Saturday, January 21, 2012

Weaning from the bottle - now?

Okay - kids are 18 months now and I'm ready to wean them from the bottle. Well, I'm not really ready, but they're starting a part-time daycare next week because I started a new job and my nanny can only work till 3 most days.... Anyway, the daycare doesn't allow bottles in the 18-month room. I think it's great, but that means my kids have to get weaned.

How to do it?

They take 4-5 bottles per day right now. I know it's a lot, but I don't know how to break it.

I've tried milk in sippy cups and that is rejected.

Here's their bottle schedule:

6am wake up bottle

7-7:30 breakfast (which my daughter refuses most times)

9:30 bottle before nap

snack at noon

lunch at 1:30-2'ish

3pm bottle

5pm dinner

6:30 bottle after bath

7:30/8pm bottle before bed

Please give me some advice? thanks

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Randomly found my way here so forgive the intrusion -- I've mostly moved my 1-y-o daughter over since she can't have bottles once she moves up to the 1-y-o room at daycare. The only thing I can suggest is to find a sippy cup that's most bottle-like -- a soft spout with handles. And then -- persist. Try putting only water in the bottles, only milk in the cups. Hold out as long as you can all day, and if you MUST give them milk in a bottle late in the afternoon, then do that. Eventually, they will forget and move on. Like everything they have to give up, it's hard!

Anonymous said...

Agree with previous poster. Milk in cup, water only in bottles. Should probably do the trick with a little persistance. Good luck and congrats on new job! :)

Laura said...

There's a bottle to sippy cup conversion package made by Nuby. It has a bottle nipple that is textured, then a soft pliable straw shaped top, then a sippy top. I got it at Walmart. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

I own a daycare and try to limit bottles too. You would be surprised how easily kids adapt to a different routine and set of rules at school. I would keep your schedule at home and just not send bottles to daycare. They will be okay, it will just be part of their transitioning into daycare. And yet, they still get their comfort and routine at home. You will prob have less issues AT HOME this way then a cold turkey stop. Either way they can't have them at daycare. Good luck!!

Once Upon A Time said...

Honestly, my two rejected sippies of milk at first as well. Drop a bottle at a time, offer milk in sippies at meals. I'd drop the 3 pm bottle first, then the bottle after bath. They might not drink much at first in the sippies, but they will adjust when they get thirsty. Drop the wake up bottle and bedtime bottle last.

Best When Used By said...

I hope this posts...I tried leaving a comment a few times without success (the site wouldn't recognize the proof word I typed).

Okay. Here goes.

I love the advice your other commenters left. In fact, Scout still takes a bottle at nap time and bed time. Yeah. And he's almost 2. Embarrassing. I might need to try some of the techniques they recommend because I'd really like a break from the bottles...at least for a while!

Good luck!

ines said...

hey Babette

I haven't been here online to read blogs in ages, nor have i posted.

Live goes on :-)

I tried sending you an email, but it came back, it's the old jm account, so maybe things have changed.

Just wanted to let you know, I'm thinking of you, the twins and Peter.

And Kara, mostly Kara.
Remembering your little girl on her Birthday.

xxoo