Toddler won't drink anything...trying to get him to drop bottle.

[ohnomesandwiches]

Our toddler is 20 months and still drinks from a bottle. For everything, milk and water. Trying to get him to use the sippy cup but he's point blank refusing. Anyone got any tips? Worried about him getting dehydrated but I know if we give him a bottle now all of our efforts will be ruined.

Will he use a cup with a straw? Or a sports bottle? They are easier to get stuff out of than a sippy cup

Thanks Pottering. Will give it a go.

Unfortunately he's not going for either! At a loss what to do now.

The 180° cup?
There's cups with a rubber teat instead of hard plastic like a sippy?

How long since he had a drink?

Also I wouldn't transition both. Let him have milk on a bottle but water in a cup then when he's happy with a cup for water, transition milk

What about a beaker without a lid or a small, chunky glass (at mealtimes, whilst sitting at the table), if he has the same cup as everyone else at the table it might make him feel a bit more grown up, letting him pour his own drink from a small jug is a good idea too.

Thanks for all your ideas. He hasn't had a drink since yesterday and I'm getting worried. I'm giving him loads of cucumber and fruit and he had the equivalent of a drink earlier when I have him breakfast cereal and gave him milk on a spoon. Tried the 180 cup, a straw, that nuby cup that looks like a bottle. He doesn't even want them near him. He can use fork to eat but refuses point blank to entertain anything other than his bottle. I've noticed his lips loom a little dry but we've still had wet nappies.

I would set him up with some water play in the garden - a bowl of water, little tubs, cups, things to pour with, ice cubes, maybe some food colouring and leave him to it with no pressure or anxiety (which he will probably be picking up on if you are worried he's not drinking). If he's feeling a bit thirsty, some of that water will make its way into his mouth!

Give him a bottle op. Right now the "babies should do this and that by X date" matters less than making sure he gets enough to drink.

And then do what NannyR said.

At mealtimes put a tippy cup near him but don't mention it.

Trust me when I saw if you push too hard he'll push back harder and he'll win.

Also, you gave it less than half an hour before coming back to say it wasn’t working. Really you need to persevere for much longer.

Would he drink from mummy’s glass with a straw to get him going? My toddler loves “stealing” my food and drink

Honestly? I put the bottles in the bin, the kids realised that when they were thirsty they could use a cup.

Open cup or glass, like a pp mine loves drinking out of my glass.

Take him to the shop and let him pick a new cup.

I'd be massively in favour of just binning them but it's really warm here (and for the next few days) so I'd be tempted to relent and then try again once the temperature drops.

Sympathy - mine is a little younger but also very decisive about drinking. We have been trying with the cup intermittently but being quite gentle about it as we were getting dry nappies. It’s definitely helped keeping the pressure off. If she has a bad day and isn’t drinking then she has a bottle but now she mostly has one a day and just sometimes two. But she did a sudden leap to being open to it and started drinking more than a sip. I think nursery helped with that as they all sat down to drink together.

Is your LO getting lots of teeth through? Mine has had 8, inc 4 molars, in two months and pain around that has Defo made her want the comfort of a bottle. Better to time a focused reduction in bottles for when teeth aren’t sore.

Good luck, it’s a tricky one.

Also might want to stick with one type of cup so he gets used to it