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Original poster

Bottle at bedtime- 3&half year old

15 replies

sea74 · 22/12/2011 22:31

Hi. My son is 3& a half and unfotunately, at story time , drinks around 100ml of milk with the bottle. Of course he is not dry at night but i am not sure whether he woukd be if he didnt drink any milk. I would not mind if he had milk from a cup but i would like to stop the bottle.
I have another son, that is 22 months old and still use the bottle to fall asleep.
I am really looking for any help to make the eldest one at least stop using the bottle.

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Pantofino · 22/12/2011 22:36

The bottle fairy needs to come for both - she will take their bottles off to xxxx, and replace them with nice big boy cups/beakers...

The dry at night thing is separate. Have you tried no nappy at night?

Original poster

sea74 · 23/12/2011 09:51

I bought many cups with his favourite caracters for my DS1 and he uses them for breakfast, but bedtime, when he is lying down with the story (after the story we go to brush teeth and last toilet visit) he loves the bottle....
I am really stuck...

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Sillyoldelf · 23/12/2011 09:54

I think you may just need to go cold turkey . It will be over quicker than you think and you will feel a sense of relief afterwards . That's what we did with our DS. Switch to a sippy cup that's suitable for 4 + months just to make the transition easier . And of course wait until after christmas . !

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Sillyoldelf · 23/12/2011 09:56

He will still be able to lie down with a sippy cup as they have the ' no - spill ' thing . When we were switching our DS over - he used to take his cup to bed and lie down with it . He is a real comfort seeker .

Original poster

sea74 · 23/12/2011 10:20

Yes,but what is a point to go to a sippy cup?I mean i am adding anoer step to the process.

Also, why should i wait after xmas? I told my son that maybe fath christmas will take his bottle away and he will leave hima Lightening mcqueen car (he loves it! ) but he becomes very upset about it.

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Sillyoldelf · 23/12/2011 12:53

Well you asked for help and I was trying to give it ! Personally I wouldn't want the added stress of a screaming child at bedtime over Christmas .
I also think you are asking a lot of child to expect him to go from a bottle to a normal cup over night .
You have allowed him to have a bottle for the last 3.5 years and you expect him to adjust at your say so in your time . Allowing him the comfort of lying down with a bottle to not lying down with anything overnight is a will cause a lot of distress. Rather you than me.
You are expecting him to go from being a baby with a bottle to a preschooler drinking from a cup overnight .
I think my method was gentler for DS, less stressful for me and I got the result I wanted in a short space of time .
Why ask for advice then criticise those who post you ?

bridgeandbow · 23/12/2011 13:25

we did it at 3 too! cold turkey on holiday worked for us. they just a new bedtime routine which will soon become the norm. good luck!

Original poster

sea74 · 23/12/2011 16:46

Hey sillyold elf, i was not criticising. I was just asking questions.have i been too direct? Sorry.

Bridgeandbow, what is your new routine?

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Gigondas · 23/12/2011 16:50

We stopped with dd when was a bit more than 3. I told her bottle fairy was coming - we threw bottles out and a present was left. No issues at all- she had milk with a straw for a few weeks but now has none at all. I would have done it miles sooner if had known. And yes it has helped her going dry at night.

BsshBossh · 23/12/2011 16:57

We went cold turkey at 3.5. Peer pressure worked for us as she knew she was the only one of her friends who still had a bedtime bottle so we had very few issues getting rid of it overnight. The problem is that she doesn't drink much milk at all now so we ensure she has a milky cereal and other sources of calcium in her normal meals. And yes, night time nappies are now virtually dry so we can start night time toilet training soon.

4madboys · 23/12/2011 17:01

my ds4 still had a bottle at bedtime at this age, but 2 of mine also bfed at this age so i didnt see it as any different. we gradually cut down the amount of milk to 3-4oz and then when we went on holiday in the summer we 'forgot' to take his bottle, as we were somewhere new and the routine was different he didnt even ask for it. when we got home he did! but we told him he could have milk in his fave buzz lightyear cup if he wanted, he refused, we had a few bedtimes with fussing but he was just offered the cup and had extra cuddles and then that was it. dd is 12mths and still ahs milk in a bottle, i thought that may make it harder for ds4 not to ahve his but he understood she is a baby and needs it.

bridgeandbow · 23/12/2011 19:14

Youngest is 3.5 now...

New routine is mill with dinner, bath about 6.30, teeth in done in bath, jammys on, two stories, and bed - maybe a song with light out and me in the hall...

No liquids!

DS2 (3.5 yrs dry at night), DS1 5.5 not - still in jammy pants.....

Marlinspike · 23/12/2011 19:21

My DS was in his reception year at school (therefore 4.5 years old) and still having a bottle at bedtime - Father Christmas took his bottle on Christmas Eve and left him a sippy cup - he was fine with this, but obviously a bit older that yours.

(BTW he's nearly 18 now, and would be most embarrassed if I told anyone this in RL!)

Sillyoldelf · 23/12/2011 20:04

Sorry sea am stressed out today . I read you wrong . You will get it sorted , I am stressing because 3.5 year DS won't give up his dummy ...

Morph2 · 27/12/2011 21:41

my ds is 19 months old so still has a bottle at night but just wondering what is the big deal about them having a bottle when they are older if its just at night last thing. I remember my cousins having bottles last thing at night till they were 4 or 5 and they are now training to be doctors and vets, have lovely teeth and speak beautifully so it hasn'[t done them any harm. They had bottles till they just decided they didn't want them any more as they were big girls

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