Tips for Mom and Dad - Time to get off the bottle!
There are many reasons mothers do not take away the bottle:
- The baby loves it so much.
- The family cannot stand the crying.
- It is easier to give the bottle than the cup.
- Mother does not want her baby to grow up.
- Someone makes mother feel bad about taking the bottle away.
But there are even better reasons why Mother SHOULD take the bottle away.
Staying on the bottle too long can:
- Rot a child’s teeth. This “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay” can hurt the adult teeth.
- Cause low iron levels in blood.
- Cut a child’s appetite for other foods.
- Cause the child to become overweight.
- Cause ear infections in the child.
If your child is over 1 year old and still on the bottle, here are some things you can do:
Get your child to give up the bottle
- Eliminate one bottle at a time.
- Put formula in a cup at meals.
- Always give water and juice in a cup.
- Always give whole milk in a cup.
- Put only water in the bottle.
Take the bottle away completely
- Get all the bottles out of sight. Put them where the child will not find them. (Some mothers might tell the child "the dog ate the bottle" or "the trash man took it.")
- Be ready for about three nights of crying. Each night there will be a little less. After one week, your child will be in a new routine.
- Start a new bedtime routine. Read a story. Give a cup of milk and a snack and then wipe or brush your child’s teeth. Make it a special, loving time because your child is going through a big change.
Helpful Hints
- Give your child lots of hugs, love and special attention.
- Tell your child often what a “big girl” or a “big boy” he or she is for drinking from a cup.
- Don’t back down. It will just be harder later on.
This page last updated on 3/06/08.