... since he has been off the bottle at one year of age, we have given him the soft nipple spill proof sippy cup. Now we are moving to a "big boy" cup during the day but at night he stilllikes to have milk before he goes to sleep. Help, how do we get him off the sippy cup completely? Night time is the worst because I think he sees it as his comfort. He loves his cup full of milk before he goes to sleep. I hope this makes sense. please help.
2007-08-07 07:26:19 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Is he only having a drink BEFORE he sleeps, or does he wake thirsty in the night? I only ask as my almost 4yr old has always had water to drink if he wakes up thirsty (and he drinks a lot), I would never say he can't have a drink if he needs it.
If he is contantly sucking from a sippy cup, it can be damaging on thedevelopment of their teeth (same as thumbs and dummies - pacifiers)
If it is a comfort thing, maybe try something like this: Tell him about a week or 10 days ahead that the "sippy cup fairy" is coming to take away the sippy cup, because at his age boys are big boys and move to big-boy-cups. Mark it on a calendar and let him help you cross off each day and count down when she will come. Explain that she does not just take away his sippy cup, but she replaces it with a very special gift! Go and buy something else that he will like to go to bed with (a nice, soft teddy of sorts that maybe he can snuggle easily into).
Make it sound so exciting and special. THEN when you do this you need to stand your ground if he cries for the sippy cup!! Within a few days he will forget about the sippy cup. Just give him his bedtime milk in a regular cup at a regular time before he brushes his teeth.
Good luck!
2007-08-07 12:25:09 · answer #1 · answered by Mel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son is 18 months and he sort of weaned himself off the night-time cup of milk. He just didn't want it anymore. But if your son still likes a cup of milk before bed, I don't think it's a problem.
I guess if he has gotten good enough at drinking from the regular cup, you could offer it to him at night. I'm not sure if you were giving it to him in bed, but try to avoid that....maybe sit in a chair with him and read him a bedtime story while he drinks his milk out of a regular cup. You could try the new routine for a week with the sippy cup then move to the regular cup.
Don't fight with him too much on it. If he's resistant, try again in a few weeks.
I'm just guessing....I have no real experience with this particular issue.
2007-08-07 07:34:33 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We had the same problem when my son was 2. We finally had to make a nighttime ritual of the whole family sitting down at the table and having our bedtime snack of cookies (sugar free oatmeal) and having a glass of milk before we all brushed our teeth together and put him to bed. When he asked for his cup in bed we just firmly told him no, that big boys did not go to bed with sippy cups, but rather had milk and cookie at the table before bed. He's 12 now, and still won't go to sleep without his milk and cookies at bedtime.
2007-08-07 07:37:25 · answer #3 · answered by tushanna_m 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whoa girl, 3 years old with a sippy at night? Wow! OK, well this is what we did.
My brother came over for the weekend just after my son turned two. He was having that midnight bottle feed, but was using sippy cups and regular cups all day and didn't go to sleep with a beverage. OK, so my brother slept in the guest bed beside my son's toddler bed and when the little one woke up, he patted his back until he went to sleep. When I would do this, my son would just scream. It took two nights and no night time anything was complete.
For little fellow #2, we just pulled the bedroom door. It took about a week, but it did work. Sometimes, you just have to dig your heels in and win.
2007-08-07 07:33:45 · answer #4 · answered by bells2599 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My daughter was off the bottle at one. Off sippy cup at 2 1/2. The only thing I did, was didn't allow her to have it. She would ask for it and I would give her a regular cup of whatever she wanted. They are going to make messes at first. As they aren't adjusted to the regular cups. Just take it away from him. He will get over them fast.
Good Luck
2007-08-07 12:46:57 · answer #5 · answered by Jennifer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By being consistant and making a time limit before bed for drinks. You are getting to the age where you are concerned about his teeth and about bed wetting because of the drinks at bedtime. It is smart to slow his liquid intake before you start potty training at night. Less accidents that way. So... Set up a time like a half an hour before bed and stop letting him drink a full drink. Let him have a cup in the bathroom and let him have a few sips before, or as, he goes to bed. Be consistant. He isn't going to die of thirst.
2007-08-07 07:39:37 · answer #6 · answered by puzzleraspie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We transitioned our son the same way we did with the bottle... water only.
He's 2 1/2 and if someone were to offer him a drink of anything but water at bedtime, he would tell them, "I've already brushed my teeth". We also have a bedtime ritual that we follow: snack, bath, brush teeth, story, bedtime
He, sometimes, still likes to take his cup to bed with him at night, even if there's no water in it at all (empty). Like you said, it's a comfort thing.
Whatever you do, be consistent & firm and it will work.
2007-08-07 07:40:26 · answer #7 · answered by Nina Lee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most kids go through certain stages of separation reactions. Two to three year olds tend to have a period of Independence, then go back to the clingy thing. Enjoy this time, and give him chances to enjoy himself away from you. It sure beats a kid who screams and clutches whenever you try to leave them. Even clingy kids will normally have fun for a while after the trauma of separation fades away at this age, as long as there is fun to be had, although they don't always react to talking about mommy and daddy well. The kids that do not adjust so well to the being left are babes up to about 2.
2016-05-21 00:03:53 · answer #8 · answered by joleen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is ok to have his comfort cup before he goes to bed. That is the least of your worries right now. Just keep encouraging the big boy cup and letting him know you are proud of him for doing so. Little by little he will give it up, but dont rush him, he will come around!
2007-08-07 07:31:21 · answer #9 · answered by vixxen 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Try cutting a hole in the soft part and tell him it is broken. That is how we got our niece off of sippy cups. We also told her that she was being a big girl and drinking out of a big girl cup.
The nighttime thing is just like taking a bottle. He will be upset for a few days, but it is like anything else......habit.
Good Luck!
2007-08-07 07:30:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋