Need help weaning my 2 year old off nighttime bottles

Ruchel

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 10:52 am

If the baby never sleeps in your bed, is never allowed to sleep with a bottle (especially with anything else than water in it), isn't rocked to sleep for 2 hours... he WON'T ask for it. Don't start bad habits. My dd was sleeping through the night at 3 weeks. She went through the 3 situations: exclusive nursing, half half, and exclusive bottle, and it didn't change anything.

momo2boys

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 11:01 am

yes but I beleive you can train any baby with anything.........if you're up to it.........if having your baby get a bottle is more important than your sleep and being a tired mom the next day, then be it........ I just liked that both my kids slept through the night at an even younger age than 6 mo. (don't remember exactly) and that was not me that trained them to that, they both did it on their own, I even put on an alarm clock at about 3 mo. to wake them up to feed, but then I noticed how crazy it is...........it's bedtime, into bed w/ a pacie and that's all.

Mama Bear

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 11:08 am

momo2boys wrote:

PPL I just can't understand those parents giving kids bottles in bed, (ok I'm not talking about the ones that were bottle fed since birth) but why get babies used to a bottle in bed, my "2boys" NEVER went into bed w/ a bottle of any kind (or a sippy cup, for that matter) no such thing, you drink at dinner time and that's that, they don't even know of such a thing. And for you guys that want to wean them off, the only thing I can say is don't do it slowly, as in diluting the juice than going to only water, cause they'll get used to the water, and then won't mind it as long as they get to drink, GO STRAIGHT TO THE WATER, he'll be mad, he'll even cry and still wake up, but you keep giving him only the water, untill he'll give up, seeing that you won't give in, hey who wants just water 4 times a night. I hope it works for you!

I explained to you why. He was a formula fed baby so when we stopped the formula at a year old he was still used to getting a bottle in the middle of the night, but since he could hold it himself there was no reason for me to hold it for him, so I just gave it to him. He hasnt outgrown the habit yet.

gryp

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 11:12 am

Ruchel wrote:

of course teething is a difficult moment. What about some hard toy to bite, when there is teething, and not a bottle?

Huh? teething is 24 hour pain in the mouth for weeks and months on end.

momo2boys, I'm glad you had it easy. May it always be so easy for you.

Quote:

and that was not me that trained them to that, they both did it on their own,

since you recognize that fact, you can imagine that there are babies out there who are very different.

Ruchel

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 11:37 am

Mama Bear wrote:

momo2boys wrote:

but how come at one year he was still getting a bottle during the night (instead of just before and just after)?

Tamiri

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 11:53 am

It's too late for "you should have done xyz". The issue is that the boy is too old to be getting up at night, and does not need a bottle at night. In fact, he's almost at the age where you can begin talking about the toilet training thing. He will never be dry at night if he keeps the bottle.
For the next baby: get him to do what he needs at an earlier age, when it's easier, but for now:
Mama Bear, you need to decide who is the boss. If you wish to be the boss, you lay down the rules and tell him in advance that he is welcome to cry, but from this night forth these are the rules: xyz. In language he can understand. It's a good idea for you to give him permission to voice his outrage with crying, screaming, whatever - but inform him that it will not make you change your mind. You may have a few more sleepless nights, but what is the difference from what you have already.
There is no sin in letting a baby of that age cry. There IS a sin in letting him believe that he rules the roost. It's probably a good idea to put things in perspective now so you don't have to deal with "issues" when he is even bigger.
BeHatzlacha!

gryp

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 11:56 am

momo2boys wrote:

momo2boys, I'm glad you had it easy. May it always be so easy for you.

Thank you! Thank you! I still beleive you can train any kid, the earlier the easier. Smile

I'd invite you to come meet mine Wink

, but I'm perfectly happy with their sleeping schedules.
And not always is a kid ready to be trained. Sure you can clamp an iron fist down and make him miserable, but I'd rather have happy secure kids than trained kids.

momo2boys

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 12:13 pm

who says they can't be happy this way, hey I think kids sleeping through the night and knowing like tamiri says, who's the boss you or you kid, doesn't make them miserable, if that's what they're used to, it'll, just the opposite, make them more secure.

Tamiri

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 12:36 pm

There are some babies for whom the "iron hand" works and others for whom it does not. There are some babies who don't NEED the "iron hand" because they are just "good". I have had 5 diff types. The only die-hard rule for anything having to do with kids is that they know they are NOT boss, and what mom wants, she needs to get - one way or another. I HAVE had a kid or two trying to run my life with his crying, and it's miserable but I don't believe that giving in is the answer. I needed to decide what pained me more: the kid giving me a lesson or the kid never learning what is right. The lesson the kid was trying to teach: I am BOSS! If you let them believe that, your own life will be miserable. It try not to let crying and tantrums impress me all that much.

Mama Bear

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 12:40 pm

Ruchel wrote:

but how come at one year he was still getting a bottle during the night (instead of just before and just after)?

He kept waking up for his bottle and since I wanted him to go back to sleep, I gave him a juice bottle. The same thing that he's still doing now.

Mama Bear

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 12:41 pm

Tamiri wrote:

Tamiri the problem is that *I"M* not in the mood of being up with his crying tantrums all nigh as he wails forhis bottle. I'm not ready for this.

momluv

Wed, Nov 21 2007, 12:45 pm

B''h I'm spared from this dilemma. my son never woke in the middle of the night for a bottle and so now he doesn't either. sure is easier. mama bear, I think most parents do sacrifice their nights sleep for this. I don't know any other way.