in not giving my 1 year old a beaker?

[SaffronCake]

DD2 is 12 months. She drinks 4-5 bottles of cows milk a day with 7-8 fl oz in each. She recently learned to hold her own bottle and finish it without spillage.

When I give her beakers she pours them everywhere (except the non-spill valve ones, which she refuses to make the effort for). She's not particularly keen on the various diluted fruit juices in them either. Strange, because she adores the same fruit and veg as solid food. She's got a very healthy solid diet, she self feeds magnificently, I've got no developmental concerns at all but... The books/websites/NHS busybodies/mums at playgroup all say she should have been drinking from beakers from 6 months, it's starting to niggle at me.

I have a newborn baby, a disability and a man I rarely see (blame the recession). Cleaning the floor/highchair/clothes/child for the sake of some juice DD2 doesn't even like seems so futile (and painful).

Really must I enforce the beaker? AIBU to just not?

"Feeds herself magnificently"

Boating by stealth

urgh

I've written a whole topic in the bear pit that is AIBU to enquire if I'm failing my child but as I've used one strong positive adjective about a different behaviour that's boasting by stealth? Really?

If I wanted to boast about my children my first thought really wouldn't be that DD2 "feeds herself magnificently". I wouldn't feel the need to open a whole thread on our failings in order to do it either.

You try contrasting brilliant eating habits against below-par drinking habits without using an adjective. Really, lets see your best shot.

I recently attended a speech and language course run by the local speech and language therapist team and they recomment no dummies or bottles after 12 months of age. It can affect adversely speech and language development (which they will have to correct at a later date)

*adversely affect

I didn't give DD a beaker, BUT, she only ever drank milk in her bottle, and that was once to three times a day after 18 months.

You need to get over the mess, and start giving her a sippy cup or something to drink water or milk during the day. She needs to learn how to drink from a cup at this stage.

I use the cups that have straws on them. DD2 and 3 wouldn't take a bottle at all so it was doidy cup first then spouted beakers. The non-spill ones can force their teeth to grow funny as they suck really hard on them.
They will make a mess and with all the other family commitmentrs i can see why you do not want to try but you really should to get her off the teats. Even if you just introduce 1 a day

From 12 months they only need about 12oz milk a day, so it does sound like she has a lot. So long as she is just sitting down and drinking the milk in one go rather than walking around with a bottle constantly in her mouth, and so long as you brush her teeth after her last bottle before bed, I wouldn't worry about the beaker for milk.

Does she not drink any water? Maybe she is drinking a huge amount of milk because she is thirsty? I'd be offering a cup of water with meals at least.

are you really not capable of deciding this on your own? really?

This board appears to be for opening a topic to a selection of different points of view. One thing I've never seen on AIBU is a total consensus. I'm surprised you would think of AIBU as a place to look for a decision.

errmm... you would appear to be attempting to make a decision based on numerous opinions solicited on here...... I just think there are some decisions you can make on your own ...... how do you decide how many sheets to wipe your own arse with for example?

I am not sure why the OP is getting a hard time! My DD 10.5 months refuses to drink from a cup, and I have left it for now-I was thinking recently whether she'd be ready by 12 months and how best to facilitate this. My DTS's drank from a cup at 6&7 months, without resistance.

I'm not sure why the OP is getting a hard time either - I see no "stealth boasting" at all. Give it a rest ladies.

OP with my DD now 3.5 my mum was obsessed with her giving up bottles by a year. For a normally sane woman she had a bee in her bonnet about this god knows why! Looking back now I was glad I resisted and just let DD use bottles for milk and then have water from a spouted cup, if it made my life that much easier I can't see the problem. She gave them up completely of her own accord at about 2 without any pushing or stress. I don't honestly see the problem with a 12 month old.

whyme2 you initially seemed to think in order to make a decision a person would ask lots of people who wont agree. Now you just seem to be looking for a fight. I'm not sure if you're always this contrary or if you especially dislike something you think I stand for but either way I don't think I can help you. I think it best if I simply wish you all the best and hope you feel less annoyed soon. I shalln't upset you again by responding to anything else you write.

I also find it hard to believe that my son's speech and language will be adversely affected by drinking from a bottle 5-10 minutes a day.