Bottle to a Sippy Cup

D.,

He just turned one, so I wouldn't be in a hurry to get rid of the bottle. He's obviously not ready. As far as his teeth are concerned, sippy cups aren't much better than bottles. Just make sure he's not falling asleep with the milk oosing out all over his teeth all night. After his bed time feeding, start the routine of brushing his teeth with infant toothpaste... mmmm, fun!!!
Don't push the subject, but this summer, offer his water, juice or cold milk in big-kid cups. (It's messy at first, but they learn quickly). When he's proficient, he'll soon be wanting his bedtime snack from a cup!

E. G.

Take him to Build a Bear or just walmart and let him pick out a bear, puppy or whatever, you have to trade one habit for another, so, try to get hooked on the stuff animal. Tell him the puppy or bear is his new friend and give it to him when he his getting upset. Tell him when he upset his puppy wants to to feel better, or his puppy needs a hug, or puppy is crying (make wimpering,crying noices) because he his crying. In the mean time give him a bottle with just water at nap, bed time, after he brushed his teeth. If you give in to him now all the time its only going to get worse as he grows up, he will cry every time you say no because he know it works and the problem only get bigger, even a 1yr old can uderstand the word no. Also, falling asleep with a bottle of milk, juice is going to cause rotting teeth as he gets older, which is why I say give him water at bed time. Another thing, try to avoid him getting too tired or too hungry, anything that might lead to a tantrum because that why he want his bottle. If he need something in his mouth give him a teething toy or some other hard plastic toy that is safe (no small pieces) to chew or suck on.

Hi D.. I understand completely where you are coming from. Here is how I weaned my daughter when she was 1.
I used the Avent bottles and sippy cups, the nipples from the bottle also worked in the sippy cups. So for about 2-3 days I would put the nipple fromm the bottle in the sippy cup lid when necessary. This heled her get used to the actual cup. It seems like I gradually eased the nipples out then and used the actual sippy cup piece instead of the nipple. I hope this is helpful.

If I remember right the sippy piece can also work in the bottle??

Let me know if my advice is too confusing!
Good Luck!
R.

My daughter is the same age as your son, and I too had to go through the whole sippy cup thing. I tried for at least a week to get her to take a sippy cup. Finally, I washed all her bottles and packed them away and took them downstairs - with her watching as I did this. Then I just started giving her liquids, including milk in 2 different kinds of sippy cups at different times (in case she preferred one over the other), and left it at that. The only way I could get her to take sippy cups was to show her that her bottles were no longer available to her and that this was her only option. Of course she refused at first, or only took a sip or two, but a few days after she realized that this was her only way of getting something to drink, she caught on. I really had daycare push the sippy cup as well. So, far, she hasn't had an issue with the sippy cup. The only thing different is that she will now only drink half of the liquid she used to drink, but I think it's because she treats it like a beverage instead of her source of food - like her formula in the bottle was. All I can say is trial and error, but remember, you are in control of the situation. Don't let your son be the one dictating how things should be. One day he will take the sippy cup!! Good luck!

I agree with the other advice that was given to you. I tried to wean my son @1 yr and he was not up for it. I let him dictate when he was ready and he was ready at around 1 1/2. He still does have a bottle at night to relax if he wants one. (he is 2 1/2). Just brush his teeth and give him water in his bottle if you let him keep it with him thru the night. Like my Mom told me- when he's grown up and in college no one will know he kept a bottle past 1 yrs old! Every child is different so please don't force him to conform to "what is normal". Let him be who he is.
Take care and relax, you are his Mom no one else is and what you choose for him is what matters.
Best of Luck and enjoy him being a baby because they grow up so fast.

What kind of bottle do you use? There are some bottles that have a sippy lid that you can replace the nipples with. If that is not an option, maybe you could try a Nuby sippy cup? My son didn't like sippy cups either, but he would take those ones. They are just little cheap, individually wrapped sippy cups that can be found at Walmart, they have a soft sippy lid that is a little reminiscent of a bottle nipple. Best of luck!

d

D.,
Have you tried juice or something else in his sippy? Have your tried the Gerber transition sippy's. They look like a bottle with a sippy lid. My boys were hooked on their binky's, that was their security. When it was time to wean them we traded the Binky for a bear. So instead of giving them their binky when the had nap or went to bed we gave them the bear. It took a few days but now they love their bears and cannot sleep without them. Maybe try to subsitute the bottle with a bear or blanket then the sippy will come cause he won't have the bottle. Just an idea.
Good Luck!
J.

I let my son have a bottle until he was 2. I actually had a doctor tell me that it was okay to let him have a bottle until he was two. He is now 7 and his teeth are coming in straight. I would let him keep having it. Hope this helps. Just keep doing what you are doing.
T.

Hi D.,

The same thing happened with my daughter...didn't use a binky or blanky...took a sippy cup fine, with juice or water during the daytime from the start, but wouldn't drink milk out of one. We still gave her a bottle of milk in the morning, at naptime and at night, until she was about 15 months old. We were having another child (18 months apart), so we needed to get her off of the bottle before he came, so she wouldn't think he "took" her bottles and for the whole teeth reason.

My advice...go to Wal Mart and buy Nuby cups. Their nipples are most like bottles, but it is a sippy cup. Sometimes they leak, if the nipples aren't lined up properly. We like the sports bottle one the best (seems not to leak as much). They also make one that has 3 different nipples, so you can use that one to start and then change them as needed. See if it works...I know a lot of moms who went this route...and no worries about when he's off of it...but I would recommend not "giving in"...then he'll learn he can throw a fit and get what he wants, and that will only get worse when he's 2! :)

Take care and have a great weekend!
A.

ok ok D.,
i'm a mother of four kids and have not had a bottle fight not one.. now that being said i cheated my son had his bottle until 3 son #2 until he was 2 and half my first girl gone by 15months and my youngest was done around 3.. so i know this way works here it is.. pick a day and from that day on only WATER in his bottles even bedtime ones he can have all his normal bottles but only with water.. give him a choice at each bottle time do you want milk in the cuppy? or juice? or do you want your bottle? ever kid is different and each takes there own time but this is a way to reduse the feeling of lost or withdraw from the bottle.. he can then slowly wean off the bottle over time.. just tell him the bottle is broke and can only hold water..sorry hunny just water...it will work but stick to your guns water bottles only..and save the milk for the sippy ..good luck and enjoy you son..

Hi D.-
I have to agree that there is no hurry. Our son was 2 when we took his ba-ba away. He was really attached when he was one and that is why we waited. When we took it away around his second birthday he couldn't have cared less. Give it a little more time.

My advice, do it cold turkey. I have a three year old little girl and that is what she did when she was that age. She fought it for a couple days, but then realized that we were going to give in. All they like to do is test you, if you hold your ground they will give in. I know that it is very hard, I cried as much as my daughter did because I felt bad about it. But in the long run, I was happy that I did it that way. Good luck.

A.

If you don't want to go cold turkey (which is what I did and it was a very long week but only a week), I think the previous suggestion of watering the milk down until it's just water is a good idea and gradually stop warming it, too. And then start offering milk in a regular cup (you'll need to help him for the first while until he can get drinking from a regular cup without spilling). I do agree that it's best for his teeth to get him out of the habit of having a bottle of milk at nap time and bed time.
Good luck.

I have to agree with your friends, what's the hurry? As long as your brushing his teeth regularly, I would think that his teeth would be fine. My older two (now 12 and 7) were almost 3 before giving up their bottles/binkys and their teeth couldn't be better. I plan to do the same with our new little one.

My son just turned two. He gave up the bottle without a fight and now is eager to use a real cup instead of a sippy cup. It will get to the point where your son will want to imitate you and the bottle won't be as big of a deal. He may also transition to something else. At about 18 months, my son suddenly became attached to his frog and won't go anywhere without it! Before that, he hardly noticed it! Good luck... and don't stress so much! If he isn't sucking on the bottle all day that isn't so bad. You might try brushing his teeth after the bedtime bottle too.

Hi D.,
What's the hurry? let him be little, they grow up too fast as it is. I did daycare for many years when my second son was born and in those years I had many different children, a couple in particular: one boy I took care of had a bottle (no kidding) after school (kindergarten)and when I asked his Mom about it she just smiled and said "he won't graduate high school with it in his mouth(he didn't- he graduated last year) another boy who was in first grade with my son had a blankie and a stuffed animal with him in the classroom (there had been some awful troubles in his family) he also graduated last year-no blankie or stuffed bear. They are all to College and I guess what I'm saying is "they're only little once".
Peace,
T.

My advice would be the Avent sippy cups to transition to. They have a soft nipple like top.

I wouldn't worry too much...three times a day isn't so bad at 1 year, and if he's not waking up and drinking his bottle during the night, I don't think his teeth are really going to be damaged. It's not like he's carrying it around all day and night. But I know they recommend you wean from the bottle at 1 year...so you should work toward doing it. You could try mixing water with the milk, and gradually getting down to just water. He's really sucking for security, not for nutrition. My little boy never took a binky, a bottle, and doesn't carry a blanket or toy...if you get him off the bottle he will be okay ...I would just do it gradually and try to eliminate one time of day at a time--maybe the morning one first, then the nap, then the bedtime. Try fixing some interesting breakfasts, or getting him some fun cereal bars for breakfast, to distract him from the bottle.

My neighbor's son is 20 months and still takes a bottle at bedtime, and in fact my three year-old drinks milk before bed. If you are good at brushing his teeth and don't let him drink the bottle during the night, you are probably okay...but check with the dentist anyway. Good luck!

Hey D., I used the nuby cups with the soft spout to wean my daughter from the bottle. Since it has the soft spout they can still suck the same way they would from a bottle and it is a GREAT transition cup. After she used the nuby cup for a while she would take any sippy cup. We also gradually stopped warming her milk-20 secs for a few days, then 15, then 10, you get the point. Good luck!