I'm a tad embarressed, but.........

[~Faye~]

...........how do we give up the bed time bottle? It is really worrying me because we have tried doing it before he brushes his teeth, then do the normal routine. That doesn't work. He only wants it in bed after brushing his teeth. We have started to cut it down and he is not impressed. He still likes his big bottle last thing, in his cot. I think it has become somewhat of a prop, ya don't say! , but I am just worried about his teeth and he will never give it up. The only thing is he won't drink milk any other time through the day. I have tried giving it to him in a sippy cup and bottle but he won't have it, so this is the only milk he gets.

Should I try changing it so he has it before he cleans his teeth or just go with it?

Faye

[woopster]

Mine are nearly 2 and still have 3 bottles a day!    They also won't drink milk from a cup.  I think I'm just gonna go with it.  When they're old enough to understand (like 12 or so!) then fight that battle.

My advice FWIW, is to let it go...

[~Faye~]

LOL Wendy. I think 12 could be a good age to reason with him. That'll be when he is finally out of nappies at this rate too

Thanks sweetheart, I guess I am just a bit worried about the teeth. Maybe there are other things to deal with right now!

Just a few {{HUGS}} your way too

Faye

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

Same here - can this thread become our 'outing'?

Ds is great at drinking from a sippy / straw / regular cup, but when it comes to (rice ) milk, only bottles will do. We have a bedtime bottle on Mummy's bed before we go through to his bed, and short of trying witchcraft, I have no idea how to get rid of it. I was stressing about the bottles until someone said 'oh don't worry, he just likes them, that's all', and I thought, well, yeah, he does, and what's the harm?

The only thing is - is he using it to fall asleep? If he is, you might be getting some sleep problems.

[janelle]

If it is any consolation, my dd was still having a bottle at 2 before bed.  One night she just decided she didn't want it anymore because "bottles are for babies"  Liam was about 3 or 4 months at the time and just weaned to bottles.  she was 2.5 when this happened....now if only she would do the same with her dummy!!!

[Tamara]

Elin was just over 2.5 yo when we finally decided to tackle the bedtime bottle issue - and I didn't have your excuse ladies of that being the only milk she'd drink in the day either.

Personally, I don't see the harm - They will grow out of it eventually, and I would go with it for now.

We also brushed her teeth etc then she'd have the bottle very last thing before we'd leave the room - hasn't done her teeth any harm at all (seen a dentist twice and remarked that her teeth are perfectly fine)

We very very slowly reduced the amount of milk given over a long period of time and eventually - made a big deal of not having a bottle any more like a big girl (just like we did when she gave up the dummy on her 3rd birthday) and she accepted it.  

Now she's a month off being 4 and she still likes to have a drink of milk before bed, and quite often will have half a cup of warm milk in bed whilst we read her her story.

I'd relax about it - it will come with time - there's no rush.  

[mari]

Would he drink from a bottle sitting up but not in his bed?  We have our bedtime bottle (yep, shes over 2 and we still have it) on the sofa with a story, then we go up, change nappy, clean teeth and into bed with a sippy of water incase she gets thirsty during the night.

[Harvey and Theos Mam]

Harvey only got water in his bottle for bed and finally we got rid of it a few months before his 3rfd birthday.  We told him that the bottle fairy comes on his birthday and he has to leave the bottle for her and she would then leave a little gift.  We decided enough was enough before the birthday because he kept waking up wet even though he only had a small amount of water.
We told him that the bottle fairy was coming early and that he had to leave his bottle that nightg for it to be taken to another child who needs the bottle.

He went to bed like a big boy without any fuss or tears.  The next night was a litle harder but still very good.  G sat with him for a little whilse because he had his comforter taken away from him and had no other. He hasn't had a dummy since about 4 1/2 months old.

HTH

Oh, and after telling two friends about the bottle fairy they went home from mother group and had great sucess with it too.

[yaya]

totally agree, I recokn he'll loose interest when he no longer 'needs' it, there are worse props, trust me I KNOW!

[MDHmommy]

I remember reading somewhere in one of Tracy's books that you can cut an "x" in the nipple and eventually they'll loose interest? Might be worth a try once...see if he cares or not. Might be a big fat mistake too... depending on DS' temperment

[imsmum]

You think that's a problem--try getting a 2.5 year old off a before bed bf--not like we can water down or cut the nipple there!

[MDHmommy]

LOL...yeah, please don't!! OUCH!!

[~Faye~]

You think that's a problem--try getting a 2.5 year old off a before bed bf--not like we can water down or cut the nipple there!

  That thought is bringing tears to my eyes!

Faye