Breaking the bottle habit in a two and half year old milk addict

[Carrie (mumsnet)]

Has anyone had any success at persuading a two and half year old who loves their bottle to stop having one? My ds will be three in Aug and is addicted to his bottle(s) of milk. Have managed to stop him waking up at night (most of the time) but he certaily relies on it for comfort (and liquid) during the day. On a good day I can limit it but on a bad day (and there are many ) that's all he really wants and he obviously then has no appetite or interest in food.

Coincidentally this is the topic of the episode of the discovery TV show we're filming tomorrow and I feel a bit at a loss giving advice as I have the same problem at home - top parenting guru not!!

Anyway just wondered if anyone had any success stories. My ds (and the boy we're filming) are too young really for star charts and the like and will promise one thing and do the other regularly. Should I just wait till I can bribe or is there another way without causing world war three?

All thoughts gratefully received.

[coppertop]

Have you tried offering him milk from one of those sports bottles instead? It means that he is still drinking out of a bottle but breaks the teat habit. I've not tried this myself so have no idea if it will work!

[bettys]

I had a similar situation at the same age with my ds. I gradually watered the milk down so that it was filling him up less - it was the night-time bottle that worried me because of the effect of milk on the teeth. By the end he was just having plain water in his bottle at night. The daytime comfort bottles also got watered down until we went cold turkey. A teat split & we had a grand ceremony of throwing it away together.

[twiglett]

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[tigermoth]

sometimes you can break or lessen the habit when you go away on holiday. 'forget' to pack the bottle - if you're brave enough - and make your ds go cold turkey. Otherwise, use the new surroundings as an excuse to amend routines a little.

Personally, if this fails, I'd wait untill it tails off or your ds is willing and able to accept a bribe. My nearly 5 year old milk fanatic now eats well enough for me to feel ok about him having 3 or 4 cups of milk a day.

HTH

[bluestar]

My 3.4 yr old still has a bottle of milk at night. He has never had a dummy, has a comfort toy but will not get lose the bottle. He just will not drink milk from anything but a bottle (drinks everything else in a cup) and tbh I would rather he drank milk this way than not drink it at all. I'm sure that one day he will not want it anymore. Like his night-time nappy, we have just lost these due to him having cpox and finding a nappy too uncomfortable.

[suzywong]

Very interesting thread,

I can empathise with all of you as we have elements of all these behaviours and habits with DS1, they just don't want to let that bottle out of their little mitts do they?

Sorry I have no advice to add

[Tommy]

No advice but empathy!
DS1 will drink water out of a beaker with a lid but will only drink his milk (very often - he's an addict too!) out of his Advent bottle with spout. Most of the spouts are chewed to bits now and I keep throwing them away. We're down to about 2 now so, hopefully, when those go, he's going to have change his habits!

[Bugsy2]

My 4.5 yr old still has a bottle for comfort moments, it is the only way he will drink milk. Is it really such a bad thing, does it matter? Although not fat, my ds is a well built boy, so I have changed him from full fat to semi-skimmed.
I actually don't have a problem with it, I think it is good that he can gain comfort from such a simple thing. It can also be useful if he wakes up at some ghastly hour, like 5.30am to drop back off. He has milk in his bottle in the evening but doesn't have to have it to get to sleep.
Why is drinking from a bottle a problem rather than drinking from a beaker?
Sorry Carrie, that was not remotely helpful for your quandry!

[sleeplessmum2be]

bugsy have to kind of agree with you. My ds4.25 insists infatically on having his morning bottle he will go ballistic if i try to put it in anything but a clear advent bottle. I have tried magic cups even just the coloured ring of the magic cup and he will go crazy. He does however have the magic cup green teat things most of which i have also cut but he still wont give it up. We went on holiday and told him no bottle he did 10 days with milk and as soon as we were back he wanted to know that his bottle hadnt been thrown away. I've decide that when he's ready it will be ok and unless anyone can tell a reason that a morning milk bottle is gonna do him harm??????

[PasstheGin]

I was stressing about this when DS was 3 and had some great advice from my Mum who said simply: 'How many eighteen year olds have you seen drinking lager from a baby bottle? You have a glass of wine at the end of the day - he has a bottle'. If it makes them happy - and gives you a bit of peace- why fight it?

[katierocket]

agree with bugsy and passthegin, I don't think it's such a bad thing although I can see why you'd rather he didn't if it's affecting his appetite.
Could you introduce a one bottle at breakfast and one in evening type routine, I know he would kick off to begin with but I'm sure he'd get used to it.
can't wait to see the discovery stuff btw.

[cori]

My DS 2.3 is a milk/bottle addict as well. He only has two per day. I dont really have a problem with it either it makes him happy. My only worry is that when he eventually does give up the bottle , will he give up the milk as well.
I remember that i had a bottle until i was about 4- when the bottle eventually disapeared, i stopped drinking milk,( still dont)
When is going to br on TV? would like to see it.

[twiglett]

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[ghengis]

My 3.5 year does not want to drop her nighttime bottle either. She hasn't had a daytime bottle for ages (last time she was poorly) but enjoys her bottle before going to sleep.

I do worry a bit about it, if only because I can't see her being dry through the night until she gives it up! However, I am prepared to go with it for the moment.

She is a very strong willed girl and does things precisely when she wants to and not before. Can't think where she gets it from

[chloemummy]

Hi Carrie, cant really add anything only empathise. My dd is 3.8 months and has a nightime bottle.

[Kiearra710]

My daughter was the same way until she was about 1 1/2 or 2 years old and i started mixing the milk in her bottle with a little bit of water and then up to half milk and half water for a while. Then i started giving her a couple bottles of just water in between the 1/2 bottles and then working with that she eventually adapted to the water and is not so hung up on JUST milk. Now she even goes to bed with water (which is better for a child, because milk at night can cause bottle rot :(

[estya]

My DD (2.4) still gets lots of comfort from her bedtime bottle.
I think that, if left to completely self wean, they'd be likely still be breast feeding until about 3yo. So I don't think I should force her away from something that is a natural way of getting comfort at her age.