inspired by the sippy cup thread -- how old is too old for a bottle

[cgcw]

Here's my personal feeling on bottles. By 1 year, they should be gone. I don't see a need to continue on with them after the little one is able to pick up a sippy cup (regardless of whether it's the suction type or straw). Once they have mastered this skill, I don't think there is a need to a bottle anymore.

I have had many daycare kids over the years off of the bottle at my house completely by 12 months (if not sooner). Some of the time, the parents continue to offer a bottle at home. It's not my place to tell them they can't, but I try to make them see that their child doesn't really need a bottle to get their liquids.

There is nothing worse to me than seeing an older child with a bottle. I have seen many 3 & 4 year olds with a bottle -- mostly in stores. I always wonder what's up with the parents. Is this just a convenience to them? I just don't get it.

When my own kids were little, the pediatrician's were really strict in their believe that bottles should be gone by 1 year. I don't know if this practice has changed or not but I still adhere to it in my home.

 

[poohandwendy]

I think after a year it is more a habit thing than need, so I guess that is a good age to think about weaning it...

 

[justhat]

My daughter's pediatrician says a year too, but my daughter never really used one so luckily it's not an issue for us now. She'd get an occasional bottle, but I could probably count them, so she never got 'addicted'. She happily drinks anything out of her sippy cup, but I do plan to have her using real cups by 18 months.

I also worked at a daycare, in the toddler room, and we didn't allow bottles or pacifiers in there cause kids would switch (they were 15-30 months old). So when they'd come to our room from the infant room at 15 months, we'd teach them to use a real cup and within a week they got the hang of it. Our dr says no more sippys after 18 months, which is why I set that as my limit, though it might be before then. My daughter can drink out of a regular cup now, but if she's done, she'll turn it upside down, so we primarily use sippys.

But anyway, yes, we were also told no more bottles after 1, which we will be adhering to. Of course, weaning her from nursing, well, that's a whole 'nother issue!

 

[6_Time_Momma]

I have never been one to work hard at getting mine off the bottle. Olivia still uses hers at 14 months. We let her try to use a sippy at meal times, but she doesn't have that down pat yet.

Mine have all been off by 2, pretty much of their own accord. Doesn't bother me to see older ones with a bottle. Now, if I saw a 4 or 5 year old with one, then it might be different!

 

[Pinnie]

I atteneded a conference where a speech and language therapist spoke and she said that they are seeing so many more kids that are having more aticulation problems than ever before and they are starting to associate it with prolonged use of sippy cups. Apparently it keeps the tongue in a protracted position at a time it shouldn't be.

pinnie

 

[minkydog]

My oldest was mostly breastfed and he went straight to the cup,no bottles. My DD was also breastfed and didn't really like bottles--until a babysitter introduced her to koolaid and then it was "Ba-ba,ba-ba" all the time. I thought we'd never get her off that thing by 15months. My Youngest was on the bottle a long time, but he is severely developmentally delayed, so thats a different story. He could'nt sit up or physically drink from a sippy until 3-1/2 and only learned to use a straw last summer(age 9).

I think a lot of parents keep their kids on a bottle way to long. It's almost like they are afraid to say no. Normally developing kids will drink from a cup if their parents don't give in to tears and tantrums. I have never known a child of normal intelligence to willingly starve or dehydrate themselves over not getting their bottle. They will drink when they are thirsty, if they have to get it from the dog bowl!

Seriously there are health concerns to consider. Kids who drink from bottles for long periods tend to have higher-calorie liquid intake and don't learn to satisfy themselves with nutritious food. They also tend to overeat foods that are high in fat and sugar (applesauce,macaroni, chicken nuggets) and neglect those foods which provide protein and fiber( beans, raw fruits & veggies). When they are allowed to nip at a bottle for hours on end, their little teeth are bathed in syrup and saliva, leading to early tooth decay.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I am not a breastfeeding anti-bottle nazi--far from it. Bottle feeding saved my youngest son. But I think parents need to use their God-given good sense and ditch those stupid bottles before they become a "love" object and not just a way to administer formula.

Off my soap-box now.

Cathy

 

[always quiet]

I tried with my oldest to get him off the bottle before HE was ready. I remember him crying so hard.......he was all red in the face, covered with droplets of sweat and tears rolling down his cheeks. No, that wasn't for us. The bottles came back and when he was ready, somewhere around 2, it was over. I used the same method with our first DD...she didn't want them anymore when she was about 15 months. She wanted to be like her older brother who used the sippy cups. Our youngest was on them...only at bedtime, til she was a bit past 2. On our trip to WDW, she would fall asleep instantly at night and didn't need the comfort of a bottle. Again, no tears were shed.

Would I of taken the bottle away if they were older than 3..........yes. Til that point, I see no harm. Our kids grow up fast enough as it is.....let them be babies while they can.

 

[Christine]

Right around a year. No longer than about 14-15 months.

 

[jel0511]

I also believe in bottles being gone by age 1. I've seen and heard too many stories of bottle use after that age causing SO many problems. The most known is tooth decay, but it can also cause the soft pallete (roof of mouth) to form in such a way that can cause tooth mis-allignment and speech problems. There are so many other issues to consider. You very rarely see children over the age of 1 constantly using a pacifier, but you do see MANY more using a bottle. the sucking motion for both is almost identical, so it causes the same type of damage. Even for occasional use.

 

[Happy Homeschooler]

My son never used bottles, but the daycare kids at my house are done with bottles by 12 months. Often their parents give them at home, but I won't do that.

 

[tiggerlover]

I have always believed that one year was the best time to transition from the bottle to sippy cup. As far as how old is too old, I guess in my opinion anything after 18 months is too old in my mind.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Our pediatrician also believes gone by age 1. So at 13 months both kids lost theirs. Of course I got some pretty ugly looks from DS for about a week....
However, with our daughter's breathing problems it was easier for her to go to a sippy cup. I think she appreciated it more.
Kim

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My babies are nursing babies--and I'm in the 2+ year club....so hard for me to comment. We are working on weaning. She was burned severely on her toes 1 year ago May--so it disrupted my "plan" of weaning at the time. We are close though.

I don't like seeing older children (2+) walking around with a bottle. It's inappropriate. They may be your baby just as my babies are my babies...but they are toddlers/pre-schoolers in reality. We are not asking them to start kindergarten...just having them do age appropriate skills which include drinking from straw/sippy/regular cup.

When DDs were nearing age 1--doc said to don't even bother with a bottle and go straight to sippy or straw.

12-18 months is a good transition time...anything much beyond that is catering to the child for fear of a sleepless night or tantrum in public.

 

[disykat]

My dad, a pediatrician, gave me the best advice. As they are nearing age one watch for a lessoning of their interest in the bottle. Any time they don't seem to care, put it away and give them a cup. He said there is a "window of opportunity" where they sort of lose interest, but if you don't use that opportunity to seperate them from the bottle they attach themselves to it more firmly that ever and it gets very difficult to take away.

I watched - and this worked for both my kids. They didn't seem bothered at all to give up the bottle.

 

[Happy Homeschooler]

until a babysitter introduced her to koolaid

What?!? That would have been the last time I'd use that babysitter! Why would someone give that junk to a small child?

 

[becka]

I guess I would have to say around 1 also but DS weaned himself off the bottle at 10 months and never looked back. Once he really was comfortable with a cup he started handing us his bottle back when we would offer it without even really drinking anything. I never imagined getting him off the bottle would be that easy...we didn't even have to try. I realize other kids are obviously more attached but I guess I figure if a 10 month old can live without a bottle then certainly no harm can come from getting rid of them for the average kid around 1. JMHO..

 

[dcgrumpy]

DS was well over 2 before we got rid of his bottle. We tried, but he was really attached and would scream and cry, and like they say 'you pick your battles'. I tried only giving him water in it and offer him juice or milk in a cup, he didn't care he's drink water all day if he had to. I finally told him he could only have water and only drink it aty the kitchen table. He would take a sip and put it back in the fridge, after about 2 days he stopped asking for it.

DD1 was about 19mos. I put water in her bottle, she told me it was 'yuck' and threw it in the sink. Every time she asked for a bottle I gave her a sippy. Hopefully DD2 will be earlier

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

What?!? That would have been the last time I'd use that babysitter! Why would someone give that junk to a small child?

I wasn't the one who said the koolaid comment.

Minky dog did--can you please correct your quote!

 

[minkydog]

What?!? That would have been the last time I'd use that babysitter! Why would someone give that junk to a small child?

I agree. It happened in a church nursery and I didn't know about it. But when I found out we stopped it pronto! In fact, there is now a policy that children under the age of 2 will not be fed anything unles their parents provide it. Kool-aid

 

[JVL1018]

At 1 year I got rid of the bottles for the kids.
Bottles were for formula, milk went ONLY in sippies, so once the formula was gone, the bottles were gone. Couldn't have been an easier transition.