How do I get my 2 1/2 year old off the bottle?

2 and half years old is a bit old to have a baby bottle. What me and my husband did was got a sippy cups with the silicon nipples that are soft like a baby bottle nipple and took a way our daughters baby bottles in the day time. Once she got use to it in the day we took the baby bottle away at night time. Of course she is much younger then your son. She still fussed a little about it at first she would ask for the baby bottle and say baba and finally gave up when we wouldn't give it to her. Now she is on to the next kind of sippy cups the hard nipples to drink out and she is trying to learn to drink out of straws.

It is up to the child, how Stubborn is he? If you think you can "break him" - don't give him the battle (it will just make things harder), if not, well it is a different story. My son is very stubborn, I know if I'll do it drastically he will just sit there till he will be dehydrated, so I did it gradually. I started talking to him about how his big cousins (he is my oldest) are only drinking from cups, I made sure he will see them drinking from cups with straw, i drip it into his brain for a while that big boys only drinks from cups. And then I bought a plastic cup with a straw & put it in an accessible place in the kitchen. I let him play with is a few days, and than offer him to drink from it as a game. The first few days he just spill it all around the house, it was hard, yet I was patient. Today he won't even look at a bottle, he thinks it is for little babies.

Some babies have a need to suck longer and more than others. He will eventually give up the bottle if he has good alternatives. When you get a drink of something, set up a little cup of milk for him. Set him at the table with you and drink your coffee or whatever, but don't pay any attention to his cup. Or let him see you enjoying a glass of water then offer him a sip. Babies like to imitate grown ups and he might like to do it that way. I wouldn't take the bottle away from him completely, but you might withhold it until bedtime. If he gets thirsty, he will drink from a sippy cup or a regular cup during the day at least. Don't worry about it too much.

Ahhh!! Don't you just love the little addictions our children have?? Well, I would suggest to make him feel "Proud" or a "Big Boy" for getting rid of the bottle. Tell him how big he will be for using a big boy cup. Try and make it a fun, exciting experience using a big boy cup. My oldest daughter loved loved loved her "papa" (pacifier) and I tried to just take it away and it broke her heart, and mommy and daddies also. So I looked online at different fun ideas and there were a ton of suggestions. We went to the store and let her pick out whatever stuffed animal she wanted and sewed the pacifier in the animal. That away "she always has her pacifier" We have to remember that the bottles and pacifiers are our children's security blankets. Taking it away from them is heart breaking. Allow them to feel comfortable about letting go.

As mothers and parents, it really breaks our hearts and drive us to insanity when our kids go on tantrums and cry for hours. But if we continue giving in to this, they would know they can easily manipulate us, and that only proves how smart they are. We should know when to be firm. At the age of two, kids should already be eating fruits, veggies, pork, bread.The formula at this stage had become a supplement, not the main source of nutrition. We can wean your kid from the bottle by slowly lessening his milk intake gradually. During breakfast and lunch let him eat regular meals. Avoid giving him the bottle before meal time or giving sweets or candies as these will make him loose his appetite. Refrain from giving carbonated softdrinks as well. You can let him use the bottle in the evenings. Never use the bottle as a reward for behaving well or to as a means to comfort him after. We are our kids' parents. The earlier they learn that there are some things they cannot always have, the better. Better have our eardrums get used with their wails than to further hear form them when they say, "What I want I get." Hope this helps. Good luck!

it's not about the bottle or the sipy cup at this stage. It's about you leading a transition and your child rebelling. You are way way smarter than your child (right now). There are lots of tips like dipping the nipple of the bottle iin pepper sauce to discourage the desire for the bottle - or giving them a bottle with a closed nipple (one in which the 'hole' hasn't been punctured through the rubber of the nipple) - Done consistently & with a thought to how & what motivates your child will get you through this little phase. Best wishes & blessings for your family.

I am planning to wean my son too from feeding bottles. Well, he just turn two last month so I am thinking to delay it a little bit. But for nights, we are gradually reducing his milk intake. So instead of 6-8 oz., we just give him 3 oz. of milk. Also, if he ask for milk, we offer him water first. There are times, he would take the water but there are also times he would insist milk. I am just thankful he don't throw tantrums that much. Based on my observation on him, he would get over bottles not too soon. Try to observe your son too, maybe he is not yet ready to get over his bottles. Some kids really insist what they want and the more you struggle with them the more they look at it as a battle so they would never give in. I know you can make it mommy, we can make it. Maybe we just need a little patience or we just stressing out our little sons thus, just prolonging the weaning.

What I feel this is good to start at the age of one year by giving them a small glass to begin with because they are not as reluctant at that age. Later they develop a liking for bottle or nipple and quit hard way. But you should keep on trying, he will come to terms sooner, cheers.