1 Year Old and That Darn Bottle!

Put the bottles away- I mean completely out of sight. Then you put out the sippy cup with milk and leave it out. She will scream and cry, but eventually she will take the sippy. It sounds like she still uses it at home b/c she can, especially if she isn't giving them a hard time at daycare about it. My son was like this with his binky. He only had it at nap time at daycare, but begged all night at home. Finally, I put them all in a ziploc (including the daycare ones) and put them in the attic. A few really tough days, but he never looked for them again!

I had my daughter (who was about 1 1/2 at the time) help me pack all her bottles. At that time there was a new baby in the family so I told her we had to give the bottles to the new baby because he didn't know how to use a cup. Maybe you could try something like that. There were times after that when she asked for a bottle and I would remind her that we had to give them all to the baby because he didn't know how to use a cup, and I would remind her that she was a big girl now and she could use a cup.

Also, I know it's hard but, for me and my daughter anyway, I've found that if you can get through the first one or two 'scream and cry' sessions, they usually give up after that.

Good luck!

Just put away, give away or throw away (recycle) all of the bottles! Don't ever serve her anything in one again. She'll get over it -and probably much quicker than you think! When both of mine turned 1, I never served them a bottle again, and they were fine. I know you don't want to see or hear her in distress, but as long as bottles are around -it will be an issue!

To me, you may have answered your own question when you say that you give in and give her the bottle.

It's really hard not to. I noticed myself doing it the past few weeks with our daughter when asking her if she wanted to get in her crib. She said, "No". She just turned 2, and I'm supposed to be the parent. Finally, I've gotten to the point of saying to myself, "Too bad, I'm the parent, and I make the rules, not you".

Don't give in is my best advice. She's 1. She won't starve or go on a milk strike. She will learn, and in this case, the best way may be to put all the bottles away and not let her have the choice. I'd honestly bag them all up, put them in a closet, basement, etc. and show her that there are no bottles, so she has to drink from her cup.

Good luck! I hope you win the battle of the wills in the end - it can be so hard.

You really just have to let her cry and scream, she will get the idea. It will be hard and it will take a few tries but she won't go thirsty. This has been the best method that me and my friends have found. It is tough love but it really does work and it sets ground rules for behavior you won't except in the future also.

Stop giving in because she knows she will get what she wants. Yes, take away all bottles for good, box them up and give them to someone who needs them or recycle them. She will adapt to what you have to offer. She might not like it at first, but she has to accept it. Children adapt to change very well specially at that age. No parent can expect it to go smoothly the first try (in fantasy land maybe), but they learn how to cope and deal with change. Remember that you are in control of her, not her in control of you.

It's a lot easier than you think, just put your foot down and take control of the situation. Also, same concept for sippy cups... no need to waste any more money. Good Luck!!!

R.,
My son was really attached to his last "bubby" of the day. But I think I was more attached to it. LOL I just picked a day, pitched the bottles and handed him a sippy of milk that night. He never flinched. I did, but he didn't. Just make a clean break of them. Throw them out. She'll deal. Good luck!

We offered two choices. Milk in a cup or water in the bottle. Just sat them both out on the counter. I had one who took the water, and since it was water, I did not care as much.

M.

If she will drink out of some other kind of cup, then throw/give the bottles away and just don't give it to her anymore. She will move on within a couple of days as long as you don't continue to give in. Just get them out of your house so that you won't be tempted! Good luck.

I will be honest and say my two oldest children were probably close to 2 1/2 when they stopped taking a bottle. Yeah, I know...... But they are 2nd and 4th graders now and don't have the bottle stuck in their mouth. I see nothing wrong with letting her have it.
BUT if you really want her off of it, she will just have to scream. Keep giving her a cup. She will eventually get tired of screaming and understand she is not getting her way.
Good Luck =) Just remember, they won't go to college with a bottle stuck in their mouth. You can keep her on the bottle as long as you'd like. =) Take care!

We had a similar problem and our son actually didn't get off the bottle until he was like 2 1/2 y/o! He always loved his bottle and didn't get it at daycare but wanted it before bedtime, like a security thing. It's horrible because I can't tell you how much ridicule we got from other parents that he was still on the bottle after his first birthday! (Btw I saw a picture of Suri Cruise who was drinking from a bottle at 3 y/o!) It just took our son a long time to be ready to give it up. Same thing with the pacifier. We just kept trying gently, and when they're ready, it takes. It's not like she'll be drinking from a bottle when she's 15! So don't stress out and stress her out, don't let the others pressure you, she'll come around when she's ready. And is it really that big of a deal? I don't think so! You guys will be just fine!

hide the bottles and don't let her see them. Just offer the sippy cup and she will eventually give up and either drink it or won't. I know with my daughter we took the bottle away right at 12 months. She fussed one night and was done with it. My oldest was 14 months but only because I didn't know until he went for a check up and the Dr asked me if he was still on a bottle and I said well when is he supposed to be off of it and the Dr said well like 12 months so that night we took the bottle and he fussed a few hours and that was it and he was over it. Our 3rd one kept throwing his bottle across the room and even the plastic ones would crack so he was around 10 months and I told him if he throws it again he won't get it back, well he threw it across the room like a football and it cracked so that was the end of bottles for him and he didn't fuss at all about it, he also weaned himself off the pacifier at around 5 months.

They will usually fuss that first night and if you can get through the first 2-3 nights without giving in you usually win that battle. Once you give in then you lost the battle and will take so much longer and also teaches your child that when you say no, it really doesn't mean no and they have learned how to get what they want and will be so much harder with a lot of issues in the future.

Be ready for a giant fit. Just throw them all away and when she asks for it tell her "All Gone".

And they will be all gone so you can not break down and give her one..

If its something she does at the end of the day to unwind then I think letting her have 1 bottle or even 1/2 a bottle at this age is not harmful. But since she is doing so well at daycare and also at home and in the highchair, I think you really need to just distract her when she is upset or just use some other method. Is the issue that she will only take her milk in the bottle and nothing else? Keep offering her the milk in the cup and she will come around. Maybe you can distract her the first few times with a favorite show or a toy? I find that helps my son when trying new foods. Not so focused on saying no.

What worked for me was to simply stop offering the bottle at 12 months. My husband did not want to wash them or feed them any more (nor did I) and then I spoke with her babysitter about it (a close friend and mother of 4) and she said to just STOP! It may take a week to get back to a regular routine, but if the bottle is not an option, she WILL get thirsty and take the cup. Once she does, she will forget all about the bottle. This was so hard at the time, but now it makes me laugh to remember how I dramatized the event! lol

Just get rid of them entirely and force her to get used to it. You've had her for a year. You know by now that sometimes being a good parent requires you to do things that make her cry. She'll get over it. I know, you'll hate doing it. But you have to or else she's going to be three and still using a bottle

This is what happened with my brother-in-law's fiance's daughter. It only gets harder the longer you wait. In the end they had to just get rid of them and weather the tantrums. Eventually she accepted that they were gone.

The cups you speak of, are they regular or sippy? She can learn to use a regular cup at that age.

Make a big deal about her being a big girl and using a big cup. You might even help her drink from your cup some, so long as you're not drinking coffee or soda or something else inappropriate for babies. It'll make her feel big.

My daughters really liked drinking from my smaller coffee mugs. I'd make them cocoa (milk and a little chocolate syrup warmed up) all the time and it really helped them learn to drink from a cup. Then they discovered straws. I swear I'm probably the only house where the little girls drink their cocoa with a straw!

well honestly i think taking a bottle from a 1 yr old "baby" is too early. They still need that soothing comfort "security"! My son is 2 and still has his bottle, usually just when he is tired. He also drinks from a cup ALL DAY, but nap/bed time he WANTS his bottle. I am not going to tell him he can't have it. It hasn't done anything to his speech. Nor has it done anything to my 16 and 9 yr olds speech or teeth!! Every child is different and teeth issues have alot to do with genetics. Every mom has their own opinion, but only you know what is best for your child. But i personally will not ALLOW my child to scream and cry just for the sake of taking away something that is soothing for my child before sleep. And i have tried taking the bottle away and saying no you are a big boy now, it doesnt work for every child, SOME children dont just eventually realize that they HAVE to drink from a cup. And with my son, it doesnt matter if its milk, water or juice, he just wants his "baba". Good luck

Is there a real reason that she has to be off it? My 2 year old still has a bottle before bed (we brush his teeth after). It helps him wind down and we get in some snuggle time. If you're really determined to get rid of the bottle cold turkey right now, then go the route of the other posters. But if you're just doing it because you "need to" now that she's one, it might not be a battle that you want to fight at this point. Your choice. Good luck.

Don't give in. I would say to my son, you want milk, it's in the sippie cup. It was bad for about 3 days and then he figured it out, "If I want milk, it comes in a sippie cup." I think I opened the cupboard and showed him the bottles were gone every time he asked for a bottle.