When to Stop My Toddler from Bottle Feeding?
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| Kiko is still bottle feeding at age 3 |
I don't really remember when exactly did my two other kids stop bottle feeding. I just knew that when they started to attend school, they no longer care to ask. But my toddler who is now 3 years and 4 months old can hardly live a day without drinking his milk in the bottle and still ask for about 2 to 3 during bedtime.
According to most of the articles I read, weaning from a bottle should begin at age 1 and if beyond that, there's a possibility of tooth damage or excessive consumption of milk that will eventually lead to obesity. This may be true to other races like kids in The US or other countries with different body metabolism but here in the Philippines, I know of kids enjoying their bottles up to age 5.
Giving up the bottles should be the parent's initiative and not the kid's. Obviously because, they have the power to do it but gradually like one bottle at a time. A sudden elimination of the kid's comfort and familiarity with bottles will make him/her very upset.
My Kiko is already eating solid foods. He likes Spare Ribs Sinigang and Beef (Bulalo) Nilaga. His favorite vegetable is okra (lady's finger) and he's fond of eating corn, cucumber , banana, mango and watermelon.
I should slowly take away his bottles and try to give him milk in the glass already. Good luck to both of us.
I think once the kids are at school, bottle feeding should stop as this can hamper their social skills.
ReplyDeleteI'm now in the process of taking away his bottles but not totally remove them all yet.
DeleteSlowly but surely so it won't shock them.
DeleteSome kids I've seen though takes a longer time getting of the bottle.
DeleteEvery child is different. No two kids are the same. They develop differently and they have own strength and weakness. Some may stop bottle feeding at early age, and still some may not.
Delete"Slowly but surely" -- This can actually work, right? My niece, although still feeds from the bottle, at least knows not to bring her bottle to school. But when she gets home, she looks for it right away. :(
DeleteYou are right, every kid is different maybe we can give incentives to them for being away from the bottle.
DeleteI agree with Franc, I also feel that once the kid already goes to school, bottle feeding should be minimized. Something like once a day, maybe before going to sleep at night.. But I dont have kids yet, so I really dont know. Haha!
DeleteSome kids automatically let go of the bottle while some seem to take a longer time. Mothers can probably start weaning their children from the bottle before school age.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Ms Teresa, it should start from the mother. The truth is... I'm having a difficult time helping him wean from his bottles.
DeleteIt think my son was like 3 years old na din when he stopped drinking from his bottles. A matter of discipline and consistency nga.. for sure you'll reach your goal too!
ReplyDeleteAchieving this goal may take me a little longer... I just hope he'll stop before age 4.
DeleteAs what I have learned at nursing school, when a child has been supressed of bottle feeding or thumb sucking they tend to have an oral fixation. When they are older they will portray things that are weird such as being a OCD or having mannerisms with their mouth.
ReplyDeleteMy toddler never used pacifier and he had no thumb sucking habit. He just can hardly sleep without his bottles.
DeleteHmm. I don't have experience in this yet but I know it's challenging so good luck to me, and to you. Your Kiko and I share the same love for bulalo and okra. :)
ReplyDeletei am not a parent yet but i think , the toddler should let go of the bottle in a way it wont be traumatic to them ...slowly shifting to a beautiful with favorite characters might do ...based on what my friend told me .
ReplyDeleteI'm happy that Kiko likes Okra (I hate it! Hehe). Anyhow, I guess you've plenty of time to slowly take the bottle from him. Believe it or not, my 6 year and 3 month old niece still doesn't want to let go of hers. She cries when her mom takes it from her.
ReplyDeleteI started weaning my kids from bottle at the age of 4. Once they understand its effects. I also tell them that other kids in their school do not use bottle anymore. Just to encourage them a bit. hehe..
ReplyDeleteooh, this is interesting hehe. He should stop drinking milk from bottle na or else he wont get a girlfriend in kindergarten XD kidding!
ReplyDeleteMy nieces stopped bottle feeding when they were 2, they like to mimic us adults drinking in the glass so we made it as a play that they drink their mink in a plastic glass until they refused to drink with their feeding bottle =)
ReplyDeleteMy youngest was into bottle feeding until age 3 1/2 then all of a sudden biglang umayaw na. For me ,I don't mind bottle feeding ,it that is the only way for them to drink milk. Nasa bata na rin siguro kung kailan aayaw.Ngayon pahirapan uminom ng milk (4YRS OLD) but may nagustuhan siya ,nestle chocolate syrup mixed with fresh milk then sip musing straw..
ReplyDeleteBased on my own experience, ang ginawa ni misis para maawat sa dede ang mga anak ko is to teach them how to drink milk sa glass.
ReplyDeleteBoth of my two girls have learned to stop drinking milk in a bottle at the age of 1. but this is one thing I also observe, they don't like to drink milk at all after that.
ReplyDeleteI remember when my kids started to drink from the glass, they didn't like the smell of the milk so they ended up drinking milk yogurt which was strawberry-flavored.
ReplyDeleteI guess it depends on the ability of the mom to be firm and not give in to the kid, especially when it comes to taking away something that they consider to be their comfort zone. Good luck to you! I'm sure that you can do it.
ReplyDeleteI am seriously clueless about this. I don't even know when I started to drink from the glass. hihihi...
ReplyDeletehmmm...my kids were weaned early lol, I can't remember but I had no trouble with it lol, I guess it will come, slowly but surely...I mean not really with how strict we are and so, we just need to be giving and at the same time we should explain to them why bottle feeding should stop.... :)
ReplyDeleteLOL. all I can say is good luck to you too :) It's really hard to make a that step since its a milestone leap for your child too. Good to know that hes already eating solid food but I think hes teeth will suffer a lot if this han't stop in a year or two. :) Good luck luck again.
ReplyDeleteI was a bottle-fed baby, and I was told I stopped at around age 2, when I started getting fond of tetra-pak packed milk :P
ReplyDeleteHhhmmm. I think I can't answer the question in your post title ;) My pamangkin is still bottle-feeding and he's 4 now.
ReplyDeleteMy mom stop me bottlefed when I was around 2 yrs old but I don't like to stop and the thing they did to stop me is that they put chili on my milk. hahah
ReplyDeleteJust revisiting this interesting post. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is good sis both you and your toddler is making that CHALLENGE to make a step on STOPPING your toddler to stop drinking on a bottle. Good Luck.
ReplyDeleteI have a nephew who is still into bottle feeding even at the age of 5. But I think, he only drinks juices and chocolate drinks using that bottle. It became a habit.
ReplyDeleteUgh! Bottle-feeding are just for babies in my opinion. I don't like it when I see toddlers sucking on those bottles. It's good that you're concerned about that, because other moms don't realize the negative aspect it's bringing to their kids.
ReplyDeleteThis would be my third time to visit your post and I've already said my piece. Good luck and hope your son cooperates. :)
ReplyDeleteOw, I remember... some elders put chili or something that tastes bad duon sa bottle nipple para di magustuhan ng bata. Hmm, are you up for that?
ReplyDeleteMilk feeding especially Breastfeeding is good until 2 years, solid can be good at 2 years old so that the source of nutrients will be better, milk can not give all the nutrients they need. But anyway the problem here is the bottle feeding, hehe. What my aunt did to my cousin was to place something that desn't taste good, hehe.
ReplyDeletetry to let him him use sippy cup for toddlers sis. that's what my 1 and a half year old is using now...
ReplyDeleteDon't have a kid right now but I remember my niece, she stops bottle feeding when she was 2 years old.
ReplyDeletegood luck on your bottle weaning :) my 4 year old still drinks from the bottle from time to time.. it's hard for him to finish a glass of milk eh.. faster with the bottle..he'll be going to school next year, so hopefully by then he'd stop bottle feeding
ReplyDeletei had a hard time weaning my child... naaawa ako. hahaha. but we decided when he was about to start school to talk to him about it... luckily, he understand and said, "sige, sa baso nlng at straw". Yahweh bless.
ReplyDelete