Bottle Addict

depends on how clever you can be. Maybe water down his milk until it's pretty much cloudy water, but put the real good stuff in a brand new design sippy cup????? Then when he questions it do a "hmmmm. I guess milk tastes better now in this kind of cup".

Or if he's one of those critical thinkers just reason with him. it works for some kids, not for others. You say "look Johnny once you turn 2 - no more bottles. Let's pick out a big boy cup just for you". Let him pick out his special cups and make a big deal about him being a 'big boy now'. Then start replacing bottle feedings with a cup one a day for a week or whatever (as you practice for him to be a big boy so he's "ready" to be 2). so it's not really 'cold turkey' but by the time he's 2 you have gotten him 'weaned' off bottles.

the other choice is to stop buying milk for a while - 2 or 3 weeks isn't going to do him harm and he can get his dairy from cheese or yogurt etc. Then you guys can 'get rid of the bottles' because there isn't any need for them - no milk = no bottles. When you reintroduce milk the bottles are gone - so you ask "would you like milk in the blue cup or the red cup"? This still gives him control over where the milk comes from, just not from a bottle.

You could go to the store with him and have him pick out a special sippy cup to replace the bottles. I would let him know that the bottles need to go to a baby who really needs them.

After picking up this special cup, I would go home and have him decorate it with stickers. Throughout the whole process, explain to him that this special sippy cup(s) are for milk.

I would even take it a step further and get a box, put the bottles in the box, wrap it with him watching, and say how wonderful he is to give his bottles to some baby that needs them.

With my first son, we told him that his pacifiers went to other babies that needed them. Even though it still took three days to wean, I think he understood, even at two, that someone else needed them more than he.

Don't fret too much if he holds on to his bottle for a little while longer. It's tough turning two and the bottle is a great comfort to him. My 22 month old is cutting her 2 year molars and I hate to look at them, it seems so uncomfortable. He may need some extra comfort that the bottles provide right now, so don't fight him too much because your agenda is being postponed Your baby time with him will be gone soon enough and you'll be glad you didn't force him to "be a big boy" too soon when you look back and remember. Good luck!

I actually think that cold turkey is more gentle. My son was addicted to the sippy cup for milk (the soft sippy that is similar to a bottle). One day I said that they were all dirty, but he could see one on the counter and had a fit. I ended up just hiding them all (saving them for sister). I did have some hard spouted sippy cups and an insulated cup similar to adult ones. I was okay with him having these (without the valves) or a cup. So, the second day, I told him he could have a cup, a "to-go" cup, or the "coffee cup". He liked the new cups and while he did ask for a few days for the sippy, he transitioned well when I told him that we didn't have the sippies any more.

I haven't read the other responses, but when I took my boys off the bottle, I bought the Nubby sippy cups. They have the soft spout on them. It's the shape of the sippy cup, but it's soft like the bottle. My guys took right to them and then from there, to the hard regular sippy cups. You can find them pretty much anywhere.

Have you tried giving him his milk our of a regular cup? Maybe it wont freak him out as much because its not a sippy cup. I know it will probably be messy though, maybe those cups with the straws? Or how about trying those individual milks and seeing if he will just drink it straight from the little carton? Maybe you could add some flavoring to the milk and put it in a sippy and he might take it (thinking its a different drink), then wean him of the flavoring. By flavoring I mean like Vanilla Soy milk/mixed with regular milk. You could also try the chocolate version. Hey don't feel bad, my 18 month old still takes a bottle, and I am trying creative ways to get her to drink milk from a sippy/regular cup.
Good Luck. =)

I was thinking along the lines of the other mom who mentioned not giving milk at all for a period of time to transition to cups, and then giving it in a cup of their choice. I also agree that sometimes, doing it quickly is actually more gentle. I'd much rather pull a band-aid off quickly than very slowly. My kids are stubborn too, but at some point they need to learn that they have to roll with the punches, and this is such a small way to start to teach that mentality. I don't recommend it often; my kids suck their thumbs, have binkies, and love their blankies, and I'm not about to take those away. But this was something you said you needed. If you need it, then take the stand. If not, give it some more time. He's not even 2. I think one thing I did was give a sippy cup of water before nap or bed. And I know I fixed a bottle of water and a cup of milk. Then I told them they got to choose which they wanted. My kids loved milk, but still chose the bottle of water sometimes. If he screams or throws a fit, don't give him either. When you choose to take a stand though, don't back down. It doesn't help them or you in the long run.