How Can I Get My 2-Year-Old Off the Bottle So It Doesn't Ruin His Teeth?

Motherhood
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QUESTION:

"I need some advice on how to get my 2-year-old off the bottle.

I’ve tried putting just water in it or completely throw away the bottles and maybe find him a favorite toy that he likes. I tried having him full before bedtime. Nothing works. His father doesn’t like the idea of quickly removing it due to his tantrums.

When I try to change something or anything for my kids, I am the most hated person on the planet. My son did very well yesterday night because he slept with a full stomach, but tonight just wasn’t cutting it, I guess.

I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, and I know I’m a bad parent; I know my kids hate me. But what can I do to help my son get off the bottle, so his teeth aren’t messed up? Thank you!"

RELATED QUESTION: I’ve Tried Everything, But I Can’t Get My 18-MO Baby Off the Bottle: What Should I Do?

TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):

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“Take him and let him pick out a sippy cup one that doesn’t spill when turned over; tell him that’s his new big boy cup.”

“My daughter just turned one, so no real-life advice from me yet (they make sippy cups with bottle nipple and sippy nipple attachments for easy transition) but I came here to say, even if you’re joking lightheartedly, YOU ARE NOT A BAD PARENT! And he does not hate you. You are the perfect mother/ father for YOUR baby. Good luck, I hear it doesn’t get any easier.”

“You are not a bad parent, 2-year-olds throw tantrums no matter what. We just went cold turkey, tantrums are to be expected but in my experience, after a couple of days they don’t even think about it anymore. Hang in there, momma.”

“You are not a bad parent and dad and you both need to get on board together and find a plan that works… sometimes taking the bottle away completely and letting them cry it out is the way to go. But it’s a job for two and both have to be onboard… let me tell you I have had to be the mean parent too many times and they get over it. Doesn’t make you bad.”

“You are not a bad parent and they do not hate you. That said you will just have to take it away and let him cry. Hubby will have to live with it or he can do the job of weaning him on his own.”

“Straw cup? Straws are fun! And if parents and older kids use straws it may be helpful too!”

“My 2-year-old was the same!! Always asking, not eating enough solid foods, and throwing tantrums. You just have to pick a day and decide you won’t give in! But stick to it, I gave in many times and gave her the bottle. But I stuck to it, she had many meltdowns, but she is happy and no longer on the bottle!! Good luck!”

“We started out giving my oldest a sippy with handles and a soft nipple, almost like a bottle but not quite. He picked that one up pretty fast but when it came time to upgrade to a sippy where he had to actually suck it out of it, he refused. So it took a little time, he kept losing his sippy so we finally said that was enough. We gave it to him and it took pretty much a whole day before he decided to give it a try. But that was all it took, just not giving him his other sippy, and boom he got it. Same thing with the now current upgrade we did recently to a cup.”

“During the day offer a sippy cup. If the bottle is used for bedtime decrease the amount of milk you put in it each night by an ounce. By the ending of a week or two, the bottle will be empty and you can say “all gone”. Then offer a sippy cup with water to go to bed with. I did this with all my kids, much less traumatic to them and you weren’t taking it cold turkey from them. This is something they have learned to have for two years so it should be weaned off, not just stopped (just my option).”

“Get rid of all the bottles and buy sippy cups. It won’t be easy. But it works. As long as the bottles are available to him and he knows they are he will not give in.”

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READ ALL ANSWERS BELOW:

13 Likes
2

Just have to let him cry it out. Took about a week for my daughter

3

My son who’s 30 now . we made him throw his bottle away and explained to him he wouldn’t get it back it worked for me hope this helps

1 Like
4

Have you tried a big boy bottle like fruit shoot bottles and put it next to his bed and explains when he needs a drink then to have one. Or to give them to santa(maybe too young atm) but thats always an idea xx

5

Take him and let him pick out a sippy cup one that doesn’t it spill when turned over tell him that’s his new big boy cup

7 Likes
6

Take it away and give them a supply cup. They will get over it. There is a supply cup i think its called nubby that has a rubber sipper sort of like a nipple

7

You are not a bad parent first of all. Second of all I would try letting him pick out a super cool big boy cup.

2 Likes
8

You are not a bad parent and they do not hate you. That said you will just have to take it away and let him cry. Hubby will have to live with it or he can do the job of weaning him on his own.

3 Likes
9

My 2 year old was the same!! Always asking, not eating enough soild foods and throwing tantrums. U just have to pick a day and decide you wont give in! But stick to it, i gave in many times and gave her the bottle.but i stuck to it, she had many meltdowns, but she is happy and no longer on the bottle!! Good luck

1 Like
10

Sippy cup only and stay strong momma he’ll be fine without a bottle

2 Likes
11

Daycare helped a lot because my daughter was drinking out of her cup. I threw it away when we had a three day weekend. We had one bad night and that was it.

12

My daughter just turned one, so no real life advice from me yet (they make sippy cups with bottle nipple and sippy nipple attachments for easy transition) but I came here to say, even if you’re joking lightheartedly, YOU ARE NOT A BAD PARENT! And he does not hate you. You are the perfect mother/ father for YOUR baby. Good luck, I hear it doesn’t get any easier.:baby::ribbon::heart:

4 Likes
13

Soft nippled sippy cup

14

Tell him the story about how the bottle Fairy comes around when he’s a big boy and Bottles taste so yucky to him and he takes it away and then he leaves a brand-new shiny bottle for him the next day… so then soak the bottle in vinegar so the nipples taste gross so then he knows that the little fairy is coming that night

15

Let him take a soft top sippy cup to bed.

16

You are not a bad parent! Take the bottle away without him seeing and only offer sippy cups. My daughter resisted it until I put chocolate milk in. She hasn’t looked back since. Good luck!

17

I have had good luck with soft spout sippys… Munchkin brand and Nuk brand.

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18

Keep putting less and less in the bottle at night. And if your out past his bedtime and he’s asleep do t make one unless he asks and even then only do 1 ounce. Within not even a month he won’t want it

19

Thankfully my son was 18 months old he threw his bottle away when I suggested it and started using sippycups at night now at 20 months he doesn’t go to sleep with that either. Sometimes with somethings just gotta wait for them to be ready in their own time.

20

Ugh. This is the worst. My first would not get off the bottle and the second would not let got of her pacifier. You are not a bad mom and they don’t hate you. It’s hard. Try a sippy cup. Tell them it’s just for big kids. Good luck momma

21

Mine would throw tantrums to the point of making himself vomit. I had to just take them a way and deal with the tantrums. He stopped after a couple weeks and helping me clean up his vomit…

22

Avent bottles make a sippy top you can put on, so it’s a regular bottle with a soft top sippy with only one small hole for a beginner. Makes the transition easier.

23

Just take it from him and give him a cup… Thats it. It will be hard for a few days, but he will be ok

24

Put nasty vinegar water in the bottle, tip from my daughters doctor, it wont hurt him but he won’t like the flavor. Or deal with the tantrums, they don’t last long, if he wakes up thirsty give him a small glass of water don’t offer the bottle. Let him know he is a big boy and big boys don’t use bottles.

25

I cold turkey tossed all our bottles on my daughters second birthday. Both my kids get to take sippy cups with water to bed though.

26

I was going to ask this same question, so know that you are not alone. My two year old is the sweetest little girl and incredibly smart, but it is just her comfort. She also sleeps with her baby and Elmo blanket every night. We are trying to transition into a sippy cup for bed that she picked herself, but she uses regular cups during the day. I did not have this issue with my other kids! Good luck to you, too!!

27

I took mine off the bottle at 9 months.
The best transition cup is the Munchink 360
Your kid will cry for a couple of days but after the 3rd day he will be just fine.
Your husband needs to get on board with you.
Your kids will take advantage of the situation if they see that you guys have contradictory opinions on them.
Your kids don’t hate you, they probably think you are against them and their dad.
At 2 years your kid can’t not be in bottle still.
Be strong and have a serious conversation with your partner.

1 Like
28

First off, please be kinder on yourself. You’re not a bad parent. I know it’s hard to listen to that advice, we all think we suck at some point or another but we’re doing our best. The simple fact that your concerned shows you’re not a bad parent :white_heart: as for the bottle, I dont have much advice, but keep your head up!

1 Like
29

I started sippy cup only during the day and once he was comfortable with it during the day I switched to that for night. I settle for the sippy cup close to a regular cup, I think it’s a 360 cup. To each their own, my baby is extremely picky so the same method others use just didn’t work for him. (My other kids had no problem adjusting when it came time.)

1 Like
30

make sure you have bottle nipples that are as close to real nipples as possible–then they are better for the jaw and teeth. Start diluting formula/milk with water until it is just water. And then don’t worry about using a bottle. Bottle feeders should try to make it as close to nursing as possible–it is natural to nurse for 3-4 years so 2 is pretty young to wean totally.

31

sticking to your guns and being consistent is key its always rough the first couple.days and always hard on us parents

1 Like
32

This cup got my daughter off the bottle

1 Like
33

Have you thought of having him give it to the garbage man. Or something of that sort.

34

On their birthday while they slept. I just took all the pacies and bottles and donated them and kept saying big girl. Only couple days of whining.

35

You are not a bad parent and dad and you both need to get on board together and find a plan that works… sometimes taking the bottle away completely and letting them cry it out is the way to go. But its a job for two and both have to be onboard… let me tell you I have had to be the mean parent to many times and they get over it. Doesn’t make you bad

3 Likes
36

See if he can drink out of a straw? Once my son figured that out he was done with sippy cups. You don’t want them having a bottle or drink in bed anyways

37

I just started putting milk in the sippies and swapping them out gradually with both kids. Neither one seemed too phased.

38

Both of my kids were switched at about 12 months though so I’m not sure if that’s why it was easier. Best of luck.

39

I just threw all the bottles out… done

2 Likes
40

I found a sippy they liked and then threw them all out during the night your not a bad mom for taking it away. And dad needs to grew a few and help

41

Find him a sippy cup with a soft top. Nuk worked great! Then I transitioned to a regular sippy and now a cup.

42

We did cold turkey. If he’s got teeth, then nothing during the night unless you brush. Get different sippy cups so he can cling to the one he likes

43

Took bottle from both kids early and used Nuk soft spout sippy cup. One was 8 months and other 9 months. No fight. No fuss.

44

I had to do it cold turkey as soon as she turned 1 and it worked like a charm. She was fussy for what, 2 hours? Then she gave up crying about it and used the perfectly good sippy cup with almond milk sitting next to her. We used the munchkin 360 miracle cup. I’m doing the same method for my son when he turns 1 as well. Fast and to the point worked best for us. Two hours of fussiness was nothing compared to saving so much money not having to make bottles anymore. Plus the dental concerns as well, that was my main reason to get her off the bottle as soon her pediatrician brought it up. Because I’ve seen so many babies get tooth rot from being on the bottle too long or drinking the wrong stuff. I don’t play around with that mess

45

Only thing to do is to throw them all away and stop giving in to him and your husband. Find a soft too sippy cup.

46

Buy the soft cups they will give in within a week. It’s hard to watch but it really works. Walmart has theses. Best cups.

47

Does he have another sibling with a sippy? That’s how I got my youngest off, and it still took about 7 months for him to do it. He just needs to know it can be the same drink in it, just because he can’t see it doesn’t mean anything. Maybe try having him watch you pour the milk into the sippy?

48

Just because you are stepping up and doing what’s right to have him move on does NOT make you a bad parent! Do not be hard on yourself. Every once in awhile we have to be the “bad guy” but its what’s for the best and they will eventually get over it. Keep it up momma

49

Soft spout sippy cups were a lifesaver. Started them for meals, then during the day, eventually at nap time and then no bottles at all. I never had good luck with the 360s but every kid is different so be prepared to try different styles and brands. With my boys u could take the bottle no issue my daughter was harder to wean off the bottle but that could have been more me than her. Just keep your head up and keep trying what you feel is best.

50

Start hiding the bottles and start looking for a sippy cup baby could get used to

I had a hard time getting my son off the bottle he did fine with the pacifier but the bottle was a fight my husband started hiding the bottles and we eventually found uh and a sippy my son was ok with falling asleep with and now hes almost 2 in January and we are almost done co sleeping with any drink every once in a while he wants a sippy to hold onto but I wish you luck

51

I did cold turkey with my first on her 1st birthday all bottles got throw away. With my youngest I started at 10m and was done totally by 11m. Start giving him cuppys you may have to try a few to find the one he really likes then slowly anytime you would give a bottle give a cup instead… Tatum or not he needs to get over the bottle.

52

Give your child a sippy cup with water… Everytime child wants the bottle, give the sippy with water…works everytime!

53

Just tell them the bottle fairy’s need the bottles for the babys get them to put them in a bag hang it in the tree and replace it with a cool sippy cup leave it in place of were bottles were. Hopfully good luck it works

54

During the day offer a sippy cup. If the bottle is used for bedtime decrease the amount of milk you put in it each night by an ounce. By the ending a week or two the bottle will be empty and you can say “all gone”. Then offer a sippy cup with water to go to bed with. I did this with all my kids, much less traumatic to them and you weren’t taking it cold turkey from them. This is something they have learned to have for two years so it should be weaned off, not just stopped (just my option).

1 Like
55

Let him have his comfort as long as he wants remember he is still a baby my 2and a half year old is still only a baby and it’s his only comfort don’t force them to grow up they will give it up wen they r ready x

6 Likes
56

We transitioned from bottle to soft spout sippy cup with whole milk.

1 Like
57

I just told him they broke and bought a few different sippy cups to figure out what he liked best :blush: I have a drawer full that he can get into and pick his own.

58

At 1 when we wean them off formula we take the bottle away and give them a soft tip sippy cup with 2 cups of milk a day. I just take the bottles yup im that mom. Do it with pacifiers too. You’re not a bad mom they don’t hate you. We are the structure and rulers of the house so we are looked at as the bad guy but remember you are also their unconditional love and safety. They know they can be mean to you, hit you, scream and have a fit and you will keep them safe and still love them. We are moms!

59

Just Take it away and hide then so he doesn’t see them!!!

60

We just got my 4 year old off of it maybe a 4 or 5 months ago (his birthday is in August so he was still 3 when we did) I wanted him off of his sippy cup of milk when he turned 2, but his bio dad didn’t wanna stop it because my son would throw a tantrum and wouldn’t go to bed. He’d wake up 3 or 4 times during the night to go potty and then wanted another bottle. When his step dad started helping me with trying to wend him off of it and it worked. We basically had to put our foot down and say no to go back to bed. He’d cry but he fell back asleep eventually and now he’s sleeping thru the night, I let him have a bottle of water thru the night but he’s never touches it since it’s water😂 but please don’t ever doubt yourself or call yourself a bad parent. You’re just doing what you think is best for your babies and that’s all that matters love❤️

61

You are not a bad parent, 2 year olds throw tantrums no matter what. We just went cold turkey, tantrums are to be expected but in my experience after a couple days they don’t even think about it anymore. Hang in there momma.

3 Likes
62

Straw cup? Straws are fun! And if parents and older kids use straws it may be helpful too!

2 Likes
63

Can he use the 360 cups? (Or do you have a good leak proof sippy?)I put my daughter to bed with one of those with water.

64

Get rid of all the bottles and buy sippy cups . It won’t be easy . But it works . As long as the bottles are available to him and he knows they are he will not give in .

1 Like
65

We started out giving my oldest a sippy with handles and a soft nipple, almost like a bottle but not quite. He picked that one up pretty fast but when it came time to upgrade to a sippy where he had to actually suck it out of it, he refused. So it took alittle time, he kept losing his sippy so we finally said that was enough. We gave it to him and it took pretty much a whole day before he decided to give it a try. But that was all it took, just not giving him his other sippy and boom he got it. Same thing with the now current upgrade we did recently to a cup

1 Like
66

Our dr. Recommended we put butter milk in the regular bottle and regular milk in the sippy. Worked in 1 day. He walked it to the trash and said its icky about 15 months.

1 Like
67

Most importantly I am sure you are not a bad mother and your kids definitely do not hate you. Ae as mothers feel this way sometimes but it is not true. I have 3 sons 4,8 & 12 and believe me I am the enemy alot of the time🤣

68

We started with water only in her bottle and then cut the nipples off bottles a little after 1. Told my daughter she was a big girl and now the tiny babies get to have them. We gave away most of them but let her keep one to feed her baby dolls. There was about a week of nighttime tantrums because we also did away with her binky around the same time…
I let her have a water bottle at night (a no spill one with a straw) she gets really thirsty at night.
We also told her that after she brushes her teeth at night it’s water only. At 2 they are starting to really understand so try talking about the transition. Maybe let him pick his new nighttime cup (spill proof)

69

He will let go when he’s ready… When you stress he will stress… Maybe try options and offer a cup, zippy cup or bottle etc. Hang in there :heart:

70

Cup with straw ( sippy cup) big boy/girl cup

71

I dealt with the tantrums for three days (more like three nights 2am-6am) then she didn’t care.

72

My son was around 2 when we started weaning him off the bottle. We swapped to a sippy cup with milk just for his nap then eventually progressed that to bed time as well

73

Going through this right now. The doctor is pushing us to do to sippy cup (baby is 1.5) and not bottle.

She was already drinking juice out of the sippy but I think it conditioned her to think that’s the only thing that goes in there. When I tried to switch the milk to sippy she kept saying no and wanting the bottle. I tried the whole - she’ll drink it if she’s hungry enough- thing but she seemed so sad and it just made me feel like crying. Like I was starving her or something (I know, my own childhood fighting against me. But I sucked it up).

So now I’m hoping for other methods.

74

I just started telling my boys big boys use cups and id give it to them with meals. The more you don’t make a big deal out of him throwing a fit the less it will happen. I also said bottles are icky big boys use cups and had them throw it away and when they threw it away I made a big deal out of it and said what a big boy and danced around with them.

3 Likes
75

Show him a nice sippy cup . your’e a big boy now m ommy is so proud ofyou .throw all bottles and the like out . talk to hubby and be gentle but firm .the bottle has to go .sucking bottles at night is bad for the teeth.milk bottle syndrome.daddy should keep that in mind .

76

Its gonna take about a week of tantrums. Leave him a sippy cup and no kid should be going to bed with a bottle! Want his teeth to rot??

4 Likes
77

I let mine take the bottle and throw it in the garbage can. He never ask again. When people would ask him where his bottle was he would proudly say in the garbage

1 Like
78

I handed my kid a cup and told her “take it or leave it, we’re done with bottles, you’re old enough to drink out of a cup”. Harsh, yes. But when she realized I was serious, she took the cup.

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79

You take all the baby bottles and you throw them all away. You set a sippy cup with handles, put it on the table and when he or she gets thirsty enough they will drink.

1 Like
80

Hi, we had the same issue with my sons pacifier and bottle. What we did with the bottle was transitioned him to a cup that had a straw or something similar to a bottle with milk. We noticed that he didn’t like the cup but he like the comfort of jnow he was going to sleep with it and he no longer needed a bottle. The tantrums are normal and they will cry because its a transition for them. This is a comfort for him as well, so it will take time. Just be consistent along with your hubby and it will work. You got this momma! :muscle:

3 Likes
81

I’m saying this truly out of love and not being sarcastic. But being a parent means being the parent and knowing the bottle is not good for your child at this age. It means getting rid of it out of sight out of mind and in a few days the tantrums will be done on that issue. Sometimes we have to make a tough decision knowing it’s the right decision. Your child will not hate you for being his parent. Kids need parents to do the right thing. Good luck and I’m praying for you! You can do this!

16 Likes
82

My son at 2 gave his bottle to a turtle that’s mommy could not feed him anymore. Every time Austin would ask, I would remind him how kind and thoughtful he was to give his bottle away to a needed baby turtle. :slightly_smiling_face:
It worked. Crazy, I know!!!

3 Likes
83

It’s been years for me, my youngest is 26 but I did it when they have a cold and can’t suck, warm Ovaltine chocolate milk in a sippy cup…worked with all 4 kids.

1 Like
84

I gradually did the change. For instance I would give him a sippy cup during breakfas, lunch and dinner. Then at nap and bed times if he insisted I would give him a small bottle. Each day I would offer the sippy cup more and the bottle less but I never gave him a full bottle of milk. Speaking of the milk, while he was still using a bottle, he was on Carnation Good Start and I gradually gave him whole milk by giving 2/3 of Carnation and 1/3 of milk…then gradually reducing the Carnation and increasing the whole milk until he was totally on whole milk. After that I started with the transition from a bottle to a sippy cup. You are doing a great job and you have the patience needed for him to make this transition. Keep following your motherly instincts and it will happen before you know it.

1 Like
85

Dont give him anything but water in in like warm water and only at bedtime my son just slowly didnt want it give him his favorite drink in a sippy cup hell give the water for it

86

Bless your :heart:
:heartbeat:hugs​:heartbeat:
1st…stop being so hard on yourself!
1)You are not a bad parent!
2) you and dad need to get on the same page and come to an agreement.
2)Your children do love you, always will.
3) toughen up mama. Dont take it personally. Kids will manipulate you into thinking you’re a bad mom to get what they want. …if you let them… -Do what you think is best for your kids well being. *Then, talk to the child about what you are gonna do and why. Kids understand alot more than we think.
Find a good sippy cup that has a soft top. Offer only milk/juice in sippy. Offer only water in bottle. After a few days throw the bottles away. He will be angry. Comfort him in whatever way you would if he had his bottle and had some other problem. Be patient.

3 Likes
87

In his own time… and ignore when people say , isn’t that child too old to still be sucking a bottle ‘? It might make the child feel secure , like a favorite blanket :pray::pray:

3 Likes
88

First of all, you are not a bad mom and your kids dont hate you! It’s hard for kids to make a change. Try praising them for the behavior you want them to exhibit and try to ignore the bad behaviors.

1 Like
89

Mail the bottles to the “bottle fairy” (can be grandma, aunt, uncle) just package them up and mail them off at the post office together. Tell him the bottle fairy will give them to little babies that need them. Then he can get a special toy

3 Likes
90

You aren’t a bad parent! Just take them away. He will drink from a sippy when he is thirsty. He will push back at first…just let him and tell him he is a big boy now.

1 Like
91

Sippy cup, with diluted oj or chocolate milk. At his age the brain needs a little extra fat.

92

Hang his bottles out on the tree and then when he goes to sleep the soppy fairy hangs cups on the tree

93

Try a brand new nipple. Kids like the feel of an old nipple and will reject a stiff new one.

94

Your his parent, not his best friend. This is just one of many times he will push you. Don’t let him. Be firm but if he sees you backing down he will keep pushing. You and dad need to agree on this or he will play you guys. I always told kids that it wasn’t a choice, the bottle is gone but he can choose which sippy cup he wants so he has that choice but not about the bottle. You are his mom so no matter what everyone else says, it’s up to you on what you want for him. Not everyone is going to agree with you but that’s on them not you.

1 Like
95

Leave it be…he won’t take it to college…or have him leave under the tree for Santa to give it another baby

96

I’m in the same boat. Mine is the same way. :woman_shrugging:t3:HELP!!

97

What i did gave them to the father and they
went stayed with his mom for 2days that was it no more botte

98

he’s not going to college with it… so don’t worry about it… he’ll get rid of it when he’s ready.

2 Likes
99

Taking it away cold turkey. The child will cry but will definitely realize the bottle is gone forever. Took mine off the bottle at 10 months when I realized how well she did with a sippy cup. Wishing you good luck with this hard transition.

100

Don’t self blame so much. They will be upset she throw tantrums, but they will get over it. It does not Mayr you a bad parent or hated. They still love you, even when being upset. Remember your first job is to be the parent and do what’s healthy abs right for the child, not, instead, to be their best friend every moment. This becomes even more important to have a handle on as they get older and you have to guide them with good choices over bad. It’s time also, to get your husband involved in parenting responsibilities and helping to reinforce those decisions, because it sounds to me like he’s not, and that’s also not what you need now, or when they get older. Put the things he wants in soppy cups for now, and just stop offering the bottle. Let him have a favorite blanks or soft toy, but just stop with the bottle, abs you’ll figure out pretty quick if he’s wanting what’s in the bottle, or just to suckle for comfort, as they often do. You can for a while do the cup during the day, then give the water bottle at night, and just decrease that use. I’ve heard parents doing it both ways. But remember you are the parent, and they will get over these things. Abs they get over them quicker if you aren’t being guilted to giving in and keep returning to what they want instead of what you know is right. Being mom isn’t always easy, and there are times you’ll hate having to do what you have to do. But you’ll see later those times you made the right choices.