Need ideas on how to wean 22 month old twins off of their night time bottles?

Question

We have tried many things already...sippy cups with milk before laying down, going to bed with a toy or blanket, mixing water with the milk, etc. Please help us. They haven't used pacifiers since they were 10 months old, but we can't break the "bottle habit" at bedtime and naptime.

Answer 1

We recently went through a spell with my 22mth old daughter where she was waking in the middle of the night asking for chocolate milk... and getting it from her daddy. When this was just once a night, it was sorta acceptable, but it soon became two or even three times a night which was far from Ok. I eventually convinced my husband that we would have to stop, as she didnt need it (although she really WANTED it) and it was causing all of us to miss out on our precious sleep. So we went cold turkey on her, and the first few nights were very difficult. We could just tell her no, she would get breakfast in the morning, and she would have to wait. She cried for probably half an hour the first night, then 10min the second, less than 5 the third, and for the past few weeks she either has slept through or has come in to see us in our room pretty quietly and goes back to her own bed and to sleep without any problems at all. I think she just wants to reassure herself that we are in fact still there in the room next to her! I dont know if this would work, it sounds like you've tried the gradual approaches and they havent worked. Can you stand to let them cry for a little while? I really hate to hear my daughter cry but I realise at this age there are some things she shouldnt get no matter how much she begs for it.

My daughter does have a favorite stuffed animal that she sleeps with, which really helps her to soothe herself. I would probably keep trying to get your twins to get attached to something besides a bottle, like a stuffed animal, so they can cuddle with it while they drift off.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Sorry I must agree, but NO 22 month old needs a bottle. Rather than throwing them away, why don't you tell them that they can help you pack up all the bottles to give to new babies who need them- that's what I did with my 1st daughter when I was expecting her little sister. She was about 15 months old. Later, throw them in the trash!!! Yep, i my be a tough couple of days at bedtime, but they'll get over it and in a week they won't even remember it. Have fun!

Answer 3

At that age, they don't need a bottle.

Make a big ceremony of it and throw them in the trash. (It's best if you can get the kid to do it) Maybe you can start calling the bottle yucky, and say how wonderful the sippy cup is.

Then start a better nigh time ritual.
Maybe they get to make their own special snack. you can put out a few crackers, pieces of cheese and tomatoes. Then brush their teeth.

Or let them listen to some quiet music as they go to sleep.

Answer 4

Don't throw the all out at once. Thats a comfort item and you'll just scare your child more. I took my son off the bottle at 14 months. I would give it too him but put less in it each day all the way to the point that there was nothing in it. But at the same time I would give him a cup of water to take to bed to, so he got use to having it. And once he got down to nothing in the bottle I took it away completely and told him big boys don't use bottles they used cups that only babies used bottles and that they were yucky. He would scream and cry for a little while. But don't give in. And my son would finally cry him self to sleep. Start a routine for bed and nap and stick to it and it helps a lot. But once the bottle had nothing in it I had my son help get read of them and told him we were sending them to little babies who needed them to eat. And since he was a big boy he had his cup and he was fine. Good luck

Answer 5

Whenever I transitioned my kids out of regular habits I just found a time that they were focused on something else and phased it out.

So it may be time to start a new bedtime routine and distract them from the bottles. You know your babies best and what would get them situated best.

Good luck

Answer 6

I say take it away. With my so we switched him to the sippy cup from bottle and gradually took that away. He was off the bottle by 19mos. Then my daughter I just took it away at 12mos. Both my kids actually did fine with it but my daughter did better because we didn't wait as long.

Answer 7

Quit giving them to them. Cold turkey. This is the same way to break them of a pacifier habit. It will be a difficult couple of days in your household but if you are consistent, it will be over within a week. Just don't give in or you will be back to square one.

Answer 8

Don't ya wish you would of taken it away earlier, I have no other comments!

Answer 9

take it away, and let them cry it out. it'll work, but you just have to deal with the crying.