My daughter will be 3 in December. She is still using a bottle at nap and bed time. I really don't see much harm in it but it's getting a little bit old and it's gonna delay the potty training thing b/c her diaper is soaked in the morning so I know she couldn't hols it all night. Any thoughts?
A.
Aside from the potty thing, she's just too old to still have a bottle. It's not developmentally appropriate. The biggest issue is that the teeth and mouth become malformed due to long bottle use. The best way to stop it is cold turkey! She's old enough for you to explain that she's not getting it anymore, but you can give her a little water in sippy cup right before bed instead. Good luck!
I'm just a bit concerned about her teeth...do you brush her teeth at nighttime after the bottle?
My daughter was on the bottle till she turned 2, then we just cut it cold turkey. I had asked a similar question how to stop her bottle, and most moms advised me here that just quit it cold, which we did. She learned very quickly, as most do. Luckily, she did not rely on the bottle to fall asleep at night to begin with, so that made it easier.
As for potty training, she will learn to use the potty when she is ready. U can go to the American Acad. of Pediatrics website to find out signs if your child is ready to potty train or not. We have a potty out for my 2 year old, and she knows what it is used for, but she still does not want to use it. We are not pushing her.
good luck!
My friend who daughter just turned three-they gathered up all the bottles and put them in a box and taped it up. They put the box outside their front door and my friend told Sophie her daughter that the bottle fairy would come and take them to another child who needed them and leave you a special gift.Her daughter was the same way and took it for naps and bedtime. The next day the bottles were gone and a gift was there for her. My son is 25 months old and still takes a bottle. I don't know what you give in the bottle-my son was a preemie, so he takes Next Step Enafmil. I have cut it back and he is almost taking water now and not showing as much interest. I think for mothers to say she is too old is crazy-you know your child. I think children who have pacifiers which my kids don't are too old- I see kids all the time at playgroups who are 4 and older with them. I don't cast stones at those moms since I don't know their kids. Good luck and I would let her have a bottle but give her water in it. She will start to lose interest or if you do the cold turkey thing-do the bottle fairy idea.
Along with the soaked diapers, my pediatrician warned us that too much milk as they get older means not enough nutrition from other food, so that's something to consider also...making sure she's not drinking too much milk, I think it was no more than 24 ounces a day by 15 month, I would guess the same for beyond. I give my kids water cups at night and wonder too with my 3 year old if that could delay his potty training at night (potty trained 1.5 years ago for day time, but just now getting some dry night diapers), but it's hard to deprive them of liquid if genuinely thristy, so if you are worried about thirst you could try a water cup instead of a bottle as that's more for thirst and a milk bottle is more of a comfort luxury. Some other concerns are speech...my 3 year old still sucks his thumb and the speech pathologist mentioned he has a forward tongue thrust likely from that thumb sucking...that was his only real speech issue when I got him evaluated. The tongue thrust she said comes from the sucking motion of thumb sucking, pacifier sucking, or bottle sucking since sucking promotes that tongue movement. Also, brushing teeth before going to sleep is important so the milk isn't sitting on the teeth to start eating at them as another mom mentioned. The idea of sending them to other kids that need them is GREAT (I wish I could do that with my son's thumbsucking!) or even tossing them because other kids that big don't use them (that idea is working for my son with thumb sucking...he now tells me he doesn't suck his thumb at church, just at home and not at the store, just at home, etc.) Being almost 3, you've got the use of psychology on your side for her to WANT to stop using them or at least go along with it with content. Best wishes to you!! :)
My son used bottle at night and first thing in the a.m. until about 3-1/2 and then switched to the soft spout sippy cup. His teeth are fine and he's fine. I don't see a problem with them having a bottle !
I still give him milk at night in a cup. Just brush the teeth after they drink the milk.
