3 years old and still needing a bottle to get to sleep.

[YouAreMySweetestDownfall]

He won't go to sleep without a nighttime bottle. It's the only one he's given unless he wakes in the night then he'll need another to settle and refusal often ends in a massive night time tantrum.

Is it actually bad for their health (teeth get brushed before not after) or is it a developmental thing (or I have a judgy mum thing)!

3's a bit old but will he just grow out of it?

We changed the routine completely to get our milk fiend to drop his nighttime cup and instead do milk a d TV downstairs then upstairs for bed / bath etc. The milk and TV time is seen as his treat now so it's also useful as a bribe during fractious dinner times!!

Is breastfeeding as bad for teeth as well? Panicking now as my 20mo still wakes up for feed

No breastfeeding isn't as bad for teeth as bottle feeding. My 2 were off bottles by 15 months (Dd) and 11 months (ds). I would be a bit judgy about using bottles for a 3 year old tbh. Change the routine. Cup of milk downstairs before bed, teeth brushed afterwards and then bed. No milk during the night as it is then left on the teeth.

I know! Read my earlier posts- I am dead against nighttime bottles through bitter experience.

I meant bottles of water or in the day for comfort, should've been clearer.

Thanks for all the advice. It will be acted on. I knew it wasn't great for teeth but kind of glossed over that fact in my head for peaceful bedtimes

Not trying to start any argument but those who judge a 2-3 yr old with a bottle, why? do you feel the same about dummys? Ds has always been a dummy refuser too. He'd have nothing but endless breastfeeds all through the night (exhausting memories coming back)!

Out of the two I would prefer a bottle of water ( milk in the day) as it's over and done with in 5 mins where as a dummy can end up being constant.

My 2 never had a dummy either (well ds did up to 6 months old and then I took it away as he woke constantly for it) and they still finished with bottles around the age of 1

We gave up bottles at 14 months no issue, as never fed to sleep though.

Had a dummy until just over two. Only ever sleeptime though and Just cold turkeyed it when went from cot to big girl bed.

I guess habits can be hard to break

Good luck

I see it as lazy. I'm sorry, I'm not perfect, but this is what I think. I think ideally kids shouldn't have dummies past 2. I managed this with ds but dd took til 2 and a half. I think as parents we know we're doing it for an easy life and not for what's best for the kids. My dds teeth had been pulled forward. It wasn't great.

I binned the bottles when they were one - fed up of washing them. Cups go in the dishwasher.

No bloody - I disagree, I thought milk was ' neutral' ,I had no idea it would cause decay if given during the night. I was horrified especially as we were so careful with brushing teeth.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but it was nothing to do with laziness.

DD is about to turn 5 we only got rid of the bottle a couple months ago At first we swapped to chocolate milk but always done teeth afterwards then bed and storytime in that order. We then compromised on swapping the bottle for an old style milk bottle you know when the milkman used to leave them at the door. It came with a straw too as thats supposed to be better for the teeth. No problem swapping. In fact it was at easter she got the bottle from the easter bunny.

Trick is to get a special drinking cup or something for the bedtime drink or at least that was the plan but it worked.

Sorry, I had no experience of babies at all so just took all my guidance from the NHS. I literally looked up everything as I was clueless; that's why I was very by the book.

My ds 3.5 yr still has a bottle at bedtime. He won't have it when he's 15. We will prob try to get rid of it over summer holidays. Def don't swap for a dummy!