A bottle gives food and comfort to many children, so letting your little one use it for as long as she likes might seem harmless enough. But there are several reasons why it’s smart to switch to cups. Bottles boost tooth decay. Milk has lactose, a type of sugar.\u00a0Letting a baby go to sleep with a bottle is especially bad, because your body makes less saliva (which helps to wash away food particles) while you’re asleep.\u00a0Prolonged use of a bottle is linked to obesity.<\/p>\n
Transitioning your child from their bottle to a cup starts with getting your child to a point where they are willing to consume milk from the cup and consume more solid foods to take in calories. This also requires children to make the emotional transition of letting go of the bottle as a comfort object. The best way to start this is to make a point of taking things gradually and using a loving attitude as children will have a tough time leaving their bottles.<\/p>\n
Make Plans Before the Switch<\/strong><\/p>\n Most children make the switch from bottle to cup around 9-12 months of age. Around this age children tend to be much more interested in observing their surroundings than spending their time sucking a bottle. If you plan to phase out the bottle around this time you will need to plan ahead.<\/p>\n Introduce Cups<\/strong><\/p>\n A sudden removal of all bottles can leave your toddler feeling upset. Rather than focusing on taking away the bottles, spend time integrating sippy cups into your toddler’s day. Offer a cup at meal and snack times when your toddler is alert and distracted by eating.<\/p>\n Make the Bottle Disappear<\/strong><\/p>\n When you are weaning, remove all bottles from site so your child will not request them instead of the cup. If you have an older child, talk with them and let them know it is time to stop using their bottle. You can help your child make this transition by packing up the bottles and sending them away together.<\/p>\n Reduce Volume of the Milk<\/strong><\/p>\n If your toddler only has a bottle at night, start decreasing the amount of milk they receive each night, but do this slowly. For example, you can cut back their serving by an ounce each night for around a week. Continue decreasing the amount of milk they receive and start keeping a sippy cup or other small glass of water next to their bed instead.<\/p>\n Offer Rewards and Comforts<\/strong><\/p>\n You may want to offer rewards for getting through times when they would normally have a bottle with a cup. Offering a favorite snack can be an excellent motivator. You can also keep water or juice ready during times when your child would normally ask for a bottle to help curb their desire. You may also offer a different comfort object such as a teddy bear if not having a bottle is making them feel anxious.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A bottle gives food and comfort to many children, so letting your little one use it for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n