Stopping bottles

leos-mummy

Can anyone offer me any practical advice for trying to stop my wee boy taking a bottle. Hes 22months
Many thanks

onlyroz

Are you trying to get him onto a cup, or are you trying to get him off milk completely?

leos-mummy

He takes a bottle of milk in morning and night, rest of day he drinks cups of juice. Dont think it'll be too hard stopping morning bottle its just that he takes the bottle up to his cot at night and for his nap so this may be more difficult

onlyroz

Well I'd switch to using cups rather than bottles (better for the teeth), but I don't see a problem with him having two cups of milk a day.

building_with_lego

Let him choose a 'big boy' cup and simply throw them away.

pinkclouds

leos-mummy wrote: »

He takes a bottle of milk in morning and night, rest of day he drinks cups of juice. Dont think it'll be too hard stopping morning bottle its just that he takes the bottle up to his cot at night and for his nap so this may be more difficult

It'll only be difficult if he is still comfort sucking. Does he fall asleep while on the bottle? Or does he drink the milk and then go to sleep some time afterwards? Maybe find some new ways of settling him - reading a story and then drifting off clutching the book, or he puts teddy to bed and then you put him bed, or whatever works for you. You don't want him to transfer his sucking from a bottle to his thumb for obvious reasons!

Tbh, and I know many people will disagree with me, I don't think one bottle of milk is that bad if it helps him go to sleep happily. I'd drop the morning bottle and maybe try to substitute the milk for water, if you have concerns for his teeth. But I'd let him keep the bottle for naps/bedtime for a while longer.

pigpen

simply give the milk in a cup and bin the bottles.

Though after stopping breast/bottles mine never drank milk again.

SingleMumOf2_3

I use an empty lucozade bottle... you know the sports drinks? Means I have to replace them frequently and most of the time the actual lucozade drink goes down the sink because I am not keen on it. But I just wash them out and fill with weak cordial. Not sure how they would do with milk in though.
But I have tried allsorts of age appropriate bottles and cups.. and this is the only one I have found to work without leaking all over his bed. Though he does need to know how to open the top.. drink.. and then put it back on. But I started using these when my son was around the same age yours is now. He is nearly 3 and takes juice to bed with him for incase he wakes thirsty.. but now more often than not will wake with it untouched. HTH.

stsarina

My DD is 30 months and still has a cup of warm milk for bedtime - we went cold turkey on the bottles and she has it from one of these; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amadeus-5031438003405-Cow-Cup/dp/B001AUF2I4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1306350386&sr=8-2

She loves it, and never even asked for the bottle once she had this.

Good luck!

pinkclouds

SingleMumOf2 wrote: »

Though he does need to know how to open the top.. drink.. and then put it back on. But I started using these when my son was around the same age yours is now.

My 2 year old would find that a bit tricky, I think. On hot days or poorly days, my kids occasionally take a water bottle to bed with them - more for the sake of it, as the bottles are usually tucked down the side of the bed. We use Tommee Tippee Explora Active Sporty non-drip bottles. Personally, I think the shape is just like a grownup "sports" bottle, they are easy to drink from and they don't leak/spill.

We have had (and probably still have at the back of the cupboard somewhere) those Amadeus Cow Cups too. Both the baby one with handles and the toddler one without handles. I find they tend to end up leaking - the little non-drip bit (that you put in the lid) moves too much. All right for daytime use but my toddler prefers a (regular) cup or a straw during the day now.

leos-mummy

Its not the milk im worried about its just that hes still takin a bottle at 22m. he doesnt fall asleep with the bottle, he drinks it dismantles the teat and ring, throws it out of the cot then goes to sleep. he gets juice during the day in a sippy cup, sports bottle and sometimes a normal plastic cup but its only a wee dribble to teach him as it usually ends up all over the place!