Getting Rid of the Bottle - Clackamas,OR

we have a simple rule in my house... I have two kids 2 and 3 and the only thing that goes into a sippy cup is water. Everything else is out of normal cups. My personal feel is that a sippy cup is just a bottle with a hard nipple, so why bother to bottle break if they are gonna be on sippy cups forever.. I know that sounds harsh and I get a lot of flack from my family for it, cause they like not having to worrie about spills and such.. .We just taught or kids, cups stay at the table....My son goes to bed with a cup of water on his night stand and my daughter does get a sippy cup of water when they sleep though.

We broke My son leterally by just telling him he was too old for bottles and not offering them to him any more..

Growing up in a house that rules were everything.. made me realize..what is the big deal!!

I think you should write down all the reasons why it isn't a good idea. Then decide if you want to fight this battle.

It is sad to read about all these rules parent have on their children for no reason. Who cares if she drinks from a bottle or a cup! I guess for their teeth sake.. but brush them!

I have two children they are going to be 2 and 3 in february. I never took the bottle completely away from my almost 3 year old, she just isn't interested in it anymore. My 2 year old however is a mama's boy and loves his bottle.

My mom who has changed a lot as she's aged.. asks me.. what is the big deal bottle, cup, sippy? who cares!!

Each person should do what works for them!

And stop fighting every single battle..give your kids a break!!

hi well you can do what i did let your child have a cup of milk before bed dont let then take it to bed it takes 3weeks to break a habbit and 3 to make a new one its hard and long but it works

Hi T.,

Good for you for weaning from the bottle. However drinking from a sippy cup can cause some of the same symptoms of bottle use (nursing bottle syndrome). When a child drinks from a sippy cup (exspecially a spill proof) the milk sugars (lactose) will stick to her teeth and can lead to decay. The reason that the nighttime cup/bottle is so dangerous is most people do not swallow continuously at night (thats why some people drool) Because we don't swallow the lactose sits on the teeth and can cause decay.
Some things to try....
1. offer her a cup with a straw. This helps the milk bypass the front teeth, so's not to cause as much damage.
2. Offer her the milk 1/2 hour before bedtime and Brush your childs teeth or atleast require a drink of water after the milk.
3. If your child gets 8 oz. of mik before bed, try reducing the amount each 2-3 days until 1 oz. and then offer water only.
4. Or try mixing half water , half milk until she is no longer interested.
5. I know nighttimes can be a challenge, but I see so many children at wic that have no front teeth left. Not only is this condition painful and sets the child up to fear the dentist but the adult teeth can rot before they even come in. So, don't look at it as "its only her baby teeth" she will get new ones.

Good luck! Night time can be a challenge, we are usually all over tired and sometimes just do the easiest thing to get them in bed. I understand that feeling quite well. Just remember if you switch from one bad habit to another then you will eventually have to break the new habit sometime soon.

My children never got a choice..... Its milk or water at mealtimes and water only for bed. This will quench thier thirst and not effect the teeth. I also would recommend no more than 16-20 oz. of milk daily, so, she doesn't over compensate with the calories and become overweight or a picky eater. As if all 2 years old aren't picky anyway.

Also remember, it takes 14 days of consistant behaivor to change a habit. You may want to make up a sticker chart and explain to her that each night she drinks her milk and brushes her teeth after ward, she gets a sticker. When you have pplaced 14 stickers in a row, then we can ....(you fill in the blank) go to the park, have a party, go to the library, get a special toy ect.

H. B.

I know that you have already posted an update on this. When My "baby" sister was 2 she had to have a bottle of milk before bed this was not a prob as far as bed wetting or anything but the milk would end up curdeling. my mom and step dad swiched her to water and the sippy cup before bed and now that she is 14 she still sleeps with water by her bed in case she gets thirsty. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with letting your daughter have something to drink before bed.

I guess I don't get the problem. I would love for my children to drink more milk. She is asking for a nutritious drink. As long as her teeth are brushed before she goes to bed, she isn't taking the cup with her to bed and she isn't wetting the bed from too much liquid right before bed, what's the big deal?

Give your daughter her milk in the sippy cup with dinner. Then that's it. If she wants anything else to drink, she can have water. You have to set some boundaries/rules. And early. She'll learn quickly. And it will be easier on both you and your husband in the years to come.

My daughter is now 6, but when she was 2 she also was having a hard time giving up her nightly milk. I went from whole milk down to 2%, then down to 1%, then I was only giving her water, and soon she wasn't interested in the cup at all. I don't know if this will help you, but it worked for me.

my 5 y/o uses a cup but everytime she wants milk before bedtime she wants it in a sippy cup to eliminate spills. your husband is right, it's not a bad thing, as long as she drinks from a cup for the rest of the day. she'll grow out of it in due time.

- jo

I think that a sippy cup of milk at bed time is a bad idea. If the child doesnt swallow it all it stays on their teeth and can rot them. I have known kids in the past that have had to have dental surgery because of the rotten teeth. I think that giving them a cup of water would be better than milk. It sort of seems like maybe the cup is a security thing, maybe you could try a favorite toy or blanket instead of the cup.

Why do you think you need to wean her of this??? Unless you are working on her being potty-trained through the night....I don't see it as a problem!

My son is the same way. I just started 'forgetting' it, or only putting water in it. We are slowly getting him out of the habit.

My granddaughter, who is 6 takes a sippy cup of water to bed with her and sometimes drinks from it during the night apparently without waking up.
When she's visiting me I still give her her drinks some of the time in a sippy cup to prevent spills. She drinks out of a glass the rest of time.

One reason that we wean kids from the bottle is to protect their teeth. Sucking on a nipple can cause their teeth to grow in crooked. There is no such problem with a sippy cup. Another reason is that a big kid looks silly sucking on a bottle. I don't see either problem with a sippy cup at bedtime. It's no doubt a part of her routine and she will outgrow it just as some kids will stop having to line up her stuffed animals before going to sleep.

I don't see a problem with giving it to her. If she takes it to bed with her the milk can be a problem for her teeth. The rule is never let your child have milk without rinsing or brushing their teeth. In reality, it depends on the strength of the child's enamel, how often this happens, and a variety of other things. Both of my grandchildren had a bedtime bottle or sippy cup well into their toddlerhood and their teeth are fine. My daughter suffered more from guilt than their teeth did from the milk. She finally was able to switch to water and now everyone is happy.

Water it down by quarters every few nights. Monday- 3/4 milk, 1/4 water. Thursday- 1/2 milk, 1/2 water. Sunday- 1/4 milk, 3/4 water. Wednesday- 100% water. It's really not good for her teeth to have the milk sitting (& rotting) in her mouth all night. Imagine all the bacteria that milk grows. Try that out.