A mom writes in looking for advice on how to get her 2-year-old off the bottle.
A Community Member asks:
“I have a two-year-old that refused to drink from a sippy cup!!! Every time I give it to him, he just chews on it and looks around for his bottle I need help I’m having a baby in less than six months and need to get him off the bottle ASAP!!!! Any advice!?!?“
Community Member Advice for the Mom Desperate to Get Her 2-Year-Old From a Bottle to a Sippy Cup
To see what advice the Mamas Uncut Facebook community has for this desperate Mom, read the comments of the post embedded below.
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Advice Summary
The community moms had some very good advice on how to transition a 2-year-old from a bottle to a sippy cup. You can read some of their responses below.
“Have you tried the sippy cups with the nipples and not the plastic lids? I had to use those for my son to wean him off his bottles. Let him use his bottles for a month but only at bedtime then transitioned from the nipples to the plastic lids and straws over time.“
“My daughter is one and doesn’t really like sippy cups either but she’ll drink from my cup or water bottle I just hold it for her and she uses a bottle when at dads for her milk. I still breastfeed her at night.”
“I know not the bottle but this is how I weaned my daughter and one of my sons from the breast,
Just get him to pick out a cool sippy cup a really special one that he chooses and start the conversation that when he’s a big brother he can use it, don’t let him have it with milk yet but put it somewhere he can see it and talk about it every day. Say when you’re a big boy you will use that cup and you won’t need bottles.
Just talk about it all the time, let him try drinking water out of it then in a week or 2 make all bottles disappear. (My breasts suddenly didn’t work lol) Throw them out and pretend to look for them together and say. Omg, you must be a big boy now cause all the bottles are gone. Give him his new cup with milk and make it a really big deal that he’s a big boy now.“
“My little man is 1yo now and been off the bottle or at least using more cups than bottles since he was about 10mths. The straw cups were a huge stepping stone (using those since he was 6mo). Then used the 360 cup cuz still requires to suck, but it’s cup-shaped. Now he uses just a regular Mickey Mouse sippy cup.
I’d say try the straw ones to start and keep the bottles out of your 2yo’s sight. I know it is hard and easier to give in, but it works both ways. He may not want to take from a cup it may be hard for him, but he will have no choice but to give in if he wants his milk. You got this mama. Stay persistent.”
“I don’t mean to be so harsh… BUT. Throw them out. All of them. Allow her to look in the cupboards, drawers, etc & show her that they’re gone! Try the 360 cups, or support him/her with a cup with no lid & maybe a straw? Try the metal ones if you’re concerned about the chewing.- If shes/he’s thirsty, he/she will drink out of what you give her. Good luck!“
Final Thoughts
Transitioning your baby from a bottle to a cup can be very challenging. Every child is different in terms of what will work for them, and the different ways mentioned are all very good ideas.
I have learned from experience that for a baby to learn to suck on a sippy cup can take some time. Starting as soon as possible is good. If you put something in the cup that they love to drink, this can help them get a little more excited to learn. Over the years they have come out with many different types of sippy bottle lids that can make the transition much easier.
Learning to suck from a cup can be difficult at first, but before you know it your 2-year-old will be drinking from a cup like a pro. Be consistent, and most of all, be patient. It will happen sooner than you think.
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