It’s harder than you think, this giving up the bottle thing. I’ve come to rely on it day in and day out…night after night like a lonely ole habit. It pleases me, soothes me, makes everything quiet.

But, alas, I had to throw out the bottle otherwise Gus might be heading to school still drinking out of a bottle. Yes, he is THAT attached to his “na-na”.

At first I considered transitioning Gus from a baby bottle to a bottle that ZRecsmom recommended to me via Twitter; The PECS Trainer Cup. But the more I thought about it and the more I talked to people the more convinced I became that Gus just needed to join BA (Bottles Anonymous) and go cold turkey. So, we did…on Thursday. And he hasn’t had a drink since. Of anything (okay, he did take a few sips of juice from a sippy but he certainly won’t touch his milk).

But, I have hope for him.

He can’t hold out forever, can he?

He can? hmmm

Ten tips for weaning the bottle…

1. Keep meals and snack times consistent so they are hungry and place the new sippy at the table so they know it is there for them if they are thirsty.
2. Keep distraction minimal. Don’t start this when he/she is sick, when traveling, or when moving.
3. Don’t use the bottle as a toy or a pacifier. It may be too late for this and it will probably make for a harder transition.
4. Introduce a new sense of security (babies often use the bottle as security, right?). Add a new animal, a toy, a blankie.
5. Wean to a sippy or transition.
6. Stick to your plan.
7. Remove temptation and show them this. I showed him I threw the bottles away and showed him they are no longer in the cabinets. Did I really throw them away? No, but he thinks they are all gone.
8. Encourage them when they do drink out of the new cups and make it a “party”.
9. If you don’t go cold turkey, give the least desired liquid in the bottle and most desired in the sippy.
10. Try different sippy cups and even let him choose the ones he wants. We purchased 10 oz Sports Sipper, Boy Colors,
which are BPA free.

And, don’t worry. Apparently, they will drink when they are thirsty just like they eat when they are hungry. All you can do is lead them to the water (or in this case, the sippy).