Questions about breaking the bottle habit.

Ok.. I know... 16 months and still with a bottle. We are down to our last bottle: the bedtime bottle and I KNOW it is going to be a fight to break them of the habit, especially DS. Do I do it just like CIO? I am not worried about nutrition if he doesn't drink the sippie at bedtime, but what I am worried about is him FREAKING OUT with out the bottle. Do I just offer the sippie and if he doesn't take it, put him in the crib? He totally knows the routine right now, bath, pjs, book and bottle. I am SOOOO not looking forward to this because I LOVE bedtime....snuggle time.

Melissa

 

My personal opinion is that there is nothing wrong with a toddler having one bottle a day. As long as you brush their teeth after they are finished drinking then nothing terrible is going to happen.

 

At our 15 month appt. on Wednesday our pedi said she would like the girls to have given up their bedtime bottle by 18 months I think that I am more attached to it than they are! My plan will be to just not have it. We give them milk in their sippy cups with dinner, I think I will just take it upstairs with us and give them that. I think that if we make a big deal out of it they will catch on and miss the bottle...

Good luck - I hope it goes better than you are anticipating.

 

Keep the same routine, give him the sippy cup instead as if it were perfectly normal part of the day, maybe a little more snuggles and see what happens.

 

The easiest thing would be to create a new routine order, and eliminating any drink right before bed. You are going to have to cut it out when potty training, and why have to transition twice? As for a bottle before bed not doing any harm--I have a friend whose 2 year old had baby root canals and his 2 top front teeth pulled because they were so rotted as a result of "needing" a bedtime bottle.

 

QUOTE
As for a bottle before bed not doing any harm--I have a friend whose 2 year old had baby root canals and his 2 top front teeth pulled because they were so rotted as a result of "needing" a bedtime bottle.

I don't want to be rude but your knowing one person who's child had problems with his teeth is hardly reason to assume that will always happen. I know many, many children who have kept having a bottle to 2 years old or older with no problems at all. Surely it's more likely that in the case of that boy the bottle was at most a contributing factor and not the entire cause?


ETA: I really do not mean to sound snippy or offend anyone but I am genuinely mystified by the number of posts on here with the attitude that babies/toddlers should be weaned from the bottle at 12 months and most certainly before 18 months. It is not an opinion that I ever encountered before I started visiting TS. If the child couldn't care less about having a bottle then great, but I don't understand the need to force it. IF the child has their teeth brushed properly after they are finished drinking I can't imagine that there is a high risk of tooth decay.

 

we just tried the sippy's before bed tonight, in place of the bottle. it actually went pretty well. i don't think they were quite as calm as they are when getting the bottle (they usually get the other cups UPON waking, not BEFORE!), ihtink i got whacked about 10 times in the face with DD flailing the cup around. but she did drink about as much as she does from the bottle, and did settle down afterward. i was pretty worried about trying it too, and it actually wasn't too bad. I find that oftentimes things are worse in my head than reality!
I don't know if yours are too young, but i have heard of people having their kdis "buy" something they want with their bottles and/or pacifiers. i think that works better when they are a little older. Another friend had her babies put the bottles in a box to send to a friend who just had new babies.
my niece was on bottles until she was almost 5. it was quite an issue. my SIL would try and try and try and it just would not work. she was even at the point she'd say "Mom. I know. I just can't talk about it right now!" and go up to her room and shut the door!!! :icon_eek: drama queen. anyway, she has a HUMONGOUS overbite now. her 2 brothers don't at all and got off at younger ages. i think she is more of an extreme case, but just thought i'd share that.
regardless, good luck. he'll eventually get it- i don't see too many teenagers out their with bottles!!