Nearly 3 year old still taking bottles

[Dina82]

My DS turns 3 in December. He is in approximately 3 dull bottles daily.

I had managed to cut it down to 1 just at night but it's quickly increased after having extreme tantrums, whilst watching his younger cousins taking bottles. He will scream and scream for a bottle and is barely eating any meals now.

Also he had begun waking during the night hungry and asking for a bottle.

Previously slept right through and I know it's because he isn't getting any nutrition during the day. It's such a battle and I hate giving bottles. But he will literally scream for hours until I do.

[lovely36]

I'm so surprised he still has a bottle at 3. Children are only meant to have a bottle until they are 12 months. He should have been using cups by the age of one. Def time to go cold turkey. But try talking to him before you go it. Explain to him he's way too old to be having a bottle. I'm sorry I don't mean to sound rude I'm just genuinely shocked.

[Cleojinx]

I agree with PP, in the kindest possible way, 3 is extremely old to be taking a bottle at all, especially the amount he has been having. It's really bad for their teeth and they should be stopped or beginning to stop generally at the age of 1.

I think second the cold turkey approach. You may have a few rough nights ahead as he needs to break the habit but I think it might be the best approach. He definitely does not need to be waking for a feed in the night. A drink, maybe but it doesn't need to be milk. He is of an age where a cup or sippy cup at least of water next to his bed would be able to be reached and used by him.

Does he have another comfort item like a blanket or teddy that may act as a distraction or replacement for the bottle to try and help with breaking the habit?

[Flambola]

I think you need to go cold turkey and put up with a few days/nights of screaming. I'm sure he'll start eating more when he realises he won't be getting a bottle, and in turn won't wake up so hungry. My DD still had a night time bottle up until about 18 months which I thought was quite late.

[imamearcat]

My daughter loves her bottles, has a younger brother so it's been tough! We have on and off stopped but only for good since we have stopped all bottles for both of them and thrown them all away!

It's ok people being 'shocked' but for DD they really were her comfort. She's never had a dummy, she just loved a bottle to comfort her. A bit like breast fed children will breast feed for much longer, given the chance!

Anyway, we told her (she's nearly 3.5) that Santa had called us and he needed the bottles for some little babies, now she was a big girl, could he have hers in exchange for an early Christmas present? So a couple of months ago we took her to the toy shop. She picked a toy and that's been the end of it!

She hasn't asked for one since! She was asking the other day 'what did I do when I was a baby?' I said something about bottles. She said 'I do miss my bottles' it broke my heart a little bit!

I do think you need to go cold turkey, try and fluff it up if you can but I don't think you can do half way with toddlers, give and inch and they take a mile!

[imamearcat]

Oh and the dentist said she has great teeth.

[LongDivision]

I wouldn't worry too much about it unless it's affecting her interest in food...I think it is cultural as in England they seem to be very strict about stopping at 365 days old, but most of my family abroad wouldn't blink an eye at a 4 year old with a bottle!

[Zara85]

OP i don't really have any advice but my ds is 3 in jan and still has his morning milk from a bottle
He was quite underweight (still is now but not worryingly any more) and we were advised by paediatric dr to continue giving full fat cows milk for the foreseeable. I said that ds will only drink milk from a bottle, he will have on cereal etc and will drink water from cup but not milk. He wasn't concerned in the slightest and said just give him the bottle. So he has 9oz every morning snuggled up in bed with us.
He's very easy to reason with though so I will be having a chat in the new year to say that the bottles are now just for his baby brother (another reason I was reluctant to remove before now as it felt like I was confirming he was no longer my baby).
So youre not alone!
I remember slating a friends SIL when I found out a few years back her 3yo still has a bottle. I was a perfect parent (till I had kids)