how do i teach my son to tip the bottle

Trina - posted on 04/22/2009

I agree with most of what has been said already - let him figure it out, he'll get it eventually, its just frustrating for both of you right now. Or switch to a straw.

As for holding his own bottle, same thing - let him figure it out. But I don't think that children who hold their own bottles are necessarily harder to break from them. My daughter was holding her own at 5 months and completely done with bottles at a year. But I never let her run around with it. If she wanted a bottle, she always had to be sitting or laying down, which is often the case if you're holding it for them. I think if you allow them to run all over the place with a bottle they become accustomed to having it which makes it harder to take away. Just my 2 cents on that one.

Beth - posted on 04/22/2009

I think your son has you figured out! My daughter can be the same way. I agree with the letting him figure it out and if he gets mad, let him. It took my daughter a few tries to get the sippy cup down, but she got it. Hang in there. It all gets better. My daughter is 16 months and I have a 15 yr old son!!

Heidi - posted on 04/22/2009

My DS (now 18mos) never held his own bottle and I liked it that way - he was never "addicted" to it, we just used it to feed him and that was it. When we tried to transition him to a sippy, he never understood the "tip it up" part, it just made him really frustrated. He kept trying to suck on it upright so we tried a straw and that was the ticket. Essentially, we skipped right over the sippy cup and went to straws or an open cup. Might want to give the straw a try!

Joy - posted on 04/22/2009

I think that no matter what kind of sippy you use, it just takes practice. When my son was around 6 months old I just started giving him the sippy with a few ounces of water in it and let him play with it. It took him awhile to get the hang of it. One day while he was in the high chair, I think around 9 or 10 months, he just tipped it back himself and never looked back. I think part of the reason it took him so long is because I never let him (nor did I try to teach him) hold his own bottle. By not letting him hold his bottle, he never really got attached to it and it made it easier to get him off it.

Laura - posted on 04/22/2009

My daughter didn't understand how to use the sippy until I bought her a different kind, Munchkin brand. Also the Nuby brand is similar. The whole top of the cup is the soft silicone stuff. With these, she would just chew on it, and stuff would come out, so after a couple weeks she would start using it as an actual cup! I did decide that these easily spill stuff out, so I introduced her to the gerber sip and smile cups. I had to take to spill proof spout out of it a couple times, but she picked up easily and is now a pro! as for the holding his own bottle. he'll do it when he is ready i guess. right at 7 months old, she just one day grabbed it right out of my hands...and would never let me hold it again!! :)

Heidi - posted on 04/22/2009

When my son was younger he learned how to hold his own bottle at 6 months old. I had bought him this wrap around thing that had handles on it like a sippy cup does. that worked for him. I bought it at Walmart, but that was almost 10 years ago and I have been using those ever since with children that I have in care.

Cathy - posted on 04/22/2009

This may sound harsh, but when he throws a fit - tip the sippy, put his hands to the cup and make sure he has a grip.

LET GO and walk away. If he cries, put the cup back, and walk away. If he cries again, LET HIM. He will have to learn to do it himself, because Mommy won't do it for him. I do not know your child, but he may just want Mommy to be with him, not that he cannot hold the cup.

Sara - posted on 04/22/2009

i don't know my first son was 5 months and bottle broke,,, he stil got formula just in a sippy,, and my 31/2 month old is starting to hold his bottle by himself,,, if you just really want him off the bottle try the sippy with straws they make really great non spill ones thatt don't have to be held upright,,, i just always made mine do it if they know how,,, thats just becausei know what they can do,,, if your son is able to do it laying down he probably can sitting up,,, its just easier to have someone do it for him,,, my oldest would try to do that,,, now if i knew he was sick or didn't feel good i would hold it, but he'd try to through a fit and not hold it himself, but id hold his hands on the bottle with mine and when he realized that if i was holding it he was gonna help he gave up and did it,,,