How to Get Little Boy off of Bottle

I do it by over a couple of days switching the bottle with something else, sippy cup of Nubby or whatever you choose. don't let it last more than a week.
Someone ignorant once advised me to have the child throw the bottle in the garbage, that to me seems heartless and unnecessary. Why would you have a baby through something he loves in the garbage? It is no different than having him throw his puppy or blanket or whatever else he's attached to in the garbage never to be seen again, it's all the same to him! Don't recommend that one!

Have you thought maybe to take him and have him pick out a new stuffed animal or a little blankey and tell him that he can take that to bed/car/ nap ect instead of the bottle .. Maybe explain that other little babies need the bottle more then him .. and then when it is that time to go to bed or whatever give him whatever he picked out instead of the bottle...and just stick to that

Although I agree with the cold turkey method, some thing that worked well for my sis-in-law was to make a bottle and put unsweetened kool-aid in it so it was really very sour and then juice in a sippy cup and let my nephew decide which one he wanted. Because the bottle was very sour he chose the sippy cup she had to do this consistantly through out that day and part of the next but that was all and he never wanted a bottle again and because it was his "choice" she praised him on being a big boy for giving up a babies bottle.

Hope this helps,
E.

Try telling him that he is a big boy and that big boys use sippy cups. In order for my son to give up the pacifier, we had him throw it away in the garbage and never let him see another one. Amazingly, it went very well. Maybe out of sight out of mind will help. Also, try replacing the comfort aspect with a favorite stuffed animal or blanket. Maybe take him to get a new stuffed animal (Build a Bear)for a big boy reward. Good luck, I know it can be tough.

I just took away my 18 month old's bottles. We just did it cold turkey. I am doing a bit of a transition by using the Nuby brand cups. They are semi-bottle-like (they are soft spouted) without being a full out bottle. The only thing that sucks is that if the top gets squished - they do leak. So, we use the playtex sippy cups during the day and the nuby cups when she would normally get a bottle (i.e. naptime, bedtime, morning). I had to make sure all bottles were OUT OF SIGHT though because if she saw one, she would ask for it. The Nuby cups might be close enough that he may be able to use them for comfort as a kind of "transition".

Try to get him interested in another form of comfort too. Like a lovey of some sort. So that when you want to take the Nubys away, he'll still have something else.

Good luck!

Hi K.,
I agree with the other moms that said cold turkey. I was so worried with both of my kids. I thought it was going to traumatic for them but it was more traumatic for me. It took one night without it and they were over it. Good luck.
Chris

hi there.. my son was 1 when we got rid if the bottle.. you just have to take it but replace it with something like a sippy cup or a sleeping buddy (bear,dog etc) good luck..remember that he will drink from the cup if he has no other options..its hard but parenting never is easy..be strong mommy!! let ua all know how it goes

A good way to start is to find a cup with a soft nipple and start giving it to him with his meals it may make him feel like a big boy. Then when he doesn't ask for it don't mention it. Gradually cut him back and only give it to him a bedtime. Stop putting anything in it other than water. And with about a month he should hopefully come around and grow out of it.

I have four children and my youngest is 1 yr she is being taken off the bottle currently so i know the struggle.
REMEMBER TO BE PATIENT AND GIVE IT A LITTLE TIME PACIFIER USE IS JUST AS EASY OUT OF SIGHT USUALLY OUT OF MIND.

Its became a possession to him. Cold turkey! Just get rid of it.. Tell him that you're giving it to babies that really need it.. But if you have another child, my advice is to never let it become a possession. When my daughter was around 6 or 7 months or so, i asked the doctor if she should be holding her own bottle.. He told me NO! He said, if you can help it, don't let her. He said always sit with her, while she has the bottle. Walking around with it or taking it to bed - huge NO NO's.. So I listened.. And I gave to her until she was 16-17 months(eventually she held it of course), but only when she was sitting with me for milk, never to walk around with, etc. I only gave it to her that long because she just played with the sippy cup and I was afraid she wouldn't get enough milk. When I took it away, there was not ONE question about it, not one tear - nothing. So, I guess my doc was right :)

I didn't have to wean from the bottle but I did have to get rid of pacies. Cold Turkey is the only way to go.
Blessings, K.

If he uses it for comfort, try taking the nipples out and give him the bottle. It might help with the weaning.

Hi K.. The way I broke my oldest was to get rid of all the bottles. I cleaned them all and threw away all of the nipples and stored them (as I was having baby number 2 soon) and when he asked, I took him to the cupboard where they were put away and showed him that they were "all gone". He made the transition pretty well, he was about 18 months. All of my others weaned themselves to sippy cups before 12 months. I hope this helps, L. S.

Our daughter was on her bottle until 13 months. However, she had it at nap and bed only. We had our son off of the bottle at 11 months so this was a struggle and a sure sign that she is the youngest.

We took the bottle cold turkey. One night at bed we didn't give it to her. It was extremely hard. Luckily my husband is very strong willed ;) He never caved and wouldn't let me. I think the first 2 weeks at night she feel asleep outside of her room. She seemed to replace the bottle comfort with the comfort of being close to us. We let her do that. She would quietly come out and lay in the hallway outside her bedroom door or lay behind the couch and eventually fall asleep.

It was not easy and needless to say that was also the end of nap time for her. I won't lie, it was heart wrenching to hear those cries - but I knew it would be easier sooner rather than any later than we had already waited.

Good luck! You can do it! Just don't give in or up! Keep us posted!

Cold turkey - just take it away, no more. It worked for all four of my kids, although they were younger than your son when I did it.

Good luck!

My son was attached to his binky until 3 1/2! I would take it away cold turkey. I mean take and pack them away so he doesn't see them. It might hard for a couple of days, but you might be surprised too. I did this with the binky and I expected a huge blow up for a couple of days and it went perfectly well with just the first night he was sad. You have to hide or pack them away though so he doesn't see them. We were just at the dentist a couple of weeks ago and our dentist said that bottle rot is one of the biggest reasons why kids teeth are bad. He also told me not to let my youngest sip on a sippy cup all day either because it causes the same thing.

I agree with the other moms who have said cold turkey. Slowly taking him off will only prolong the process and make it worse and easier to give in. I would go to the store and let him pick out a cup that he likes. Maybe a fav. cartoon character on one or something like that. Good luck and stay strong!

I agree with the mom before me just take it. I had to do my son like that and just gave him a sippe cup. If your baby like to drink from adult cups he's ready anyway just doesn'e know how say it yet. Because the longer you keep playing with him abou tthat bottle the harder it will be to get it away from him.

I really don't know if there is an easier way that will work over cold turkey, but I wanted to tell you my experience. My son was just over one and was attached to the bottle for sleeping. Well his teeth started to rot in the back and I had no choice but to go cold turkey. It was 2 nights of pure hell for both of us. Neither one of us got any sleep. After the first couple nights though...everything was fine.

Hi K.,

My personal recommendation is cold turkey on pretty much anything when it comes to kids this age... I think they get over it pretty quickly and turn to something else for comfort like a stuffed animal or blankie. And don't worry, if he is thirsty he will drink out of a sippy cup.

I was worried about this with my second child and I did exactly what I suggested and she took the sippy cup when she realized she wasn't going to get the bottle, period. If you give in, it will just set you back even further.

Then you'll have the sippy cup seperation issues next!! That's what I am going through now. Once school starts for my 5 year old, gone gone gone go the sippy cups for my 2 year old.

Good Luck!
J. in Macomb

Yes, it's going to be traumatic...so do you want it to be short or long and drawn out? That's what you have to decide. I can't give you too much advice, because I have a 20 month old who is hooked on the paci...and I find myself wondering how to get him off of it. Personally, and in the case of a paci, I am going to try to gradually lessen the habit for him...ie only at home, then only in his room, then only in bed...wish me luck...LOL! In the case of a bottle, I think I would go cold turkey...just stop giving it to him. Offer him a cup, put it where he can reach it and walk away. He'll drink it when he's thirsty.

~L.

When my dh was about 2, his parents were driving somewhere and gave him a bottle. DH threw it out the window -and they looked at each other and decided they weren't going to give him a bottle anymore.

I decided that may be the way to go with my son. Then again, that might change when he gets to be your son's age. 8-)

Good luck.

THANKS for posting this request...My son is over 2 and uses the bottle at nightime for comfort Sometimes does not drink it just wants to hug it...Its TIME after reading your responses for us to go cold turkey. Good Luck to BOTH of us!!!