What is the best way to get my daughter off the bottle???

Question

She's 2 1/2 years old....almost potty trained ...now it's time to get rid of these darm bottles (milk only, never juice or anything...she uses sippy cups for water/juice)

Any creative suggestions to help me/her?

Answer 1

Ok, first of all no matter what ANYBODY tells you:

DON'T CUT IT COLD TURKEY.

That was tried on one of my cousins and it had inexplicably disastrous results. Children see bottles as an anchor to comfort so taking that away super fast is frightening and destabilizing.

You want to gradually pull her out of it by making EVERYTHING else interesting but her bottle (hard, I know). You need to slowly wean her so she goes from 3 bottles, to 2, to 1, and then none. Start out by introducing milk (possibly warm if you warm the bottle) in all other forms of drinking containers she can use. Try brightly colored or different shaped sippy cups. Try to analyze which is her favorite and remember that as your temporary replacement for a bottle.

The morning and nighttime bottles are most important, and if you only use those then you're further along then you think. If he giver her daytime bottles you'll find it's easy to distract with other sorts of foods or games, or maybe make a big deal out of her pretty sippy cup. She'll be a little wary but she'll catch on.

Now for morning bottle (I suggest you get rid of this first):

When she wakes up make a big deal of what a big girl she is. When she comes downstairs for her bottle insist she has breakfast first. Afterward she'll feel significantly less grumpy and it's easier to reason with her. If she still wants her bottle fill her favorite sippy cup and bottle with milk and place it before her, asking her which one she wants. Usually she'll instinctively reach for the bottle, but this is where it requires some effort from you:

Look as though you are drinking from the sippycup yourself. It's a harsh way to wean, but make it seem like the sippycup is the most delicious thing in the world. Do this a couple of times and then, when you see she's kind of indecisive, add:

"Big girls use sippy cups!"

Nighttime is the hardest thing to break because at the end of the day little kids are tired, unruly, and unpredictable. The best thing to do here is to start filling her bottle with less and less milk. Remember that at night she's not so much looking for the milk as she might be during the day, as the suckling motion she demands. However, once she finishes her bottle quicker you can reduce it until there is only a little left. At this time two things can happen:

1) She may just drink it because she wants to suckle.

2) She will not want her bottle anymore.

The latter is fairly uncommon but it happened with my little sister. Once you have practically no milk is the only time you should completely cut away from the bottle. If she asks for her bottle, just keep going upstairs to bed. If she throws a tantrum repeat:

"This is not how big girls act, big girls don't throw tantrums. You're a big girl now and you don't need a bottle."

She'll tucker herself out eventually (they always do :)) and go to sleep. This will be the hardest loss to cut but constantly remind her of her sippy cup and other glasses she could use for a nighttime drink.

AFTER SHE IS DONE WITH BOTTLES, REMEMBER:

Switch up her sippy cups and glasses! You do not want her "favorite" sippy cup to become her new bottle. Also, explain that warm milk is a special treat she gets when she's a "good girl". Be firm about it.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I had the same issue with my twins. My first suggestion would be to throw them all out (with her) and have a little celebration because she's now a big girl! When the time comes that she wants a bottle, remind her of your little ritual. My second suggestion is to "donate" the bottles. If you know anyone who has a baby, have your daughter help you put all of the bottles into a bag or box and take them to the baby. Tell her she's a big girl now and doesn't need them anymore, but the baby does need them! Even if the other mother doesn't need the bottles, that doesn't matter. I hope this helps. I can say that the best way is cold turkey. Don't try to do it gradually, it doesn't really work. Good luck!

EDIT:

To Smiley, it's actually VERY bad for her teeth, especially if she's having it right before bed.

Answer 3

You can make her part of it, by having a discussion with her about bei a big girl. Tell her that in 1 week it's time to grow up a little big bit and be a big girl. Make it a huge thing. Tell her that she gets to have whatever she wants for dinner that special night and get her a toy too that will replace her bottle. Show her a calender and everyday mark off the day soo  knows it will be getting close, and be talking to her about that special day and she won't have  a bottle anymore, she will be a big girl! Then on that day tell her that she's a big girl now and she needs to put her bottle in an envelope and send it to a baby who needs it now...be talking to her about this for the entire week so she understands and is  prepared. Then stick it in the mail box, and someone can go and removie it later. Hopefully she wl feel ike she grew up a little and doesn't need the bottle. If she asks about it tell her that anew little baby got the bottle.

Answer 4

When I hear questions like this, I ask another question. Why do you need to get her "off the bottle"? She certainly won't be on the bottle when she is 4, so why the rush? many parents make the mistake of followig some artificial timeline with their children. Its not worth the aggravation.

Answer 5

) try swapping the bottles for a "specail sippy" let the child pick it out and then ither donate the bottles to a family store or if you know another baby that needs bottles have the child give the bottles to the new baby.

2) same idea of swapping...but instead if you dont think a sippy cup is going to work swap it for a comfrot object. Maybe a new favorite stuffed animal, blanket, pillow, has to be somting that wont hurt if carried allot, higged, slept on, and so on.

3) or.. just go cold turky....one day just hide the bottles or get rid of them, and hand out a sippy instead. Try the ones with the rubber spout like a bottle and then as they adjust to that move to a hard top sippy or what ever you choose to use.

4) if your child is older say older than 2 everytime they ask for a bottle give them the bottle without the nipple (and contraptions if it comes with).

one thing to remember no matter wich way you choose to do it is that it is NORMAL for the tantrums, sleeples night, crying, and anything that might get "thrown" at you. Its normal but stick to it and I swear things will fall into place.  Kids need stability and consitancy, stick to that and things will work out.

Answer 6

What's the hurry and pressure? Our daughter is 4 and still likes a bottle of warm milk at bedtime, and lord knows daddy likes his bottle of beer before bed. :)

I still have a bottle in my hand, at night, at 35, so again...what's the rush and why conform to other's timelines?

Answer 7

Replace the bottle ritual with something else new and comforting in her routine.  That way she won't anticipate the bottle as much and she'll be comforted by the new routine.  For us it was moving into a big bed and reading books before going to sleep.

Answer 8

My daughter is 15 months and I started off whenshe was young but I am prob sure this will work but take the big people cups and talk loudly about how great it is to sip in one. Ask her if she would like to take a sip in the big girl cup. Continue to do this maybe once or twice a day for a week and see how she feels about drinking two ounces from the cup. While she's doing it, praise her and make her feel special. If you are out to eat, Stress how all of the big people are using big cup.....

For a straw, Put a fun drink that she cannot usually drink all the time and do the same. I use small straws b/c those big straws are hard for a little one. This is the only way my daughter drinks water successfully. Good luck. I hope this helps.

Answer 9

Either have her give them to the bottle fairy, to be replaced by a new toy the next morning, or if she's resistant, just pack them up and throw them out. Then, when you open the cupboard and they're gone, either read her a note written by the bottle fairy that she took them to give to a new baby, or feign that you know nothing about the disappearance.

Answer 10

my mother in law threw my sister in laws bottles in the trash and told her that the trash men took them and wont give them back

Answer 11

My daughter is 16 months and we found these great cups at walmart, about $4 for 4 of them, and they are just a normal cup with a lid a straw.  They hardly leak, so if she drops it, it won't leak out around the straw or anything.  My daughter hates taking milk from a sippy cup, so we use these instead and she loves them.  She gets them at every meal, and in between meals she just gets a sippy cup with water or diluted juice.  She is down to one 6 oz bottle at bedtime.  Good luck!

Answer 12

Tell her she is a big girl and big girls don't drink out of bottles.  Make a big show of letter HER get rid of the bottles, then take her out for ice cream, a present, or something special.  When she wants her bottle later remind her she is a big girl and got rid of them and give her a sippy cup - that is what big girls drink out of.  Good luck.

Answer 13

Just do it. She will fuss or cry but with in 2 days she will stop as long as you don't give in.

Answer 14

I weaned my son when he was 1 year old and the only way I knew to do it was just to start putting his milk in a sippy cup.  They have some out now that are good for transitioning...a softer spout, for example.  I know one of the ones I used was from Walmart and was the Nuby brand.  It has a silicone spout that is a lot like a bottle nipple.  Whatever you do, when you start weaning, do not go back to giving her a bottle!  It will only confuse her and make it harder for you.  Good luck!