It has been one week (last night around 11 to be exact) since Evangeline's last bottle! You go girl! I am so proud of her and me! We have been working on this for over a year. Sort of. The pediatrician has been nagging and I have been dragging my feet! I couldn't do it if it was going to cause her to scream and scream. Not having another baby in the house. If it were just her I would have said, "NO!" taken them away and let her scream. I know she wouldn't have screamed for ever, but I couldn't handle the secondary screams her screaming would cause.
Not to mention that while she no longer needed a bottle over the past year, her baby brother did. How can I expect them to get along if from the get go I set the stage by saying, "You can't have a bottle anymore, but your brother can!" She was to young for that. So I tried to limit bottle use. I didn't offer it, but provided one when asked.
Then the teeth problems hit. I was confronted with the damage that bottles did to her teeth, and instantly felt like a horrible mother. The dentist, pediatrician, and I told her the bottles were hurting her teeth and they needed to go. She still said, "NO!" I bought special cups for her milk and in the store she agreed she would take her milk in her new cups. When it was time for milk she changed her mind. I don't blame her though have you tried drinking out of your child's non spill sippy cups? It is rather difficult! So I caved.
My sister had a baby and we told her the baby needed bottles. I bought toys at the dollar store and for each bottle she gave the baby she got a toy. We didn't get rid of all the bottles, but the idea was planted in her head. She was getting the message from all angles that the bottles had to go. Still she wasn't ready, and mommy was feeling pretty crummy. My mom said, "Where are your balls? Just take the bottles away!" Trust me from her that wasn't much of a statement she's just as much of a pushover as I am!
It wasn't about not being able to tell her no. It was more selfish on my part, I didn't want to have to deal with two screaming kids. If she couldn't sleep at night because she wanted a bottle no one else would be able to sleep either! Being sleep deprived is one thing, but having to deal with two sleep deprived kids as well! Put me in the crazy bin now, please! Because I would rather not!
Still I didn't know what to do! The cabinet was beginning to over flow with cups from everywhere. I kept thinking if only I could find one that she liked the problem would be solved. I honestly have more different types of sippy cups than any store I have ever been into! I couldn't find one that she liked. I knew she liked drinking out of straws, and I knew she loves Dora. So at Babies R Us I found Dora cups with straws. I put my foot down. She said she would drink her milk from these and I held her to it.
Later that day after purchasing the Dora cups, last Friday, she asked for milk I gave her the Dora cup. She was mad, said no, and threw it. I calmly said, "If you want milk, there is your milk! " At first she tried to fight it, but I held my ground. I told her if she didn't want it fine, but that was her milk and that was that. She wouldn't drink it at first then she did. Later Saturday night she cried and cried for milk so I caved and gave her a bottle. Mostly because I knew that since she was so tired there was no point in arguing with her or reasoning at that point in time. It was her last bottle. Then Sunday when she asked for milk she said, "Milk in a cup, Mommy!" I knew at that moment we had won the battle. Now she will tell you "I drink milk in a cup!" I am so proud! We did it finally and with very little crying!
She doesn't drink out of the Dora cups though. We had some other cups with straws that we bought months ago maybe even a year ago. Those are what she drinks out of, go figure! They come out much easier, and for the most part are spill proof. We now only have two bottles in the house for brother who still drinks one or two bottles at night! Another battle for another day!
2 comments:
Know what I would do if I were you? Get rid of all your bottles. When I looked at the ages of your children I noticed they are both over a year old. Children should be weened off of the bottle by the time they are 12 mos. If you are planning on having more children then put your bottles in a box and pack them away. The main thing you need to do is get them out of your kitchen. If your daughter doesn't like sippy cups try giving her a regular cup. Just make sure you are right there in case she spills. When my little girl wants a regular cup I make her drink from it at the dining room table. She might not like sippy cups but you never know she might do just fine with a big girl cup without a lid. Just my two cents worth. Good luck weening your kids off of the bottle!
I am having fits with the bottle habit too. I know it's selfish on my part, but he wants them, and I know I probably won't get to have another baby, so I want to let him be my baby as long as he wants to. Bad Mommy. We're working on it.
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