Advice on toddler going cold turkey!?

Question

My little boy is nearly 3 (32 months) and has always had milk in a bottle, even to this day he gets up during the night and can have as many as 3 bottles during the night also. I know this is no longer necessary and has been unecessary since probably about 6 months old and so in the last few weeks i have switched the milk to sugar free diluted juice. He objected at first but now drinks as much juice. He is fully toilet trained during the day and these numerous bottles he consumes are really impairing any chance of dry nights and sleeping through we've been hoping for. Tonight i am going cold turkey and removing the bottle completely as i've noticed his teeth are suffering from him having fluids at night and this is not at all good. Anyone have any advice as to what i should do/say in the middle of the night when he wakes for his much loved bottle?

Answer 1

I never had this problem with my girls but my boy (21months) still likes his bottle of milk to go to bed with and still gets up sometimes during the night which is when i give him juice also. I found that he was drinking all the juice whilst actually dozing so i got him a smaller bottle (one that only holds 5-6oz) and i give him that now. You could try water which will be better for his teeth or just try a smaller bottle. A quick trip to your health visitor or doctor wouldn't do any harm either to make sure that he isn't diabetic or something like that just in case he is drinking for a reason and not just comfort. (this is what my son does because he's never had a dummy)

Answer 2

Hi

You honestly need to reduce not stop cold turkey, he is following a routine he's had for 3 years, dont be so tough on the little guy!

Start by giving him juice drink just before bed, and when he wakes give him a little juice, maybe just put a few sips in his bottle and let him have that, if he wants more, just say "sorry its all gone, you drank it" leave him with the empty bottle to suck if needed, then settle him back down and say goodnight, repete when necessary through the night, making sure for his first drink in the morning is a full bottle. Dont change the routine or give in and eventually reduce the amount in the bottle so all your giving him is an empty bottle in the end, soon he will stop waking.

When he's used to that part its time to get rid of the bottle, take him to mothercare or the same and let him choose a none spill training beaker, they do a brilliant one which comes in stages to teach them to drink from a normal cup, it has 3 different lids on. Tell him the new babies at the hospital need the bottle he has as he's a big boy and there just babies, I actually wrapped up the bottle and let my daughter post it in the post box (god knows what the postie thought when he found the odd package addressed to "the babies")! lol!

Your gonna have to be firm as he may ask for a bottle, and like my friends boy refuse to drink for a few hours too!

However he WONT stop drinking once he gets thirsty, stick with it and remember if you go back and give in your ruining all the hard work!

Answer 3

Do you think he's truly thirsty? if so, I'd have a doctor check him for type 1 diabetes, excessive thirst is one of the symptoms. If that's not the issue, I'd just show him the bottle nipples that you have... make sure you only have 1 or two. Then let him know that when those are gone, like from wear or age, that there will be no more. Then if he's thirsty, give him a small cup of water at night that he will have to sit up and drink before laying back down for sleep... my guess is that he will get tired of that pretty quickly and stop asking. I don't know that cold turkey is the best idea, but as long as you are not getting angry and yelling at him for being upset and crying, and you are giving him plenty of love and patience, then it won't be as bad. Good luck!

Answer 4

i would take his bottle away completely. By the age of 3 he doesn't need a bottle, especially not with juice as it rapidly decays the teeth. Give him a cup- with a lid if necessary filled with water if he is genuinely thirsty he will drink it.

When he wakes up for a drink do you go in to him and do you feed him. if so he is probably just waking up for extra attention from you. just leave the cup by the side of his bed and let him know it is there, you might get some tears but these will subside

good luck

Answer 5

surviving motherhood had an episode on 4 year olds still on bottles at night
its on the channel tlc
maybe there is a website that u can find that episode
i dont really rember too much of what they told the woman but they go the kids to stop drinking period at night and then they didnt need diapers either it was great
i dont know if u ever heard on the show but it basically peditrician and other moms get together and talk and help each other out with things like this
try going to tlc.com
or survingmotherhood.com
try finding a tape of that show it will definately help
best of luck

and dont listen to these people yelling at u
motherhood is hard and we do things and then as they get older dont know how to get it to stop they grow so fast lol

Answer 6

i would say the opposite to the others, go in and comfort him and explain he can't have his juice any more, be ready for a lot of crying...and for it to take a while, he has had this habit for as long as he knows so it will take time to break it but you can!
BUT really whether you get him through this by sitting with him whilst he cries about it OR leave him to cry it out, just be loving and firm and coinsistent, don't give in.
he shouldn't need to be having 3 drinks a night, it is just habit...

i think though that if he has a really big cry about it then he may well need a drink cos it is thirsty work ahving a big cry, offer him water from a cup and nothing else, if he really is thirsty he will drink it!

well done for addressing this and i wish you luck! X

Answer 7

I'd say to him he can have a drink (try tippy cup or normal cup) of milk, before he gets ready for bed, then tries for hte toilet. Explain to him what you've told us-he's a big boy and needs to be able to be dry at night. Its not nice for mummy/daddy to not get sleep! Telling him the truth in a way he can understand is better than making up a story which could confuse him!

Routine is essential, whatever u decide to do stick to it! :) Good luck!

Answer 8

Instead of going cold turkey why not cut down? My baby woke 3 times a night for bottles & my health visitor suggested dropping an ounce every night, she usually drinks 4 ounces, one night we gave her just 3 ounces for a couple of nights, the next night 2 ounce for another couple then down to one ounce. When you decide to stop completly & your child wakes for a drink go in & sooth him, then if he continues crying wait 10 mins, then 15 mins, then 20 basically leave it 5 minutes longer, it may take an hour for him to go asleep but keep at it & soon he'll be sleeping through. I did this successfully with my daughter & she was sleeping 14 hours a night at 6 months.
Goodluck

Answer 9

oh you poor thing. everyone is so opinionated onwhat is right and wrong .going cold turkey can work but you know how stressful and upsetting it can be to hear him crying. mine are breastfed and everyone tells me to just let them go without but i with alot of trial and error i found my own way. things will sort themseles out eventually but maybe try water for now. you don't have to worry he isn't getting enough fluid and then he may go off it himself as will not be so appetising. good luck xxxkelly ps cuddles are always good. also i heard a tale of someone who replaced a childs much loved dummy by letting the child place it under the pillow and having it replaced by a toy by the fairy meybe you could try something similar.

Answer 10

if i was u i would give a drink a hour or two before he goes to bed ,tell him thats it till morning so be agood boy .if he does nt wake up in theenight reward him with something he likes such as a toy do it for a week then two weeks build it up every week then if goes a month with out waking up ay night give a big reward ,if he does it for a month you know he does nt need adrink during the night good look