Potty training and taking away the bottle.?

Question

Any advice as to the easiest way to potty train? And how should I go about taking away the bottle (at night) He's fine during the day with out one but when I lay him donw for naps or bedtime he won't go to sleep without one!

Answer 1

I'm in the exact same situation with my son, but its not a bottle he is hooked on, its his binki!!! I would definitly suggest NOT trying to do both life changes at once (potty training AND weining from the bottle)....I would conquer the bottle habit first, since that is not healthy for their teeth to go to bed with one.

What I did with my son was tell him the day before we decided to take his binki's away that we were going to put ALL his binki's away tomorrow and I told him that many times throughout the day so that he would not be suprised the next day. The next morning, I gathered up all the binki's and put them in a ziplock baggie and put them all away where he would not find them. He was totally fine during the day, but come naptime and bed time, he struggled. He cried a lot and asked me for them, and I ended up having to lay with him in his bed and rub his back to comfort him and get him to sleep both at bed and nap time! The first day was not that bad, the second day was HORRIBLE, and today we are on our third day of no binki, he hasnt asked for it, but he is still having a little bit of a hard time calming himself down for naptime.....the best advice i could give you is to BE PATIENT and definitly no matter what you do DO NOT GIVE IN!!!! It will be hard for about a week, but soon your child will be bottle free and better off!! After that skill is mastered, then you can worry about potty training!!! Good Luck, and stick to your guns!!! =)

Answer 2

Oooo, that's going to be hard. You should never start the bottle in the bed habit. I hope that it's only water in there. Formula in a bottle at bedtime can lead to bottlemouth (rotten teeth). If there is formula in there, switch it to water. Then...just take it away. You are going to have a couple of nights of hell, but I really don't see an easier way to do it. If you take it away and then give in, they are going to know that you'll buckle and will scream twice as loud for twice as long to get it. As far as potty training goes...I would wait until your child acts like they want to. This isn't something that you can force on them, it might make is worse.

Answer 3

Try giving him an empty bottle at bedtime. Or a sippy cup with water in it. Sometimes it's just the security of having it there. As for potty training...buy some cute books and read them to your son. Have his father take him when he goes so he can see how it works. And when all else fails...bribe him with M&M's. Bribery isn't something you should use a lot, but for potty training, it can be a great reward.

Answer 4

Every child is different. For my son, potty training wasn't something I could 'teach' him to do - he had to be ready for it at his own pace. Unfortunately, children are learn-as-you-go, each one progressing at their own pace, so there really isn't any handbook to go by.

I explained to my son that he was a 'big boy' now, and that we had to send the bottles away so that the babies could have them (this worked, and he never once questioned not having a bottle any more). I've found that discussing things works better than simply saying 'because I said so' or another response which isn't an explanation as to why.

Answer 5

Try giving him a pasifier at night or just a sm bottle with water in it then slowly every other night don't give him one.
You don't say if it's a boy or girl to potty train?? Boys take longer then girls do. You also didn't say how old the child is??
Start slow with the potty chair and praise him/her with treats, or sit with them and read a book just to see if they will sit any length of time on the potty chair. It does help with a boy/father to help out. Good Luck Dawne

Answer 6

Hi ,my son is 3 now he is pt since 2 and i took his bottle almost at the same time , he had the bad habit of the bottle at night, now he have the bad habit of sleeping on my arms, so he doesn't need his bottle I will hold him until he fall asleep, I know it is also a bad habit but I also enjoy it it is relaxing, as for potty training, I had a bunch of clean underwear for him, just let him or her get wet he will learn because he will feel really uncomfortable, only took about 3 to 4 days for my son to recognize the sign of pipi or poop coming, Well it is easy for me to say that because I have tile in my house, but I can not imagine pipi all over the carpet!! but at night you need to take that bottle before sleep before taking off the diaper at night.

Answer 7

the first thing you should do is get rid of the bottle, if your child drinks at night , they will not be able to stay dry at night. After the bottle dilemma is out of the way than start potty training. Let your child be your guide, they will know when they are ready.

Answer 8

easiest way to potty train is when they are ready! Don't force your child to train, it will only take longer!
As for the bottle, That will be a little more difficult!
Good Luck!

Answer 9

If there is a male figure in his life, let him take him to the bathroom with him so he can see how it's done. If not, I've heard you can put cheerios in the toilet and tell him to aim for them. I guess it makes it fun and they want to learn faster. The bottle thing, you'll just have to train yourself to let him cry until he falls asleep. Try it for 2 or 3 days in a row to wheen him, just keep it from him 20-30 min. and see if he sleeps w/o it, then give him the bottle, do it for longer the next night, etc...It all takes time though, so just remember to be patient, loving, and understanding during this time.

Answer 10

One challenge at time. Don't overwhelm him. Start on one thing and then when he has mastered that do the next task. Your setting him up for failure if you try taking his bottle and potty training.