How to stop bottle feeding in toddlers?

My daughter turned three on 3rd of October.  It was a busy fun-filled foody week. A friend with his family was visiting us. Their one-and-a-half-year-old son reminded me of my daughter at that age.  He was full of energy, dancing and jumping around. But when it comes to food, he just shut his mouth off. Playing some video can distract him for some time when his mom pushes a few spoons of food into his mouth.  But, after some time, he is hungry and cries for his bottle and milk. Even, at night, he wakes up multiple times for milk.

Watching them, I was wondering how the story repeats at every house! My daughter was really addicted to milk in her bottle. She used to wake up at night every two-three hours and I always questioned when I would get my sleep back. She needed her bottle to get back to sleep. 

When she turned one, her doctor suggested to stop using a bottle. It was tough! She didn't eat much and whenever she was hungry she used to ask for milk. I tried a straw cup. But she didn't like it. She cried her heart out every time. I complied after some time, thinking that she might be really hungry and would give it a try the next time! Well, you know, the next time didn't arrive for another 6 months.  

Then, one fine morning, I woke up determined and took all her bottles and put those in the trash. That’s It! It was that easy!
The next course of events was as expected. She didn't eat much. She asked for milk. The milk arrived in a straw cup. She asked for her bottle. I told her that I was not able to find any of her bottles. She searched. She cried. She didn't drink her milk. She got hungry. She ate some food instead. 

That night was difficult. She cried for milk. I and my husband took turns to soothe her. She was not able to get back to sleep and was irritated. She screamed, She yelled and at one point, I questioned my judgment. I thought I should not have thrown her bottles away. After crying for a few hours(That's right!), she got tired and she slept. We were terrified for the next night. 

Next night, she wept for some time and then she slept and it was not that bad. Well, it took her 3-4 days to realize that she won't get her bottle how much she cries. After, a few nights, she started sleeping 5-6 hours at a stretch. In the middle, if she woke up and cried for milk, I had just given her some water in her straw cup.

For a kid, it is easy and convenient to drink some milk and stay full. They tend to avoid eating and chewing because, you know, it's a lot of work! Moreover, they know if they cry for some time they can get their way out! They are pretty smart! Kids, like us, have a sleep-wake cycle at night.  For adults, we can get back to sleep without any aid. But, for kids, they need to learn that skill. Usually, they rely on feeding or sucking to get back to sleep. That's why they cry for a bottle. We sometimes have mistaken it for hunger. Believe me, they are not crying for milk because they are hungry.Even, milk at night can cause tooth decay.  And more milk they drink, less food they will eat. 

So, how to get your toddler give up a bottle? It's simple! Give up your weakness. Throw away all the bottles, so that you won't give up when you kid screams for his/her bottle. Well, that is my reality. It took us a few nights to get rid of bottles. But, it worked like a magic! Now, my daughter drinks her milk in a normal open cup with a straw; And on some days, she holds a cup in her tiny hands and drinks right away.

Posted in: MyBabyIdeas