How to get toddler off his baby bottle?

[mashm24]

We have a 15 month old who loves being fed by his baby bottle. He has one in the morning and one at bed time and can't sleep without it. We have tried to give him a beaker instead but he just screams. How can I wean him off his bottle?

We have a new baby coming in 6 months and I really want to get him off his bottle before this, or there's going to be hell on! Any advice please? Thank you.

Gradually reduce the amount in the bottle...

@BodenCardiganNot I still want him to have the milk, just to feed himself with his beaker instead of me or his Dad having to feed him.

Our DD is coming up for 13 months and I've been having the same thoughts. She drinks water out of a beaker just fine, but is NOT interested in having her milk that way. She drinks from the bottle independently, but teats aren't great for teeth, right? We also do a bottle in the morning and one before her bath. I think we might just have to go cold turkey at some point. 😬

@deliwoman1 yesss we're in exactly the same boat. Will happily drink his juice and water from the cup but nope, not his milk. I think we're going to have to go cold turkey, but the next couple of weeks won't be pretty 😩

My eldest had her bottle until age 3 and a half /4! I didn't bother trying to stop it as it was a great comfort to her when she was sick etc. She gave it up on her own and no problems with teeth etc.

I think we are told they should be doing this by this age but it really doesn't matter. As long as you keep up with the teeth brushing!

Is he eating a good balanced diet? If so then milk is not essential - not bottles full anyway.

Beside the point i know but he shouldn't be having juice. Milk or water only at his age.

Mine is coming up to two and look- I’m not going to take away his one nighttime bottle. He’s not ready for it. He’ll get in his pjs, have a big snuggle and a story with his bottle and then- a good solid brush of his teeth, always. It’s a lovely little comforting routine at the end of his day, I have no intention of pulling the plug on that. His teeth are fine, they’ve been checked. Really, at his age, I am not seeing the harm in this ritual at all.

He doesn't have loads of juice! A tiny bit - he's fine. And yes he has a well balanced diet and is a good eater. I'm just worried that if he doesn't have his bottle, he won't sleep.

@Skinnermarink aww I do agree with you, it's such a great comforter. What does he have when he wakes up, just straight to breakfast? X

I know it sounds horrible but send him to bed with his sippy cup and when he cry's if he cry's for his bottle dip the teat into something you know he won't like the taste of like vinegar mustard and then he might not want it again

he does have some milk when he wakes up, in a beaker, more often than not he won’t drink that though so straight to breakfast. On 3/7 days of the week this is at nursery, so a busy morning getting ready with lots of distraction and not a lot of time to think about a bottle. He will ask for milk in his bottle, we tell him it’s ‘asleep’ or show him it in the dishwasher and says it’s ‘having a wash’. This is recent, and only came about now he has more words and understanding. Before that, he was having a bottle when he woke up, so it’s been a gradual phase out.

That is fucked. Truly horrible.

Oh and OP I would take all other bottles completely out of the way so there is just one in circulation.

We just stopped it when we finished formula at 12 months. They had some milk with dinner in a cup and then either milk or water (again in a cup) before bed. In the morning they had some milk in a cup with breakfast.

J

oh, sorry troll.

I am puzzled by this thread. I had twins. One relinquished his bottle quite early on. His brother continued to drink from his bottle until he was about 5 or 6. It didn't harm him in any way that I know of...

How does the saying go - don't sweat the small stuff!

We have a special mug with 2 handles for milk. We started using it during the day as that was the least contentious time, then the morning. He still has about 40ml in a bottle at night at just over 2, but I’m hoping to reduce that to almost nothing as we get ready to night train.

Have you tried giving milk in a cup at different times of the day? So he doesn’t think it’s his replacement for morning/bedtime bottle. Try to break that link then once he’s used to it try the morning one only. I admit to leaving it for my youngest with his bedtime bottle because it was his comfort. But he grew out of it and started drinking less and less until we got rid of it. Do you have to get rid of it? Could you let him come off it himself?

Is this from the Dotheboys Hall Book of Childcare?

The morning one is totally unnecessary. Just ditch it and go straight to breakfast. He can have milk on cereal or a yoghurt to make sure he doesn’t miss out on the nutritional value. Easy peasy.

The bedtime one, meh, I’d pick my battles. My DD was still having one at 15 months but by 18 months she was happy to give it up. I started brushing her teeth afterwards and that ruined the relaxing element of it I think.

The new baby may solve the problem if you haven’t already by then. Take the line of “bottles are for babies, who can’t use a cup like big boys” “Look at you, using your big boy’s cup, aren’t you grown up” “Baby won’t manage to do that for ages, you are clever” etc.
There were only 16 months between my two DDs, and DD1 took great pride in being the “big girl”, who didn’t need prams, bottles etc.

This is a really good idea. Thank you!

@TropicalTrama it's not unnecessary for us as he often wakes up at 4am, has a feed, then goes back to sleep til around 7.30. Without it I don't think he would go back.