I have asked before but...Help! my 18.5 month old still depends on his bottle!?

Question

I have tried everything, cold turkey, throwing them away, Nuby tippy cups, and he will literally sit in the middle of the floor and scream I let this go on for an hour the other day, thinking he would give up. I gave him a Nuby with milk in it which is what he told me he wanted but he wanted it in a bottle and I put water in a bottle and gave him the option he threw both and layed in the floor and cried. What do I do! He threw one of his bottles out the car window and I told him it was gone and he flipped out?? Help this is my only child and I have no idea what to do, but he is way to old to be on the bottle.

Answer 1

You have to ride it out. Screaming and throwing a temper tantrum won't do any harm to a child (unless he's physically hurting himself).

The other day when you gave in after an hour, you set a precident and now he figures if he can scream for an hour you'll always give in. You have to walk away, let him sit and scream and you go on about your business as if he's not even there.

When he was screaming, what were you doing? Ignoring him is the best option. If he asks for something to drink, give him the cup and if he throws it, leave it. Don't try to calm him down, just stand firm and stand your ground.

Right now, you are setting the standard for everything for the rest of his childhood. He needs to know that he can't just scream until he gets his way.

It sounds cruel but he's not going to hurt himself (9 times out of 10, even when kids are banging their heads on the wall, it's more for effect and doesn't actually hurt them). Most likely, he'll scream and scream and scream and either realize you aren't going to give in or cry himself to sleep. Either way, he'll come to the realization that mom isn't going to fall for the screaming trick again and next time, he'll try something else (that's how they are).

Good luck.

Answer 2

I never had this problem with my kids because the day before their first birthday I threw them all out and the next day gave them sippys, but I have to say the passy was not as easy. You have let them scream until their heart is content. It is their way of arguing with you just without well thought out words. The best way is to throw them away and let him know that or... get him to help you gather them all up and tell him you are giving them to a friend that is having a baby or a baby in the neighborhood (someone he can relate to). Let him know that they don't have any and they need his. He will like the fact that he is helping someone and it will make him feel big and important. I would def try the nuby sippys at first or first year has take and toss ones, which are great for first timers(you don't have to work as hard to get the fluid out) which may be a problem for him. Think on his level, why does he not want the sippy, don't give in but take his feeling into consideration on this one. That bottle is VERY important to him right now. Talk to him, you might think he doesn't understand but he does. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out. One more thing, I would say the best word of advice I have is NEVER put the same drink in the bottle or sippy, leave the bottle for strictly formula or milk and put water and juice in the sippy, if you use different liquids he will be able to tell the difference and will like knowing what is going on. Dont put formula in a sippy and I never put milk in a bottle ALWAYS went in a sippy. That alone was the one thing that brought success to my battle.

Answer 3

I know that letting him scream for an hour may feel like torture and like an eternity too. Really though, an hour is nothing to a child. The only way to get him over this is to really take control. Throw all the bottles away, like in a dumpster. When he asks for one tell him that they are gone. Show him that they are not in the cupboards, in the diaper bags, in the car, or anywhere. Just shrug your shoulders and say that they are gone, don't tell him that you threw them out. He will throw a fit. It may last all day. Put in some ear plugs, clean the house while he screams. Leave sippy cups of juice within reach. If he really is hungry or thirsty he will eventually drink one, but don't try to make him. Anytime he asks for a bottle just shrug and say, "They are all gone, remember?"

I had no choice, I physically could no longer nurse my son (he was 10 months old). It was awful! He refused to take a bottle, eat solids, drink from a cup, ANYTHING! He basically went on a hunger strike for 1 1/2 days. But finally he was hungry enough that he let me pour formula down his throat. After that he took a bottle just fine.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Honestly at 1.5 years old, it's NOT really the end of the world if he's still using a bottle. If it doesn't effect his speech or teeth alignment, his pediatrician will probably tell you it's not harming him in any way so why go through all this stress and drama forcing this change right now?

I know as a new mommy you feel like you have to follow the "timetable" of what kids are "supposed" to do. However, you will find that kids eventually lose interest in these things on their own by the time they're around 2. The more he plays with other kids his age who do not have bottles, the less interested he will be in it but it takes time. You have to choose your battles with kids.

I would suggest teaching him that he only is offered a bottle at naptime and bedtime and don't let him walk around with it during the day. You may have to change the location of where you store them. Distract him by giving him new "big kid" activities like playdough, finger painting, go outside etc... when he starts to get upset scoop him up and go into another room. The more upset you get with him the more he will mirror your frusteration and scream louder and longer.

Don't worry, he will not be taking his bottle to 1st grade with him! He's only going to be this little for a short time. If the bottle is the one thing he needs to be comforted, I think you should just let him have it for now. Like I said taper down the number of times he gets one and restrict it only to bedtimes, in a few months he may not even want it anymore. :) Good luck!

Answer 5

ok, so what will happen if he cries for 2 or 3 hours? Why is letting him cry and throw his fit an issue? You say you have tried cold turkey, well, consistancy is the key. Kids cry because they do not get their way, that is the only way they know to show that they are angry. If it becomes too much, tell him he can throw his fit alone, pick him up and place him in bed, shut his door and go on about your day until he calms down. When he does, get him, hug and kiss him and get on with your day. Do not offer him a sippy cup at that point but have one out within his reach so he can get it when he is ready.

Answer 6

I have total empathy! I have been trying to wean my daughter and she doesn't want to.

It all depends on what exactly you want. Figure that out and then stick with it. Choose one method~be it throwing bottles away and letting your toddler choose some fun tippy cups and then just let him scream it out, maybe wean him off by only giving bottles at certain times of the day~upon rising, nap time and around bedtime and then offer a tippy cups the rest of the day. A friend of mine put a little bit of chocolate syrup in the milk to help entice her son to take the tippy cup (per her dr, but the only thing with that is the child may only want chocolate milk0. Do that for a week or two or when you feel he is being sucessful with the tippy cup and then take out morning bottle and then go for a week or two and then take away nap time bottle and so on. You could even try watering down milk/juice in the bottle and make it how you usually would in the tippy cup so the bottle isn't so pleasant anymore. If you choose to slowly take the bottle away make sure the bottle times a special bonding time with you. Like he can only drink his bottle while in mommy's lap. If he gets up give one warning and then dump the bottle out. If he is walking around he can only have a tippy cup. That way when the bottle is gone he will be used to have story snuggle time to look forward to vs a bottle.

Whatever method you choose stick with it. That is the mistake I made with weaning my 2nd child, I kept doing different things~using the timer, then only during certain times of day, took it away at nap time without warning, etc.... Her sister was so much easier! I think that caused more confusion. We are back at square one. I nurse when I get home from work, at nap time and bedtime. Write down your plan, post it on the fridge/cupboard stick with it and get others involved in helping to enforce the plan you have made and it will work. Just be consistant and keep your eye on the end of that tunnel! (I weaned one baby, I can wean another!lol)

Answer 7

Mom, You've got to suck it up. Let him scream, cry and throw a fit. Offer him what is acceptable, not a pacified either, that's got to go, something like a sippy cup etc., Hug him, love him and reassure him but be firm.
This may go on for two or three days at the longest. It will be the worst at nap time and bed time. But if you stick to it, by three days he will be off both the pacifier and the bottle!

Answer 8

mom...ya just have to put up with the tantrum for a few days - he will take the sippy cup when he is that thirsty and there really is nothing left...

obviously you didn't go totally cold turkey and throwing them away since you had a bottle to give him...so this time, really, throw throw them out.

don't teach him that if he screams long enough, he gets what he wants....you have to be stronger than he is...

Answer 9

This is what I did...I got my little girl to help me round up all the baby bottles in the house and she and I threw them all in the garbage and she watched me throw the bag away and saw the garbage men take them away..their was no more bottles in the house and she knew it...so that cured that..she was over it. shes a smart girl she used to walk right up to me and hand me a diaper and say change me...well if you are that smart I thought to meself you is gonna learn the toilet routine...turns out she was scared of being flushed down the toilet so I went and got a large ball and put that in the toilet and flushe it several times and convinced her she would not be flushed...and let me tell ya...shes a fast learner..

Answer 10

So he cried for one hour......big deal!!!! This is your problem! Have you ever seen Nanny 911? On that show they let the kids scream all night long if that's what it takes. Crying for his ba ba will not harm your child and once he realizes that you are not giving in IT WILL STOP!!!! I know it is difficult but you are teaching your little one that if he screams long enough---he will get what he wants and that is a dangerous thing! Stay strong and JUST DO IT.