How do I get my 20 month old to drink milk from a cup?

Question

My 20 month old refused to drink milk from a cup. He drinks everything else from a cup but has to have his milk in a bottle. Does anyone have suggestions on how to make the change?

Answer 1

Weaning can be very hard for both you and your growing baby.Try placing water only or his least favorite beverage in the bottle.Get a "special" sippy cup that is milk only.Perhaps with a picture of his favorite cartoon character on it.Tell him this is his special milk cup.Good luck =)

Answer 2

Nuby has some sippy transitioning cups that are great. They are made from the soft silicone just like bottle nipples. My son got used to those and in a little over a weeks time, he was drinking completely from a regular sippy. Get them at Walmart for about $2 a piece. Good luck.

On the notes of people who think taking the bottle away from them until they are ready...how do you know if they are ready or not if they are not introduced to another option of nourishment? Yes the child will tell you when they are ready for the transition but give them the option first. They wont know of that option until they are shown first. We, as mothers, are their teachers, their inspiration, their guidance. My son feels more "grown up" and liking the fact that he is becoming a big boy. His next step is drinking out of a regular cup like his daddy. He loves the idea. All kids are different and will transtion in their own time yes, but let them decide for themselves.

Answer 3

I, personally, think SOME of the suggestions above are good and I think it is great you are trying to get rid of that bottle!

If I had to make a guess as to why he is doing it only with milk...it is probably a soothing/comfort thing and when combined with another soothing/comfort thing....well, who wouldn't blame him for wanting it?

You may have to just go cold turkey on him. Put the milk in a cup (a cup with favorite characters on them as someone said), and say "well, then I guess if you don't want this, then there is none".

When that child wants milk, he is going to take it realizing Mom is serious and not giving in.

My pediatrician always told me that a child is NOT going to starve himself/herself and will eat/drink when they are ready.

Answer 4

My daughter did the same thing. So I would offer milk in a cup first and if she refused I would give her a bottle with water only. It took three days of this and she was off the bottle.

Answer 5

try a cup with a straw and just keep offering. Sometimes it takes my daughter all day to drink one cup of milk. I think the amount they drink goes down drastically when they go away from the bottle until they get used to it.

Answer 6

Don't give him a bottle ever and until he learns that he gets no milk unless it is from a big boy cup then he will have to suffer for a little hile. Try buying the sippy cups that have a lid that looks and feels like a nipple I have those and my son likes them a lot better than the hard tops. You can get them at Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens.

Answer 7

Let the child grow out of the bottle and throw it across the room first.
Dont rush the childs age too quick---
If u want to make him drink out of a cup, get a training cup with a spout and add chocolate to make chocolate milk.
The main thing is to keep the childs teeth clean
Gum cleanser for babies is in the grocery stores.

Answer 8

Im going thought that right now so i put a lil hershey's syrup in the milk and he love his milk like that now he dont care if it is in a bottle or a cup.

Answer 9

You should try this approach..... take your son who is 20 months old and show him that there are other babies in the world that need bottles.... gather them up in a baggie and place them under a tree or something like that..... then the next day bring him back to the tree and he will recieve a special gift... nothing too expensive if you cant afford it... he needs to learn that hes too big for bottles.... and its better for him to learn it now then later when hes walking arouind at 4 with a bottle.... best of luck....

Answer 10

Wait hold up it is said that if you take a childs bottle before the child is ready to let go of the bottle you are are playing with fire. The child needs to build up mouth sensation in order to prepare him to speak If the bottle is taken away from the child the child will grow up having lack of trust and will bite his nails and when is a teen will bite on pencil erasers give him his bottle he is not ready to let go of it.