Two year old still on a bottle......

Jody - posted on 01/19/2010

I am glad that my daughter was off a bottle before the age of 1, and now my son is 7 months and drinks out of her sippy cup!! I will still have him on the bottle for a while though!!

Karlina - posted on 01/16/2010

I think you know what you want to do, if you aren't ready to change from the bottle then don't do it until you are. You are the one who will be gently guiding your daughter to use a cup, and need to stick to it once you have made the decision.

I can't really comment more than that, both of my breastfed kids never had a bottle past 4 months (they refused it), going straight to cups when I went back to work at 6mths/9mths. We still give my 5yo and 2.5yo a cup of milk at night with a cuddle and a book as part of the routine, so maybe start a new routine to change over from the bottle.

Goodluck!

Catherine - posted on 01/16/2010

my 2 year old, came oof the bottle when she started throwing it on the floor. try rewarding her with a little something when she uses the big girl cup.

Shelly - posted on 01/14/2010

So, I am wondering two things: 1. What do you want to do? And 2. Why do you need to give her formula? Most kids, by 2 don't need formula. They eat. As long as your kid is eating well, I don't see a reason for formula and that crap is expensive. We switched our daughter to milk at around 1. She was eating fine. What you want to do is the bigger issue. She probably should move away from constant bottles to milk in cups for most of the time, but if you still like giving her a bottle sometimes, why not? They don't recommend putting her to bed with a bottle, though. My cousin disregarded this advice and his poor baby had to have serious dental work.

Bonnie - posted on 01/13/2010

umm first of all you mums that are saying y is she still on a bottle thats a bit harsh, my daughter turned 2 in august and she still has a bottle during the day, she is a very smart girl but it conforts her, y do u need to get rid of it??? seriously! alyssa (daugher) does have whole milk in her bottle tho not formula

Sabina - posted on 01/11/2010

Ok to get your 2 year old off a bottle you should take them to the store and let him pick out a sippy cup, also when at the store tell them its there new bottle and that the other one is going in the trash worked for my first girl and she is now 29months and now drinks out of a cup no more bottles for her and my second one I just switched and she loves the new bottle(sippy cup).

RuthAnn - posted on 01/09/2010

Wow for 1 your 2 yrs old should have been off the formula @ age 1 and on whole milk. Same thing goes for the bottle, it should have been gone @ age 1 as well.

Amanda - posted on 01/09/2010

I know where all these mommies are comming from, Im a single mom. So the one trick I have learnt is to let the child feel like they are special. I took my eldest to the shop. I let him choose his own sippy cup. Now we don't have bottle till bed time. He has now moved on to (his own choice) a glass and he is going to be 3 in August. If you want to wean your child let them do it in their own time!

Dallas - posted on 01/09/2010

formula has way too many calories for a 2 year old. at least give him milk in a bottle, but i would wean him off the bottle it's not good for his teeth as well as oral development.

Katherine - posted on 01/06/2010

if the child is on soy then they should still be consuming formula at 2 years old.I'm having a tough time getting my own dd off the bottle- tried 8 types of sippy cups and no luck still. How's your child with a straw? Supposily, they may take to a straw better...my dd sometimes will take a straw with thicker fluids in a regular cup. Frankily, IMO the sippy cups are a gimmick to take money out of our pockets. Give a an empty cup to play with and see what they doo, when they are really the bottle will be left . I'm seeing my dd doing it now.
You've got to pick your battles and the bottle isn't one that I'm willing to battle.

Gidget - posted on 01/05/2010

why is your 2 yr old still on the bottle anyways.. all 3 of my kids was off the bottle right after they turned 1... why is she still on formula?

Lauren - posted on 01/01/2010

hi there....my son is 2 years and 4 months and is also still on the bottle and insists on having a dummy although he says dummies are for babies but wants it when he sleeps or is tired. Clinic sister says not to force the issue but to try encourage drinking from a glass and when they decide the time is right then take them off bottle....

Ali - posted on 12/17/2009

My daughter is 2, she was off the bottle by 13 months. Once she was okayed to start drinking regular milk instead of formula she has been using a sippy cup. We also have spill-proof cups with straws and we also let her have a little glass of water in a regular cup so that as she grows she will make the transitions quite easily.

Kimberly - posted on 12/16/2009

my son is 2 and is still on the bottle..all of my boys were on the bottle until 3

Christine - posted on 12/16/2009

All 3 of my kids started using a sippy at 6mths and at a year I took their bottles away for good and they started on whole milk. Stopping a bottle is a transition for both of you, it means your baby is growing up and you might want the baby a little longer. But by 2, she is a little person on the go and now needs to take the next step to the 'big girl' cup. My son is 28 mths. and drinks from an un-lided cup at dinner and lunch with a sippy option when he is up and about. I love not having to wash all the bottles and drag a bunch of stuff with me when I'm out.
As for 'self weaning' um, how does that work, do the kids start pouring their own drinks into cups of choice? Make today the day, give her a sippy or straw cup with something you know she likes. Move all the bottles so she doesn't think they are still an option. She will do great.

JL - posted on 12/14/2009

Both of my kids were weaned off the bottle when they turned one. After a year they were using sippy cups and by 18 months we weaned them off of needing drinks at night so we had them prepared for potty training. Sippy cups come in different stages so that your child can adjust to the difference in the shape and softeness of the spout. Kids adjust pretty well if you just let them. They will hold onto the bottle or a paci as long as possible if you do not help them wean off by introducing a stage one sippy cup. My kids were also at age one given whole milk. After age one yor child should be consuming cow's milk not formula. Formula has more sugars and whole milk has the fat content needed for active todders.

No offense intended and I hate coming off as judgemental however IMO by age 2 a child should be using a sippy cup and on cow's milk not on a bottle or drinking formula. My son who is 2 uses a cup with and without a straw and he drinks cow's milk, juice, and water. It is time to introduce a sippy cup and cows milk.

Switching to sippy cup and eleminating night drinking will also help when it comes to potty trainng.

Jessie - posted on 12/10/2009

I am just now trying to get my two year old off of his bottle at night. We are down to a sippy cup now. For example: If she is drinking 8 oz at night, the next night maybe try 7 or 7 1/2 and each night go down maybe a half oz or so. Then maybe try a little bit of water instead of the formula or milk. And then maybe to a sippy cup if she still wants something to drink at night. Good luck! Hope this helped.

Vanessa - posted on 12/09/2009

My son who is also just a little over 2 years old also uses a bottle still! Every child is different and my son has not used a pacifier since he was 4 months old. He does use sippy cups during the day but at night time he does have a bottle for bed other wise he is not going to bed. I also have a 10 month old son and i think that could be why it is harder for him to get off too cause he sees his brother with one. I am not in a hurry to get him off of it his teeth are perfect and he only uses it once a day so i dont see the harm. However if your son is over a year old he should not be getting formula maybe if you try something like juice or something in a cup he may like it and continue to use it. Either way good luck to you!

Elysse - posted on 12/09/2009

I breastfed for seven months and had my son off the bottle by his first birthday. I was told by my pediatrician to start him on a little bit of juice in a sippy cup when he was nine months old, so I just went with the three month milestones, you know...1st foods at three months, 2nd foods at six months, 3rd and solid foods at nine months (he had six teeth by then). When he was a year old, I weaned him down to one formula cup a day, but that ended very quickly because he preferred the regular milk.
If it was me, I'd eliminate all of the bottles, but the nighttime bottle for sure, because of the risk to the toddler's teeth, not to mention it's my opinion that if you're giving the bottle at bedtime, it's offering food as comfort, and your little girl hasn't learned to self-soothe properly. I don't think it's healthy, but to each her own-really, I'm not the type to judge.

Meghan - posted on 12/09/2009

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Bailey - posted on 12/04/2009

Well first of all yes she should definantly be on a sippy & drinking out of real cups & straws......Now secondly I must ask bc all parents are different but why is she still on formula as a toddler??? She should already be introduced to "Big Kid" foods & drinks.....such as regular milk but vitamin D & juices & stuff. As far as the "During the day...." She should not be on a bottle at all there are silicone top sippys so it should be a breeze at night I would do a sippy if necessary but truthfully bc potty training is in the midst me & my husband try our best to prevent any fluids after a certain time bc she's not to a point where she can control her bladder so since she's started using the potty its best she learns the lingo now but thats how we do things. As hard as it is theres a time when we have to step up & make things they way they are & the babies learn thats just how its gonna be so I do wish you the best of luck & be strong you'll feel soo much better & fulfilled later. Good Luck

Tina - posted on 12/03/2009

I had my boy of the bottle at 11 months old and off formula at 1 year. I just introduced the sippy cup at about 9 months. He started using it full time at 11 months. It was hard at first but got easier teh more he used it.

Kayla - posted on 12/03/2009

My opinion is ween her off the bottle it can really affect her teeth. I work at a daycare and have for 5 years now its really not that difficult just takes time and consistancy

Claire - posted on 12/03/2009

Hi Amber,

My boy is 28 months and still needs his bottle when he goes to bed and when he wakes up in the morning. I started weaning him when he was 1 1/2 on the cup but he still likes the comfort of the bottle once in a while. Every child goes at their own pace so don't worry about it. I also have switched him to 2% milk according to my doctor's recommendations and he seems to like it a lot.

Stacie - posted on 12/02/2009

My son weaned himself off breastfeeding and went straight to the straw sippy cups at 18 months old but he'd been doing it less and less for around 2 months before he completely stopped. Now I let him take a sippy cup of water to bed but that's it. They really do let you know but I'd try putting water in the bottle at night at least so they don't get bottle mouth. Good luck.

Natalia - posted on 12/02/2009

Our little girl still has a bottle at bed time but we've just weaned her off of formula so she now just has cows milk. She's a very girly girl and loves Barbie so we took her shopping and bought her a special Barbie drink bottle to drink from during the day when she was thirsty, strictly water as sucking on a bottle of juice all day is really bad for teeth. She adjusted really well.

Kelly - posted on 11/30/2009

no one can tell you what to do with your kid of course, but if your are ready to say good bye to that darn thing, just don't give them the choice. They will either get over it or not have anything to drink. It's harsh, but it's the only way that worked for my boy.

Tracy - posted on 11/26/2009

My son started biting and puting holes in the nipples, at 18 months. And my husband put his foot down and said that was it " No more Bottles!!" so he went on a Sipper Cup, several different brands and within 2 days he was over it. But it was rough at Bedtime. For A While. But Be Firm, and don't give in.

Maria - posted on 11/24/2009

Hi Amber ... It seems to me that many parents are overly-anxious to pass milestones, but I while I would recommend switching to sippy cups during the day (to get her used to them and ease her eventual transition to cups only), I don't think it's "harmful" to her overall development to still have a bottle once or twice a day. My son is 2 yrs. & 3 mo. and he still has a bottle of milk in the morning & evening, and during the day only sippy cups with diluted juice or water. And to help ward off tooth decay, we "brush" his teeth after his evening bottle. Soon I'll try taking away his evening bottle, and after that we'll tackle the mornings (which are gonna be the hardest for my little guy). Good luck to you on getting the process started, but don't let anyone make you feel like a bad mom!

Trina - posted on 11/20/2009

My son is 2yrs and 3mo now and has been off his bottle, formula,and his binky since he was about 13mo. We started to ween him off them because we didn't want him to grow older using them because the older they get the harder it is to get them off. I think its time to start vweening.

Amanda - posted on 11/16/2009

well as we all know every child is differant in many many ways! my child who is 2 is now off the bottle it was varry hard for her b/c she didnt have a pasifier at all but what i did was went to wal mart and they have this set with a bottle and three differant lids i started with the frirst one and moved up! it worked i was suprised... she does take her sippy cup to bed with her but she dont leave it in her mouth she takes a drink and put it down! the only problem with you child still drinking out of the bottle while they sleep is it could get what they call bottle mouth its where the milk sits in there mouth as they sleep and it rots their teeth, and they have to get these ugly caps on their teeth its horriable

Cathy - posted on 11/11/2009

Me, personally, I don't think a child should be on a bottle after 1 1/2, it is not good for their teeth. I broke my daughter at 14 mths (now 4) and my 2 1/2 broke herself at 10 mths. I thought it was going to be hard to break her at 14 mths but it wasn't at all. Just slowly wean them. Everyone has their own opinion. I just did alot of research on the internet and that is what helped me. Your children might also rely on the bottle to much to. Yes, they do have a way of doing things at their own time, but you should help wean them.

Cindy - posted on 11/11/2009

Children have a way of doing things in their own time.....as long as your childs teeth are not being affected and they eat regular meals its not a big deal no matter what anyone says. Dont worry. Try to limit to one or two a day....they will wean themselves soon enough. I have a 18 yr old and a 13 yr old so....

Kathryn - posted on 11/09/2009

most current pediatric and dental literature has attributed nursing caries (baby cavities) to "(1) bottlefeeding past 12 months of age, (2) nighttime bottle-feeding, and (3) parental overindulgence expressed as difficulty saying no to the child. A recent study found that bottlefeeding your child for too long may put your child at risk for iron deficiency and anemia. The researchers found that the longer the duration of bottlefeeding, the higher the prevalence of iron deficiency among all children.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0...

Melissa - posted on 11/09/2009

At 2 years old the child should be off the bottle. I have 4 kids and I started by switching to a sippy cup during the day. As soon as they are accostumed to a sippy cup, I exchanged it at night too.

Esther - posted on 11/08/2009

Hi

My boy is 2 and still loves his bottle to go to bed. He wont sleep without it We dont let him it during the day, he has a beaker or a normal cup. I see no harm in it.