How do I get him off the bottle???????

Question

My son is 13 months.

He has a bottle when he wakes up, then before his nap, then in the afternoon, then bedtime.

He has drank WATER perfectly from a sippy cup since he was about 6 months old. And still does every day.

About a month ago I tried putting his formula in a sippy cup, instead of bottle, for his afternoon one. He got soo mad and threw it. I tried a number of different cups and even just a different kind of bottle, he wouldn't take it.

So, I tried again just now. I gave it to him in every different sippy cup he has, he wont take it. He's not getting mad this time but just looking at it and then putting it down. I tried giving it to him in a sippy cup that isn't clear, so he couldn't see what it was, and he put it to his mouth, then just played with it and put it down.

Ahhh! I haven't given him his normal bottle that I know he wants, but I know that if he doesn't have it soon he's going to be hellishly misserable. Help?

Answer 1

Another vote for breast is best.

Answer 2

He is still very young and is at an age where the baby still suckles. Whats the rush to get him off?  I gave my babies bottles until they were 3.   It will eventually dwindle down to just one before bedtime.

Answer 3

My daughter will be one in 1 week and I got her to take her cup by putting regular milk in it.  I'm right with you I have no idea how i'm going to break her from her bottle, so I  will be reading all your answers!  Good luck to you!!!

Answer 4

You could possibly give him some other things to suck on like pop sickles, biscuits, teething rings that have a nipple on them.  Then when feeding him his food he can know that the reason why we such is to get other things as well, not just formula, which we know already isn't the best thing for a young one anyway.    

         But also be careful because his teeth are soon coming and their growth and development is pretty important starting at this age.

  Or there is also cold turkey, just take it away from him and then feed him other finger foods.  But you will have to be strong  enough and let him know who is in charge of whom.

               There is also the good thing called the drinking straw.  That way they can learn that sucking is still important but just not from the bottle, and you can change the straw over and over again.  They even have fancy ones that you can buy that are curly and they can see the liquid go from the cup, up the straw and into their mouth.  He needs to see what he is drinking. You would  want to know what you are drinking, right?

          

          Since you are not breast feeding him, you have to understand that the bottle is his security in place of you.  He needs something to hold on to and is isn't you right now.  So if you think that he doesn't need you right now to be close to him as long as he needs you, then think again.  We all need to know that we can leave when we are ready to and not before. Hold him as long as he needs you to because the longer he knows that you love him and will nurture him physically the less he will need you and that bottle. Let him decide when he is ready.  But you could start breast feeding again. which would be a feat in itself.  Good Luck and God BLess.

Answer 5

It's too early to take him off. Both potty training and the bottle should stop at 24 months and no later. Hey everybodys different, he seems to be very bright but I really don't think he's ready and anyway whats the hurry he's still a baby

Answer 6

This may sound silly, but it worked for my niece.  

Do you celebrate Christmas?  

For this to work, he needs basic reasoning skills, get the whole Xmas/Santa thing and not be afraid of Santa.

If so, let it go for the next 4 months, then tell him that as he knows Santa is coming to bring him some new stuff...maybe even "X" (whatever game, doll, book he wants..that you will get...my niece wanted a puppy and a puppy she got!!!) lol

But tell him Santa really needs a favor from him as some little boys don't have any bottles and really needs all of his for those little boys.

It actually worked with my niece and she was 24 months and felt good about herself and gained some compassion while she was at it, kept asking her mommy if any little girls needed toys she wasn't attached to.  It was a way to get rid of the bottle and teach a lesson about people who have less then you.  

If he's not afraid of Santa, when you take him to see Santa and he asks for whatever he really wants for Christmas have Santa PROMISE to get that for him, IF he can have all your sons bottles.  If he 'gets' this whole agreement it will also help build compromise and trust skills.  

Don't know if 17 months is too young, but worth a shot.

Good luck.

EDIT: oh, also, make sure...so you dont have a guilty conscience...that you either do donate the bottles (if you are even allowed to do that) or spend a couple bucks and buy a few new ones for a womans shelter or something...that way beyond the "Santa lie" you didn't really lie to your son and you helped a baby or two.  (if you can afford to.)

Answer 7

why are we parents so obsessed with taking things away from our children.. he might not be ready to have his milk in a sippy cup just yet... he's only 13mo.... what's so wrong with drinking milk out of a bottle at that age???