When to Stop the Bottle?

According to dentists and doctors, he is too old for the bottle. According to me? He is getting there. Now would be a good time to stop the bottle. At least before he is 3. My first child was on the bottle after 3, my middle at 2, and my youngest at 1. My first child, I transitioned to sippy cups. He mostly liked his bottle at night for comfort. But when I started leaving a sippy with water, it really broke his bottle habit. My middle child just threw hers in the garbage. ha ha. And my youngest just went to sippy cups. He was never one to like things in his mouth when he went to sleep anyway.

Needless to say, my two oldest are school aged and don't have a bottle stuck in their mouths. I always say if they are off of it by kindergarten then they are okay.

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The longer a child drinks from a bottle, the more likely he is to have tooth decay. Especially, if he's drinking a bottle and then going to sleep. My pediatrician, said most doctor's encourage to take the bottle away at one. He is probably now dependent on those bottles emotionally. The longer he depends on the bottle, the harder it will be to break the habit. At this point, it's entirely a habit...not a need. A bad habit, at that. Another reason for bottle weaning, is your child isn't a baby anymore. He is a toddler. Do I think he's too old, yes. However, he is your child and only you can make that decision.

You could start now going to one bottle and then in a few weeks go without all..

We threw away all of the bottles the night before her 1st birthday. I had prepared her for a few weeks with a heads up.." On your birthday, no more bottles. You will be a big girls and get to drink from a sippy cup!"

Then that night before, threw them all away.. In the morning of her birthday I asked her which cup do you want to use? Do you want juice or milk? Each time it was time for "bottle" I would ask instead, "which cup do you want to use THIS time?" It gave her some control..

This is just my way of doing things but both of my boys were off bottles at 11 1/2 months completely. If he is drinking milk from a sippy during the day then he is ready to be off the bottle.

Most kids get switched at about 1 year. The soft spout sippies are usually liked best at O..

We, personally, stopped all bottles on their first birthday based upon Pediatrician's request/advice.

My recommendation would be to stop cold turkey immediately. As others have mentioned, the longer they have it, the harder the habit is to break. If he's using a sippy cup the rest of the day, there really isn't any reason to have a bottle other than making him happy with it.

My son switched to sippys at about 1 year, and from the bottle-like soft sippys at 2.

My sons pediatrician told me to take the bottle away before 15 months because a bottle can cause permanent teeth damage apparently. My son likes warm milk, so I just warm up milk in a sippy cup for him and he has been fine with it since day one. He is now 18 months and Im currently trying to get him off the sippy because he can drink out of a glass or straw very well.

we were told by our pedi to stop the bottle at age one. i belive he is too old for a bottle.

You are about a year too late on this one. It is bad for his teeth and he probably is not going to give it up very easily at this point.
You can try going down to just one bottle a day and then maybe having a chat with him. I told my youngest a week before her first birthday that she was a big girl now and big girls don't drink out of bottles. We threw all of her bottles away together. That night she asked for a bottle and I said "Don't you remember? We threw them away." She nodded and that was that. Not sure you can get that kind of compliance from a two year old.
But like the other poster said- as long as he is off by Kindergarten! Just make sure he only has water in them or you are going to have all kinds of problems with his teeth.
Where is your pediatrician? Didn't he/she mention this? Mine gave me a handout at every visit when me babies were little with expectations and recommendations. I know my pedi said get those babies off bottles about one-do it while it is easy.
Good luck!

there is sugar in milk . I would only allow him water at night after ya'll brush teeth.

My kids switched to a sippy cup at 12 months and at 2 were off the sippy cup and using a cup with a straw. I would try to get him off the bottle now. Since he's already using a sippy cup most of the time, it probably won't be a hard for him to do.

My thought is if he can feed himself then he doesn't need a bottle. So good for you for getting rid of the bottle! Sometimes the hardest thing is getting them to use the sippy cup so I'm sure it won't be an issue, just tell him big boys don't have bottles. I'm sure he won't have a problem with that!

they say anything you want to get rid of do it before 2... because once they hit 2 they get much more attached... like get rid of blanket, stuffed toy that they chew on, the bottle and even try toilet training all before 2... get rid of thumb sucking and pacifier too... otherwise they may keep it for a long while... good luck... my kids were toilet trained both boy and girl by 2 and gave up the bottle both at 18 mo... it worked hope it works for you too.

My kids both had their last bottles the day before their 1st birthdays. My daughter will be two in November, and drinks very well out of a regular cup - maybe you can try that. Switch to 2 sippy cups a day of milk and the rest of the time out of a regular cup?

My son turned 2 in July and even though he no longer uses his bottle during the day, he still uses it at night which is worst b/c of tooth decay. I'm going to have to crack down soon, but yes, seems like it would have been a lot easier had I tried to wean him off at 1. Hind sight 20/20.