forgotten VERY quickly!
I have also transitioned her into going to sleep without rocking or being read to sleep, etc by setting a firm date and talking through it with her a lot before hand. Then once the date is here, we tough it out and celebrate when the goal is met for a set number of times (say 2 days) and get a special reward that she has been wanting (or a trip to the park, etc.)
Hope this helps!
-M. (mommy to soon-to-be-six-year-old Pixie)

I'm sorry to be so rough, but just quit cold turkey. It may be rough for a few days, but she'll get used to it. If she gets thirsty enough, she'll drink.

HI,

My son was down to one at bedtime from about 18 months til over 2 yrs. All I did was try to offer him a sippy cup more often. They make some that have soft nipples, similar to bottles, and they seem to make the transition a little easier. We went on a vacation for a weekend, and didn't take any bottles, just cups. By the time we came back....NO MORE BOTTLES!! The best part is, this worked on him at the same time it was working on my 1 yr old daughter. She saw him with the cup & wanted that instead of the bottle. She was completely off the bottle at 13 mos.

Each child is different, but I am learning that "monkey see, monkey do" is very helpful :)

Good luck,
L.

according to the academy of pediatric dentist (i'm a hygienist) they should be off the bottle by 1 i would start by only putting water in the bottle and continue to offer sippy cups or reg cups

My daughter was just three when I finally took her over to the garbage and told her to throw out her bottle I told her she was a big girl and could not drink from a bottle anymore. Then we went to the store and she picked out her own new sippy cup. I had to do the same with potty traing her I had to put my foot down and tell her no more diapers and we went to the store and she picked out her new undies. It was like she had to be in control of part of the situation and to this day she is a very strong willed child and likes to feel she has control. The boys were so much easier they were both off the bottle before two.