[bmd925]

I feel silly even asking this...My son will be 3 in July. He drinks milk from a cup during the day...but craves a bottle before he goes to bed. He will drink about 3 oz then he brushes his teeth before he goes to bed...but I am having a terrible time getting rid of the bottle completely...he just gets milk...no formula...anyone else have this probelm...or am I being a whimp...which I think is the case...any ideas would be helpful

[tinaedmond]

Our DD drank from a bottle at night and naptime until nearly three. It was a source of comfort for her, and I saw no reason to break her of it. And well, she didn't come home until she was 15 months old, so I think I had trouble getting rid of her bottle! I'd missed so much of her "baby days", I didn't want her to grow up! Getting rid of the bottle was a marked progression away from babyhood.

We were finally forced to get rid of the bottle when we enrolled her in day care, and found out our state won't allow bottles to children over 18 months. She fussed for a couple of days about not getting a bottle, but it was really much easier than I expected it to be.

Personally, if there is no reason for you to get rid of his bottle, go ahead and let him keep it. I would have let our DD keep hers if it wasn't for day care.

Tina

[Niclayson]

My 21 month old takes a bottle to bed with him. I only put 2-3 ozs of water in it so he won't get cavities. He won't take a pacifier. He also won't go to bed without it and after our attachment issues...this is NOT a battle I feel like fighting.

I wouldn't worry about it. You're brushing his teeth! He'll give it up when he's ready.

[Cherrytex]

I am not sure at what age your DS came home but ours was 2.5yrs when I started to foster him and it was his way of self-soothing as well as a way for us to bond. Once he came home at 3.5yrs I slowly changed his "pacha' to a kind of non-spill sippy cup which he gradually refused after changing it to water & thus intermittent usage.
As he was quite distressed coming home to us after many changes in foster care, I was happy to see him content & comforted so I didnt care he still used a bottle for a while.
The only thing I would say to you is, watch his front teeth(though they will fall out) because our sons were malformed with one rotten from going to sleep with his bottle in his mouth for the first 2.5 yrs of his life. There wasn't a lot we could do by the time he got home except wean him onto water before bed and get him to a dentist.
Good luck!

[DPline]

Don't feel silly! My daughter took a bottle of water to bed at nap time and at night until she was three.

We finally went cold turkey right before her third birthday because she was potty trained and would wake up at night because she had to go potty after all that water. Then she would need another bottle to get back to sleep. And then we would start the cycle all over! I honestly wouldn't have pushed the issue other than that!

She is not an easy going child, so I was positive it was going to be HORRIBLE that first night, and it really wasn't. I may just have been really lucky though.

Maybe try watering down the milk, until it is just water? Or try going cold turkey. It may not be as bad as you think.

Since you are brushing his teeth after the milk, I guess my personal feeling is don't sweat it, and let him give it up when he is ready.

Good luck!

[bmd925]

He came home on his 1st birthday...and has been with me for 21 months. He has been to the dentist...no tooth decay...thank goodness And no attachment issues...I'm a single Mom and he and I are great