Trying to persuade DD to have a cup instead of a bottle for her milk, she is not having any of it. Keep going or give up and try in a couple of months?

[GColdtimer]

DD is 2 and a half. She still has her milk in a bottle (all other drinks in a normal cup) and has 2, sometimes 3 bottles a day. I have tried on many occasions to persuade her to ditch the bottle (she is a big girl now, wears knickers, in a bed, etc, etc) and yesterday we brought her a "big girls special milk cup", which she choose. She reluctantly had her milk from it last night after much cajoling but hardly drank any. She then sobbed from 5am until 6.30 this morning for her bottle when she finally decided she would rather have juice than drink her milk from a cup. She feel into an exhausted sleep at 12 after I took her for a drive to get her off when I wouldn't give her a bottle of milk. She point blank refused the cup again.

Is it really worth all this pain? Should I just give up and try and again in a few months or should I see it through. I had to see her so upset - the bottle really is her comfort.

I need your wise advice please MN!

we used a star chart with DD2 and 'tough love'.

'bobo' was starting to affect her teeth so it had to go, otherwise i'd have just let her have it till she didn't want it anymore.

Why don't you do it in stages - say she has to have her morning milk from a cup but can have her bed-time & nap time milk from a bottle.

Then day time drinks cup and only bed time drink bottle.

Just an idea.....

thats a good idea pippy, my mum just suggested that too! Great minds.

Her teeth are fine expat. Am wondering whether I should just let her do it in her own time. Star charts also a good idea.

As you can see, i am torn

if it hadn't been for her teeth i'd have been happy for her to have it.

but it was starting to affect them so we star charted her.

just added it on because she already had it for using the potty, dressing and undressing herself, tidying up and eating well at meals.

I am having exactly this problem with my 2.4yo dd who still has milk twice a day in a bottle. Like your dd, she seems so grown up in other ways (bed, pants). I have tried everything but she just seems to like the comfort of the bottle and it seems to be ingrained in our morning and evening routines.

I have decided not to worry about it. I assume she will reach a stage where she decides it's babyish to have a bottle. If she gets to 3 and there's no sign of her giving it up, I'll think again!

I think I will try seeing if I can phase it out and if not, I think I will do the same as you. My mum and MIL asked me why I was so concerned and I couldnt really answer. Like you, I think 3 is going to be the cut off point - I just can't be doing with all that sobbing and pleading!

I'm worrying about this already and DD is only 16mo! DD will happily use a cup for water but not milk. She still has 3 bottles a day.

Having left one of her bottles at a friends I bought a new one with a sort of soft spout instead of a teat but she flatly refused it when I tried to give her her morning milk in it. I didn't give her any more milk that day until her nap time and she was cranky as hell all morning. So it's back to bottles (well, bottle as we only have one big one now!).

My only concern is her teeth really, but if you guys are anything to go by sounds like I have another year to worry about it at least!

We have had the bottle fairy visit our house recently and take all the bottles away so it is only cups left. To be honest she wailed the first couple of days but after that its been fine

DD is just turned 3 BTW