DD wont hold her own bottle or use a beaker

[BloomBloom]

Shes nearly 14 months. Still has milk in a bottle on wakingand before bed, and sometimes after her nap. She wont hold it herself, I have tried relentlessy for her to give herself a drink but she wont. She puts the bottle to her mouth but just sucks on fresh air as she wont tip it up, as soon as I tip it up for her she lets go so im left holding it.

I have introduced a beaker for water for her but she just plays with it. She does the same as the bottle, sucks on it but doesnt tip it. Also I have noticed even if I hold the beaker for her she will only have a sip at a time ans doesntdrink enough.

With the warm weather I have found it more important to get fluids down her so I have ended up putting her water in a bottle which I offer to her regularly.

So can anyone suggest any ideas how to get her to hold her own bottle and use a beaker properly? Im in no mad rush for her to do it and dont mind holding the bottle for her but she is going to nursery one a day a week soon and one of my friends pointed out they wont hold the bottle for her there.

She feeds herself great with a spoon so the hand eye co-ordination is there.

Any advice or suggestions would be great. Thanks for reading.

What's she like with a straw? Might be easier for her if she doesn't have to tip it.

This sort of thing

Thanks for the link Robot that looks perfect, will give it a try.

DD2 doesn't hold her own bottle either (same age). She is quite capable but there are a lot of sleep and comfort associations caught up with it with being her nighttime and nap drink, ie she wants to snuggle on my lap and 'be fed' before bed. I'm cool with it - DD1 was the same we just gradually stopped, but it does sound like you LO is the same. If you're keen to move on from bottles, I suggest you use an inbetween cup like a Nuby which has a lovely rubbery tip but is in no way a bottle. nuby.com/en/nuby/cups-spouts/9644/
If you simply stop giving her bottles she'll get the hint, and probably start holding it as it won't have associations. DD1 used a Nuby.

When you say beaker do you mean a topless cup? DD2 pours those down herself though she loves experimenting! We use a Tommee Tippee sippy cup which she is happy to hold.

ah x post you do mean a sippy cup.

Hi WhatHo yes I know what you mean about the bottle before bed, its more of a comfort thing and we both enjoy the cuddles. Im in no rush to get rid of bottles for these reasons, just would like her to hold it herself for daytime milk and drinks.

I could try a Nuby style cup for water and see how she goes. Think Il have to buy a few and see how it goes

I think once they get used to drinking water out of that sort of cup and can manage it by themselves, they're much more inclined to do it with milk at bedtime.

Not that I'd be in any rush to get rid of the bedtime milk and cuddle :)

My DS2 was the same. I'm afraid I had to get a bit firm with him when he was around 16 months because he was just not drinking enough and would just point at his cup and whinge for me to hold his drink for him. I just refused to do it one day and after the first time (he took abput 20 minutes moaning and trying to get me to do it) but since then he's managed his cup on his own for drinks. He's 17 months now but STILL won't hold his own bottle for milk but I think that's a comfort thing and I don't mind that at all.

My DD had a pre-bed and first thing bottle of milk until she was almost 3 (yes I know, shoot me now) and never once held it. She was a hair twiddler and having her milk was a trigger to relax and twiddle her hair (often with two hands or sometimes one on her hair and one on mine) so she didn't have any interest in her hands being on the bottle - never even tried to take it off me not once in the 3yrs. She totally refused to drink anything other than water from a non-bottle container, so when she dropped these bottles she also dropped all milk consumption other than on cereal. It bothered me for a while that she still needed me to give her bottles, but as she grew up I think I came to quite like the fact that she would happily snuggle in for her bottle - she was so independent in many ways that it was one of the few things I had left really, and I ended up really enjoying these moments.

With regards water, we had most success with the TT active sportys www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/active-sporty/ which both my kids now use (DS 18m and DD is now almost 4yr) and because they don't spill we always have them around the lounge (and DD has an extra one on bedside cabinet) and they automatically reach for them when thirsty etc.

Thanks OddBodd and Pippy

Thats the thing I really want to keep giving the morning and bedtime bottle as she is growing so fast I want to savour the baby moments she really seems to enjoy it too, she is a hair twiddler too, and likes to snuggle right into me. I will miss it and feel sad when she doesnt want me to do that anymore!

Its just the daytime drinks im worried about really. Il try the beaker you have recommended thanks, got a few to try now so will see which one dd likes best.

Does anyone know if the nursery comment is true by the way? I know nurserys take babies from 6 weeks old,do they have a cut off point for holding bottles

You may find that "peer pressure" will kick start your little one using a cup/drink bottle at nursery. Both of mine went to nursery from 6m and at the age your DD is at currently were moved to the older baby room where they were encouraged to do independent drinking from sports bottles, which were tagged up with little photos of the child each belonged to. It's amazing the things children do when in group settings that you insist they never do at home. Children like to copy and when she sees others doing the drinking thing she might just amaze you and start to copy. My two are both fantastic water drinkers and we have to ensure we have a good supply for both of them no matter where we are, and I am pretty sure these foundations have been laid down because of their nursery attendance.

Brilliant thanks thats reassuring. Im placing her nurseryso she can socialise with other toddlers her own age and experience sharing etc. I have heard good things about children coming on leaps and bounds when they are mixing with other children. I think dd will really enjoy it. Plus I think she will enjoy seeing a different face to mine for a few hours a week

DS started nursery at 12m and had never picked up his water cup - two months down the line and if we leave him alone with his cup, he will pick it up and drink (in a slightly unwieldy manner, but he manages it). They will have helped him at nursery to start with (especially as he refuses to drink milk while he is there) but he must have just started copying the other children.
I think just leaving the bottle / cup with them and leaving them to it is a good start.

Thanks il stop worrying about it then, il offer her a cup and let her try it naturally and hopefully she will pick it up at nursery.

Thanks for the advice and suggestions everybody