I have an 18 month old and a 5 month old. When the baby has a bottle her big brother wants one as well. Before she was born he was only taking the bottle at night and wanted the sippy cup during the day. Now that she has come along he almost never takes the sippy cup and will throw himself on the floor screaming if he doesn't get a bottle too. I try and wait it out and not give in, but then he starts going after his sister and will tackle me to get to the bottle.
Has anyone else had this problem? How did you make the sippy cup "cool" again. I think maybe he is too young to get that bottles are for babies since I didn't have him completly off them before she came along and I keep thinking he is still almost a baby. Very frustrated any help would be fantastic!!!
Andrea R, you really nailed it. He loves her formula!!! We put Soy milk in his cup and he yelled "yum yum" and didn't touch the bottle. Go figure it was a taste thing and not something else. Thank you for all the advice we have shopped for his own cup and he is very happy with it.
I would take him to the store and let him pick out his own sippy cups. Then he can see what cool designs are available. Take the baby with you and tell her "No, you can't have a sippy cup. You are to little. Its for big kids" It might provide the inspiration for him to be "big" and set him apart from his baby sister.
I have two daughters, 25,20 and a son 18. There is one thing that I regretted. My second daughter was a pacifier and bottle sucker and I gave in to everyone telling me that she should give it up. What happened was that she remained a thumb sucker until schooltime and then continued when she was not in school. We lived in Germany and the people that I associated with didn't get rid of the pacifier until they wanted to get rid of it. My oldest daughter dropped her favorite dog and bottle on the streets until she dropped it one last time and we never saw it again. They will let you know when they are too old for the bottle. In the meantime, considering the amount of sippy cups that look like bottles, you can find one that is both. Take bro along to pick it out. What do you think?
Your son is just going thru some natural regression. I wouldn't worry about it. I'd give him the bottle if that's what he wants. But I'd offer the sippy first. At 18 months he is still a baby. He will go for the sippy again when he is ready. As a mom of 3, I say "pick your battles."
Hi R.,
Does your son like the taste of the baby's formula? I know that once my son started drinking whole milk, he hated the taste of formula after that. If he doesn't like the formula, you can tell him that "only baby's milk" goes in the bottle, and "big-boy milk" goes in a sippy cup. If he insists on the bottle, he gets the yucky formula, and hopefully then chooses the sippy on his own.
Of course, if he likes the taste of the formula, then I haven't helped you, have I! Another idea, take him to the store with you and let him pick out his own 'favorite sippy' that you can use. Good luck!
I'm sure you have already told him that he is a big boy and the sippy cup is only for big boys...have you tried juice boxes? They might be a short term answer. I suggest you quit giving him any kind of bottle, he really doesn't need them and you are risking big time teeth issues the older he gets using a bottle, even if it is only one a day. keep the baby bottles put up and out of sight as much as possible. Stay strong and don't give into his temper tantrums. You need to quit "fighting" with him and lay down the law now, or you will be tusseling with him over every little thing as he gets older. Stay strong!! Happy Holidays
A lot of bottle makers are now making replacement "nipples" that are sippy cup spouts. This way the baby can have the bottle, and your son can have his "bottle" that looks exactly the same, but with a sippy cup spout until he gets over it. I think it's just a form of sibling rivalry and it will pass. One specific bottle make I know that does this is Avent. I have used the "toddler spouts" for their sippy cups with the collar in place of the nipple on the Avent bottle for my 17 month old a few times when her sippy cups were dirty.
Good luck!!
What if you take him shopping and let him pick out a few sippy cups? When you get home immediately clean one, fill it and give it to him. Talk excitedly about how much fun it will be to drink out of his new sippy cup.
I'd just give him the bottle. If you keep it from him, it will just seem more desirable. (Especially since his sister has one, and he is probably jealous of her.) Older sibs often do a little bit of reverting when a baby comes around. Let him have a bottle for a while and it will lose its magic.
I wouldn't stress toomuch about it. Try a sippy cup with the straws. It worked for us. My son started wanting a bottle all day at about that age. I had to race him to get his cousins' bottles first. I was babysitting a 9 month old at the time and made him ask for one too. It took a long time but by the time he was 2 we had him off them completely. I just told him no or in a bit and try to distract him with a fun activity or snack and give him the straw sippy cup. I kept the am and before bed bottle for awhile cutting out the daytime ones first. The bottle is conforting for him so try cuddling with him and the cup. Sometimes that helped other times it just made my son madder. But keep it up eventually it will work itself out.
R.,
Your 5 month old is not too young to have her own cup; therefore, you need to take your 18 month old shopping to pick out a cup for baby and a new cup for him. He doesn't need to use a sippy as lots of children do very well with small open cups - find his favorite "character". As an Early Interventionist nurse I hear this all the time and had to deal with it with my own children (a long time ago...). Big brother needs to feel special and needed by both you and baby sister - tell him he needs to teach the baby how to drink like a "big kid". Hang in there, some extra hug time will go a long way. Good luck and hope this helps.
V.
I am thinking that there is a bit of unconscious jealousy going on. When your 5 month old gets her feeding do you sit and cuddle with her? Is the big brother just handed a Sippy? Maybe he is feeling that if he still takes a bottle he will have more alone time again. It is understandable to want to have your son grow up and back onto the cup but, personally, I feel that since your children are so close in age range it is fine to let his nature take his course. Let the boy grow back into a Sippy cup at his own pace and try not to show frustration at his small regression.
Why make it a big issue? Let him use a bottle. He's only 18 months old, for heaven's sake.
That sort of regression is typical when there's a new baby in the house. Some children who are already potty trained often want to wear a diaper again, when they see their baby sibling being diapered.
Call me silly, but why is it a problem that he wants a bottle? He's obviously having a problem dealing with someone else getting the attention. As long as you aren't putting him to bed with a bottle, what's the big deal? Is it worse than a pacificier? I would just try to avoid sugary drinks in the bottle so that it doesn't destroy his teeth. I hope you're brushing his teeth twice a day. He needs the comfort of a bottle right now with the new competition for attention. He's really still a baby himself. He'll have long enough to be a "big boy" later. I think you'll create resentment for his sister if you keep forcing the issue. When you expose him to other kids his age and they aren't drinking a bottle anymore, he'll move on. Right now he needs to be comforted. You're children are really close together and you'll have these issues come up a lot. Don't sweat them, they'll move on when they're ready. As soon as you make a big deal out of it, it becomes a big deal. In the overall scheme of things, it's really small stuff. Good luck and RELAX.
B. C.
They have these new sippy cups out now that I hvae for my kids. Here is a link with a picture of one: http://www.drugstore.com/qxp151222_332828_sespider/playte... they look almost like an adults traveling coffee cup, only they are in bright colors. My kids love them and you could get them and maybe drink your stuff out of one or out of a regular adult one and tell him that he's big like his mommy and stuff like that to get him to want to drink out of that instead. They are flat around the top, nothing sticks up to suck on, so that could help with you either drinking out of it or getting one like it for you to use. They are called coolster tumblers and say, "when you are too cool for a sippy cup" lol. Good luck!
Me and my husband started introducing our daughter to a sippy cup at 5 months old. I know that might sound a little too soon but it worked quite well for us. Try the nubby's they work great but we used a regular sippy cup for her too. Try and ask your son to help you teach his sister. My daughter is 2.5 and I just had my son four weeks ago so that is our way of including her and helping her adjust to the new little one in the house. I hope this helps. Good luck.
R.,
I am not sure if I am allowed to talk about my business but I make personalized embroidered koozies that fit on sippy cups and every kid that I have given one to LOVES it. I have many different colors, I can put almost anything on it and a child always loves things with their name on it. My daughter has one with her name on it and a ribbon and she won't drink a sippy cup without it. It's the only idea I have right now for you and if your interested in trying it out let me know. I am giving a discount to all mamasource moms with free shipping till the end of the month.
Good luck,
C.
www.CaitiMacCreations.com
