2 year old still takes a bottle - how to get rid

[kitkat321]

Firstly, I recognize this is not ideal and I know I'm a bit of a bad mother for letting this go on so long.

My just turned 2 year old still wants a bottle at night - isn't fussed during the day and drinks water from a cup although has never really liked milk from a cup.

At night as soon as she's been bathed she just want's her bottle - I've tried giving her the milk in a cup and she has a meltdown :(

I have significantly reduced the amount of milk she gets in the bottle and she doesn't go to sleep with it - in fact she usually hops up on our bed and drinks it while we tell her a story or watch a cartoon before bedtime.

Are there any cups that might work to help transition her from the bottle - or do we go cold turkey and deal with the tantrums for a few days?

I do want her to still drink the milk though - she's turned into a bit of a fussy eater and knowing she gets a drink of milk at night makes me feel a bit better about the fact that she's barely touched dinner!

[Testarossa1]

Can you use Christmas to your advantage? Tell her Father Christmas has asked if she can leave all her baby bottles for him on Christmas Eve as he needs them for all the little babies in the world, but he has promised to leave her a new 'big girl' cup for her night time milk. Buy a new lovely cup for her to find on Christmas morning with a note from Father Christmas say thank you for all the bottles. Make sure all the bottles are in the bin/hidden where she definitely won't find them though!

[polkadotdelight]

Does it really matter? DS is also two (we are on Sept postnatal board) and still has a bottle morning and night. He drinks from an open cup all day but he still likes a bottle before bed and he gets his teeth cleaned after.

[WeeM]

I think the Christmas idea is a great one. My dd liked this cup and it's great as it doesn't leak so could be good if having it in bed!
www.munchkin.co.uk/miracler-360-sippy-cup-10oz-296ml.html

[Iwasjustabouttosaythat]

I don't see that it's doing any harm really. Kids like routine and this is hers.

I wouldn't make her go cold turkey. Does she like straws? Bendy straws? Curly straws? All different colours?

[EmmaGellerGreen]

Why does it matter?

[kitkat321]

WeeM - we have that sippy cup - she doesn't love it.

She's ok with straws but ends up playing with them. She does like sports type bottles which I guess is similar to a bottle but without the teat.

We can't use Santa unfortunately - she's a bit scared of santa at the moment so I doubt she'd want to give the scary man her bottle!!

[monkeyfacegrace]

My dd still has a bottle too.

I don't really care to be honest. It's a comfort thing, like extended breast feeding would be.

I'm letting mine keep it for now. Will rethink around 2.8 ish when her comprehension is better.

[WellErrr]

I don't think it matters.

Mine still has a bottle at 2. They drop it naturally between 2.5-3 in my experience. As long as you're brushing teeth it does no harm.

[70ontheinside]

Las long as your dd brushes her teeth afterwards, what's the problem?

[MarzipanPiggy]

Agree with others it doesn't matter. Mine had bottles until they were 3.5 and 2. We always brushed teeth after.

We went on a two week family holiday in the summer and I stopped giving bottles then - the routine was so different anyway they didn't really notice. I think they may have mentioned bottles once or twice after we got back but it was no big deal saying no at that point.

[MrsSunshine27]

I've got a 2.3 year old, still has a bottle morning and night. It does occasionally play on my mind but I've got other priorities we want to work on first like potty training, she'll drop it when she's ready.

[mistermagpie]

My 17 month old still has a bottle (cows milk) at bedtime and I was thinking of trying to ditch it by the time he's two. Not sure what harm it's doing though as long as you brush their teeth afterwards and they are eating a balanced diet during the day. I'm an 'anything for an easy life' type of parent though!

[FourToTheFloor]

Dd1 had it until she was just turned 4. I forgot to bring her bottle when we went away and we stopped it then.

She doesn't drink milk now or anything other than water and I wanted to keep her having milk for as long as possible.

Seriously, it's not a big deal and you're definitely not a bad mother for letting it go on!

[MaisieDotes]

DS1 is 2.4 and still has a bottle first thing and then before bed. I've bought a special Christmas straw cup for him and I'm going to try it tonight but if he kicks off I'll just leave it for the time being.

DS2 is 10mo and obviously still has his bottle too. It's hard to take away something when his brother is still getting it.

Maybe when DS2 turns 1 I'll ditch bottles for the two of them.

[Purpleraindeer]

I had the same and even 'worse' both mine used to take the bottle full of milk to bed with them. I didn't know you weren't supposed to do that. They found it a really comforting way to go to sleep.

Anyway, I just waited until their routine was disrupted in some way (both had tummy upsets and didn't want milk) -and then seized the opportunity and took the bottle away. They were both 2+.

[bigoldbird]

Ancient and easy going Granny here. I would say that bottle at the age of 15 would be weird. Your little one is a baby and obtains comfort from the bottle, let them carry on.

Mind you, my youngest is 23 with a good job and still carries her ribbon around and can't sleep without it so maybe don't take any notice of me. Her friends and boyfriend just accept it and remind her not to leave it behind if she stays away overnight.

[NeighTrumpSnort]

One bottle at night for comfort. What's wrong with that?

Both my boy's now 13 and 9yrs had bottles till they were alot older.

They stop when they are ready too. Don't cause unnecessary stress and upset for either of you

[grounddown]

This does not make you a bad mom! If so, I'm horiffic.
I never even thought about this until at 4 my DD bit through the teat on hers and when looking to get her a new one I discovered the ridiculous price and gave it her in a cup instead. Luckily she wasn't arsed, your DD will grow out of it.

[Crumbs1]

One of my sons had one much later than that. He hated the smell of milk from cups but loved milk. It really isn't an issue unless you make it one. He grew up into a rugby playing, army officers he is well adjusted and sociable. His teeth were always perfectly straight. He didn't start a bottle until he was past two as he was breastfed until then.

[ElectricMelon]

My Dd is 3 and still has a nightly bottle and sometimes she has one before her afternoon nap when she gets home from nursery. I don't plan on stopping her having one any time soon

[KookSpook]

Bottle here for an older toddler. No way am I changing the bedtime routine for anyone. It makes her drop off in seconds. She uses an open cup all day.

[Ohyesiam]

It doesn't sound like a problem to me. She'll give it up when she's ready.

[AverageJosephine]

I personally would just not give it. Cold turkey. It always works in my experience.

If she really wants some milk she'll take it even in a cup once there's no other choice. Or maybe she'll start eating more when she's not getting the milk. Kids are funny things. They often do the unexpected. So just try it.

[Cranb0rne]

As others have said, my son had a bedtime bottle until he had just turned 3. I never understand why people make such a big thing of it.