11mths refuses cups/beakers

[Pebs]

Our DS is 11 months old and we have only just managed to get him to drink water from a cup with a hole for a straw. We are trying to start his milk off in a beaker and I have spent a fortune on lots of different soft mouthpiece beakers but he flatly refuses them all. I am very aware that we can make too much of a deal of it and he will know that it is a game or an issue, but obviously he needs to be drinking his milk from a cup before he starts school and at this rate that's how long it will take! Also, he does need his daily milk intake, so always gets it from the bottle eventually and probably thinks that he's winning. I desperately need some tips.

He's very young to be worrying about this. He's got at least another three years before he starts at school and there's plenty of time to teach him to use a cup. At the moment, I think that it's more important that he gets the milk, not how he gets it, and it won't hurt to give him milk in a bottle until he gets the hang of spouted beakers or open cups. Keep trying with the beakers, let him see you drinking from cups, and he'll get there eventually. He's still a baby, he has no concept yet of thinking that he's winning.

My ds (17 months) still doesn't drink milk out of a cup, he drinks water quite happily though. He had 2 bottles a day from about 12 months then recently we tried going cold turkey in the morning but have found that he would rather go without milk than drink it from a cup. I'm not worrying about it though, it might just mean that when he gives up his last (bedtime) bottle, he gives up milk and we'll just have to give it to him in other ways.

My dd still has milk in a bottle at 16 months and I'm not worried in the least. She drinks everything else from a regular cup or sippy cup for travelling.
She's baby no. 4 and none of the others gave up bottles very early, though all ate well with a fork and spoon, as she does and could drink from a glass. All are able, and have great table manners. There's no point rushing your baby out of babyhood. You'll just give yourself stress.

I completely agree not to worry about it. My ds is 16 months he still has his milk from a bottle, morning and night and like others have said I would rather he gets the milk intake as that's more important than him using a cup imo. He's only just started drinking water from a cup. He completely refused up until about 3 weeks ago. I kept trying and in the end I had to put it in a bottle because his intake of fluid completely dropped, so i gave in. Then all of a sudden he done it and we've not looked back. He'll do it when he's ready.

Have only just weaned my daughter off at 21 months! Just went cold turkey with her. It meant she refused milk for a couple of days because she objected so strongly but she soon gave up and had it from the beaker when there was nothing else and now she is quite happy with it. I know plenty of people who carry on with the bottle for years so don't worry, but when you want to stop my advice is just to go for it and be strong.

I have the same issue. I give him his breakfast milk in a beaker than transfer what he has left into a bottle he does seem to be taking a little more from the beaker albeit very slowly.

until ds1 was 2 he had a different type of cup for each different drink: water from a spouted beaker, apple juice from a cup and milk from a bottle. He would not vary it for us (he drank anything from anything at nursery!). We were relaxed about the bottle - partly because it was only the one in the evening and he was very good at brushing his teeth, and we enjpyed the cuddle that came with it! I only decided to move him on cos no.2 was on the way and I wanted to make sure he didn't go nicking the baby's bottles! So we went to Tesco's together and picked special mugs for everyone. For the first week we all sat down together with our special mugs (and it was his job to put out our tea bags). The first couple of days he hardly drank anything and kept saying he awnted the bottle and we just said no and talked about our lovely mugs or something else. Within days he'd forgotten bottles and will now drink out of anything! I reckon it was because he was older and understood, so don't feel you have to rush!

Have you tried the "Be free" bottle to cup training cup? DS also tried every cup on the market but took to this one for some reason.

pebs i had same with ds then at around 17mths he just decided he would use beaker and hasnt used bottle since. Sometimes i think i was forcing it too much.

I do feel that we are forcing the issue too much. It seems that I am stressing about it and should just keep trying the beaker each day but go to the bottle when he refuses. Hopefully it will click with him eventually.
Where do I get the be free bottle to cup training cup, Spongebob? I've never heard of it. Are there any more classically good ones out there?

pebs you've gone mad if you're worrying about what he's going to be doing at school when he's under a year old . there is a long long way and kids change an awful lot over a short time, in a year he'll be talking and walking and I'm sure you can discuss beakers and cups with him in a couple of years. stop driving yourself mad

Why not go cold turkey.... throw out the bottles and only offer him cups or beakers that YOU want him to use.... within a few days (but more like hours) he will be fine

I was gonna start a thread about this. Glad I found this one.I was getting concerned about him refusing milk from a beaker but feel better after reading this thread. My son is 2 on Saturday and still has his milk from a bottle. He has everything else in a beaker. Think he likes the suckling motion and he looks so cute with his 'mila mil' as he calls it. Just gonna leave him be. It settles him before bed.

My 17 month old ds took a while to adjust to beakers for his juice during the day (I think he was about 11 months old when he gave in!) but still refuses to drink milk from anything other than a bottle. He only has one bottle a day to settle him at night so I'm not worrying about it at the moment. Like others have said, it's more important that he gets the milk intake rather than how he gets it. I wouldn't dream of trying him with a proper cup at this stage. They all start these things at different times, I've learned not to compare my ds's ways to what other peoples children are doing. Don't worry too much about your ds, he'll accept a beaker/cup when he's ready.

My DD is nearly 1. I am not really getting anywhere with the nighttime bottle - which doesn't worry me so much - but the morning one does. I have pretty much skipped sippy cups and gone straight to an open cup. It is messier but seems to work for us.

As a fellow first time mum I also probably need to chill out wrt giving up bottles by a year! - but I still would like to try.

how did you get on Vronsky? I'm in the same boat and looking for inspiration