When to Remove the Baby Bottles?
Many children will continue taking a bottle as long as they know that their parents are going to continue to provide them with it. You will need to consider the consequences before taking your child off from a bottle and slowly teach your child to use a cup. When teaching a child how to drink out of a cup or can, be hectic from time to time. There may be messes. Bottles are completely different from cups. Cups are open and bottles have a nipple for the child to get milk out of it. Children will need to be taught how to use a cup.
A lot of children are more advanced than others when it comes to learning new techniques. Some children can go straight from a bottle to a cup without wanting the bottle back, while other children are a little slower at learning how to do things. If you feel that you are willing to try giving your toddler a cup, then you may want to only try giving it to them throughout the day while still giving your child the bottle in the morning and before bed. This way, you will not be taking your child off of the bottle completely if your child is not ready.
You are not taking your child off of the bottle completely, you need to offer choices. When your child is fully able to handle a cup without needing your help in holding it or tipping it backwards, then your child is starts to have progress, and you can remove the bottle from them totally. The hardest part for a child of letting go of their bottles is the idea of not using or wanting it in the middle of the night, in the morning or before going bed.
Many infants and toddlers struggle when letting go of their bottle, especially in the morning and at night, because a bottle is usually the first thing that a child wants in the morning when they wake up. Children wake up thirsty and do not usually want a cup because they may go back to sleep, and they cannot sleep with a cup in their mouth. Children will usually cry for their bottle before going to sleep at night because a bottle offers them comfort. Once a child is used to sleep with a bottle it becomes very hard to remove a child off of it.
When you have noticed that your child is taking the cup more than the bottle, you may try removing it temporarily to see if your child still wants or needs it. You may notice your child looking for their bottle if they need it. You may also try testing your child to see which one he/she prefers. Try holding a cup and a bottle in each hand to see which one your child will choose. If your child chooses the cup over the bottle then it is safe to remove all the baby bottles since your child has become disinterested in them.
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