How do I get my 21 month yr. old to go to sleep without milk?

Question

I have tried putting her to bed without milk and she just gets up and cries and screams. So I have to close the door and she just cries and bangs until I go in her room to calm her down and i try the same thing over and over and she does not give up but then I give up and she falls asleep fine with the milk. I need help quick!

Answer 1

Maybe she is hungry ?

Answer 2

This is really difficult to do. Personally I never used a bottle or pacifier, but I did have to take her off of the breast. The first 2 or 3 days were hell. Seriously. I would just lay her in her crib, read her 2 books, sing her a song or two, and say her prayers. Then I would go out. I just acted like I didn't have any boobs (in your case, milk). she cried and screamed for it for at least an hour a night for about 2 or 3 nights, but after that she just calmed down and went to bed on her own. It something that you've really just got to do, no matter how hard it is to here. You know your child is not starving or dying without her milk. You just let her cry it out - she will be fine, I promise. Your nerves might not be fine though. toddlers are good at throwing temper tantrums to get what they want, but just don't give in. The sooner you get her off of the milk, the easier it will be for all of you. I'm not sure if this helped you, because it looked like you've already tried this - but next time you do try to take the milk away - just don't give in and give it back. Try giving her milk before bed, and not while shes going to bed. This was a really good question and I hope you find an answer that works well for you. Have a great night!

Answer 3

feed her at dinner time...she's probably starving. You can't starve a child...DUH....she needs something to eat....Than giving her some milk probably calms her down. Its a security thing maybe. Try holding her after giving her a bottle or some milk in a cup. Just hold her and rock her, sing to her do something to soothe her. She might not be tired quite yet. She could be bored, plus kids like to push buttons on parents...go to www.americanbaby.com or www.babytalk.com or www.babytobe.com or even www.huggies.com those are some sites that can help with a lot of questions about things like this.

Answer 4

Gotta quit giving her the milk. It does damage to her teeth (even if they're not in yet.) Bottle rot. You'll have to have her teeth pulled and they won't grow back until she's about 9 or 10 years old. Try this: lay her down and leave the room. she'll cry. after a few minutes, go back and give her a hug and a kiss, then leave again. after a few more minutes, go back in, but this time don't touch, just say "g'nite, ___". If she's still crying, go back one more time, but don't touch her and don't say anything, just stand there for a minute. That should be the last time you have to go in. That's just 3 times in about 15 minutes, then the night should be yours.

Answer 5

Feed her dinner later. Or change her bedtime. have her eat dinner about two hours before she goes to bed and right before you lay her down take her to the kitchen and tell her that the milk doesn't go to bed with her that she has to drink it now. If she still wants something to drink later give her water. She will realize she isn't going to get her way if you stick to a routine and do it every time. It may take awhile and you will probably want to give up but don't it will be worth it.

Answer 6

Is she drinking at the table from a sippy cup? Encourage the sippy cup. At bedtime, just give her a few ounces of milk in the bottle , enough to make her fall asleep.

Answer 7

number one: why don't you want to give her milk to go to sleep with? what's so bad about it? adults use warm milk to help them get to sleep...if you're trying to potty train, well, i'd just have her drink the milk 1/2 hr before she goes to bed, have her pee and there you go...give her an empty bottle to hold on to...maybe it's the bottle she likes...some kids like blankets...who knows?

number two: if you really don't want her to have milk, you'd better stop giving in to her...i don't really see anything wrong with her drinking it before she goes to bed, BUT...she needs to know who's boss and if you give in b/c she's kicking and screaming, then she's gonna know she is...
sometimes you gotta just let them cry it out...don't go into the room, just leave her alone and she'll get the picture...it may take a few nights of agony on your end, and i know it's agony, but if you don't stop it now, it never will...

Answer 8

i a mother of 6 so please read
if it's in a bottle start takeing a pin poke a few hole in the bottle then keep giveing the same bottle keep pokeing a few more hole in it until the nipple of the bottle starts to fall a part do give her other bottle an no new nipple in bottle get ride of other bottle and tell her the bottle broken let her cry it out but it dose work plus milk rots teeth too

Answer 9

You have to stick with it. I know it is hard to hear her cry but she keeps doing the kicking and the screaming because you give in to her she has learned that already. If you do it now she will keep pushing you for the rest of her life to Get her own way.
GL and best wishes to you!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 10

She reminds me of my son my son is 28 months he can't sleep without his sippy cup he wakes up in the middle of the night saying mama i want my cup and if i don't give it to him he goes crazy. But I just put water in his cup. And after he is finish he says her mama I'm finish and he will go back to sleep. maybe shes still hungry

Answer 11

Why are you withholding milk? Let her have the milk if it helps her relax and fall asleep.