i'm having a hard time trying to get my 1year old weaned from her bottle;?

Question

what can i do to make it go easier for both of us. She is very cranky all day without one.

i am using a sippy cup in the midmorning and afternoon but i give her a bottle before bed. And when is a good age to take the bottle away

Answer 1

Make sure she is still getting enough liquid that she got from the bottle. She may be cranky for a few days, but it will get better, you just have to have patience and remember it is the best thing for her, especially her teeth.

Answer 2

There is nothing magic about the number one! She may still need to for awhile. You can try cups with bottle nipples, and bottles with cup tops. What is it that she really wants, though. Does she carry the bottle around the house, or do you still hold her while she has it? If you do, she might just want the snuggling. It's hard to say without lots of details, but usually kids will let you know when they are ready for big changes, so try to see what is setting her off, when, and what helps other than the bottle.

Answer 3

My son wasn't ready to give up the bedtime bottle until he was 2 1/2. I was getting so tired of washing bottles that I made up a story...(Note: this story only works if you have a close friend or family member who is expecting or who just had a baby).
"See, there's this creature called the Bottle Fairy, and she is so sweet and wonderful that she delivers bottles to all the new babies who need them. Only problem is, she can only get bottles from BIG kids who don't need them anymore, and give them to the LITTLE kids who need them (don't use the word "babies"...you don't want your toddler thinking that you're calling her a baby for using the bottle). She can't go to the store to get bottles because, well, she's a fairy and fairies don't shop at stores. So, you see, Jane's mom (or whoever is having the baby soon) is having a baby soon, and the baby is going to need bottles, so I think it would be really nice if we left a note for the bottle fairy and let her take the bottles to Jane's house for her new baby sister. Also, I've heard that the bottle fairy will bring you a BIG KID GIFT in exchange for the bottles!"
So, that's the story...I don't think a child under the age of 2 1/2 or so would be able to understand it, but my son said "I'll have to think about it" and then a week later announced that he thought we should write a note for the fairy. We did, and we left the bottles out on the table that night with the note, and in the morning they were GONE (WOW! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!?) and a new Leap Pad was there instead (because, you know, Leap Pads are only for BIG KIDS). The clincher was that we got Jane's mom in on the story so the next day at preschool she made a big deal with my son about how the bottle fairy had come to their house and left bottles for the baby saying they were from my son (actually, they all got taken to the thrift store). My son asked for his bottle the next night but I reminded him that the bottle fairy had taken all his bottles and apologized. He never asked for a bottle again.
Sorry this is so long! I hope it helps! Don't rush taking away the bottle...there's nothing wrong w/ it as long as she isn't falling asleep with it in her mouth.

Answer 4

I can only tell you what worked for me. I went very slowly, starting at around 15 months. First I introduced the cup at meals and gave her a bottle between meals. Once she was comfortable with the cup I started dropping bottle feedings and offering only the cup. I dropped one feeding at a time. Finally, after a few weeks she was taking only one bottle before bed. For that bottle, I started watering down the milk. Eventually I substituted water for the milk. If she wanted the bottle, I only gave it too her with water in it. I offered the cup with milk in it or the bottle with water in it. Eventually she lost interest in the bottle. I had her off the thing well before she turned 2 with minimal fuss.

I don't think my daughter was ready to give the bottle up at 1. If you wait a few months and try again it is not a big deal.

Answer 5

I had the same problem and I found out that if you switch to a sippy cuup with a soft straw( no leak too) and go to that for about 2-3 weeks, then go to a regular sippy cup. The soft straws are sold in wal mart target, toys r us

Answer 6

You need to find a sippy-cup to take its place. I didn't wean from the bottle until my kiddo was 2.

Answer 7

Have you tried a training cup? Or a Sipping cup for toddlers maybe that will help. I'm only 13 but i have been a mother to my 2 brothers and 1 sister since they could walk. That's what i did for them.