Daycare.com Forum
Parents and Guardians Forum>A 15 Month Old And A Bottle
Unregistered 07:11 PM 03-10-2014
I was just informed today that my child is no longer able to have a bottle at daycare starting next week I have been through 3 different sippy cups and none of them have worked. I believe it is unreasonable to wean my child from the bottle in 6 days. Is this normal practice? Am I overreacting?
daycare 07:19 PM 03-10-2014
I think this is normal. What does your contract/PHB say?
If your child was in my care, I would not allow children over the age of 12month to use a bottle. According to the health Dept it is no longer healthy for their teeth.
I have children that come to me 17-18 months on a bottle and within two days are drinking out of a cup with a straw.
I also don't use bottles because they are very hard to clean.
Children will learn to do things quickly when there is no other option.
If your child was in my care, I would not allow children over the age of 12month to use a bottle. According to the health Dept it is no longer healthy for their teeth.
I have children that come to me 17-18 months on a bottle and within two days are drinking out of a cup with a straw.
I also don't use bottles because they are very hard to clean.
Children will learn to do things quickly when there is no other option.
Unregistered 07:28 PM 03-10-2014
There's nothing in my contract about no bottles after 1 years of age. I understand the damage that can be done to there teeth.
daycare 07:30 PM 03-10-2014
If they said no bottle and you know that it is a healthier option then I would start making the same transition at home. Trust me when I tell you I have kids who have never had a regular cup with a straw, refuse it in the morning and by lunch are sucking them down.
Sucking is a natural thing for children to do, so I am sure that your child will have no problem.
Sucking is a natural thing for children to do, so I am sure that your child will have no problem.
TwinKristi 07:56 PM 03-10-2014
It's gonna be hard but believe me (as a mom not a provider) that it's easier now than later. I had to abruptly stop nursing my baby at 13 mos and he wasn't cup trained so I switched to a bottle which he's taken on and off since birth. Well now here we are at 27 mos and getting rid of the bottle is my worst nightmare. He's older, more stubborn and had massive tantrums now with no bottle. I don't know what to do! I wish I would have just switched to a cup at 13mos. 
Unregistered 08:02 PM 03-10-2014
I understand taking her off the bottle but I don't feel I should be given less than a week notice to do so
daycare 08:40 PM 03-10-2014
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I understand taking her off the bottle but I don't feel I should be given less than a week notice to do so
As far as I know, parents cant make you do anything in your own home. However, the provider will more than likely cut your child off of the bottle from day one. I understand taking her off the bottle but I don't feel I should be given less than a week notice to do so
Again, trust me when I tell you this, it's going to be harder on you than it will be on the child. And as the PP said. the longer you wait to do it, the harder it will be for both of you.
I would waive your white flag and join in on taking the child off. YOur child will get it in less than 6 days. Stop stressing out and just start working with your child.
If you are super worried about it, then maybe cut out all day time bottles and only move to a night time one ( I personally would not) this way you are 100% certain your child is getting enough fluids.
BUT speaking from experience, if you do give a night time bottle, your child will learn to wait to drink until they get the bottle that they are used to.
100% of all of my dcks that come here transition from a bottle at the age of 18 months or younger to a cup only in less than a day or so.
Leigh 09:00 PM 03-10-2014
I do agree with the PP that 6 days isn't a lot of time, and that if the provider felt it was that important, more notice would have been kind.
15 months is the age that the AAP suggests removing the bottle by. It's the age that I start to transition to cups. Some kids resist more than others. The best way to do this is to remove one bottle per day, IMO, ending with the most important bottle to the child (usually first in the morning).
If the provider feels it is so important to do this, I am surprised that she didn't start this process at daycare. I feel that a lot of parent complaints I see here are not valid, but I agree with PP that more notice would have been nice. I'd suggest asking the provider to allow you 2 weeks to complete the transition, and if she doesn't agree, go ahead and get it done in the 6 days-it won't HURT the child, but it may make it a little harder on the kid.
15 months is the age that the AAP suggests removing the bottle by. It's the age that I start to transition to cups. Some kids resist more than others. The best way to do this is to remove one bottle per day, IMO, ending with the most important bottle to the child (usually first in the morning).
If the provider feels it is so important to do this, I am surprised that she didn't start this process at daycare. I feel that a lot of parent complaints I see here are not valid, but I agree with PP that more notice would have been nice. I'd suggest asking the provider to allow you 2 weeks to complete the transition, and if she doesn't agree, go ahead and get it done in the 6 days-it won't HURT the child, but it may make it a little harder on the kid.
Janice62 12:13 AM 03-11-2014
Transition to smaller sized bottles and offer straw cups after the smaller bottle, meeting the child half way. *if their still thirsty*
Mom o Col 04:04 AM 03-11-2014
As a mom I let my son have a bottle til he was almost two years old. He used the kind with the plastic liners and when we ran out of our last pack I took him off the bottle cold turkey with no problem. My daycare kids are allowed to have a bottle as long as parents want them to but I find that at my house they naturally want a sippy cup instead around one year old because they see the big kids (2 and 3 year olds) with sippy cups. Your child may have an easier time not having a bottle at day care than you expect. Are there older kids around at care?
Cat Herder 05:02 AM 03-11-2014
If your child is moving up to another room in a center, then this would have been known for a while. 
Is this a center or a family childcare??
I have a suspicion the provider has already been working on weaning for a while and KNOWS the child will be successful next week. Few providers would be willing to make extra work for themselves.
The 6 day deadline may simply be to get Mommy used to the idea... 
Is this a center or a family childcare??I have a suspicion the provider has already been working on weaning for a while and KNOWS the child will be successful next week. Few providers would be willing to make extra work for themselves.
The 6 day deadline may simply be to get Mommy used to the idea...
Heidi 06:00 AM 03-11-2014
Honestly, it's not even a big discussion around here.
I introduce the cup with lots of help (a Tupperware sipper) at 6 months or so already. They get their bottles, too, but as soon as they can get 4oz or so from a cup and are eating a variety of foods, the bottles are gone. Most of mine have been done, done by 10-11 months here.
What happens at home, I usually find out later. Since none of my dcm's have breastfed past 6 months, it is a little different. I don't know if serving bm in a cup would be supportive of breastfeeding or very practical, since there is a lot of spitting at first.
To me, a bottle is just a tool to get food into a child. That is all. I don't see it as a big ritual that needs to be changed.
I've had three year olds come to me with bottles. Oh, and they go to sleep with them. Um...no!
OP...You can either go cold turkey and just plain not offer the bottles at all, in which case your child will honestly just take the cup more quickly, or you can offer milk and juice in a cup, water only in the bottle. That way, the flavor is the incentive.
With my first son (now 24), I didn't even know that he was "supposed" to be off the bottle at 12 months. My pediatrician mentioned it at a 15 mo check up. I tried "tapering" off, but he was miserable with that. So, I just literally threw them all in the dumpster, and it was ONE day of torture. After that, I learned with my other 3 (and my dck's) to introduce the cups earlier and taper off slowly. Good luck!
I introduce the cup with lots of help (a Tupperware sipper) at 6 months or so already. They get their bottles, too, but as soon as they can get 4oz or so from a cup and are eating a variety of foods, the bottles are gone. Most of mine have been done, done by 10-11 months here.
What happens at home, I usually find out later. Since none of my dcm's have breastfed past 6 months, it is a little different. I don't know if serving bm in a cup would be supportive of breastfeeding or very practical, since there is a lot of spitting at first.
To me, a bottle is just a tool to get food into a child. That is all. I don't see it as a big ritual that needs to be changed.
I've had three year olds come to me with bottles. Oh, and they go to sleep with them. Um...no!
OP...You can either go cold turkey and just plain not offer the bottles at all, in which case your child will honestly just take the cup more quickly, or you can offer milk and juice in a cup, water only in the bottle. That way, the flavor is the incentive.
With my first son (now 24), I didn't even know that he was "supposed" to be off the bottle at 12 months. My pediatrician mentioned it at a 15 mo check up. I tried "tapering" off, but he was miserable with that. So, I just literally threw them all in the dumpster, and it was ONE day of torture. After that, I learned with my other 3 (and my dck's) to introduce the cups earlier and taper off slowly. Good luck!
Mom o Col 06:19 AM 03-11-2014
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
If your child is moving up to another room in a center, then this would have been known for a while. Is this a center or a family childcare??
I have a suspicion the provider has already been working on weaning for a while and KNOWS the child will be successful next week. Few providers would be willing to make extra work for themselves. The 6 day deadline may simply be to get Mommy used to the idea...
I wondered the same thing. I find the daycare kids who have been with me since infancy are weaned from bottles easily and naturally by their own choice at my house.If your child is moving up to another room in a center, then this would have been known for a while.
Is this a center or a family childcare??I have a suspicion the provider has already been working on weaning for a while and KNOWS the child will be successful next week. Few providers would be willing to make extra work for themselves.
The 6 day deadline may simply be to get Mommy used to the idea...
sharlan 07:49 AM 03-11-2014
I have weaned all of my kids off of the bottle cold turkey. Within a day or two, they're drinking just fine from sippies. I do the same with sippies.
It will only be as big a deal as YOU choose to make it.
It will only be as big a deal as YOU choose to make it.
Unregistered 07:53 AM 03-11-2014
Thank you all for your responses. It's a military home daycare and per her supervisor all babies need to be off a bottle at 12 months she stated she wasn't aware that it was a mandortory thing but a recommendation. So her supervisor gave her a deadline of Monday to wean off the bottle if not she will get written up.
KidGrind 03:49 AM 03-14-2014
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Thank you all for your responses. It's a military home daycare and per her supervisor all babies need to be off a bottle at 12 months she stated she wasn't aware that it was a mandortory thing but a recommendation. So her supervisor gave her a deadline of Monday to wean off the bottle if not she will get written up.
U.S. military providers have some of the strictest regulations in the US and abroad. 13 months and older children need to be cup train. Also USDA representatives don’t want to see a bottle in hand with children over a year old. It is mandatory. Hence she will be written up.Thank you all for your responses. It's a military home daycare and per her supervisor all babies need to be off a bottle at 12 months she stated she wasn't aware that it was a mandortory thing but a recommendation. So her supervisor gave her a deadline of Monday to wean off the bottle if not she will get written up.
daycarediva 03:56 AM 03-14-2014
Originally Posted by daycare:
If they said no bottle and you know that it is a healthier option then I would start making the same transition at home. Trust me when I tell you I have kids who have never had a regular cup with a straw, refuse it in the morning and by lunch are sucking them down.
Sucking is a natural thing for children to do, so I am sure that your child will have no problem.
ITA.If they said no bottle and you know that it is a healthier option then I would start making the same transition at home. Trust me when I tell you I have kids who have never had a regular cup with a straw, refuse it in the morning and by lunch are sucking them down.
Sucking is a natural thing for children to do, so I am sure that your child will have no problem.
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I understand taking her off the bottle but I don't feel I should be given less than a week notice to do so
Understandably, and apparently it was out of her hands as she is doing what her boss told her to, kwim? I understand taking her off the bottle but I don't feel I should be given less than a week notice to do so
Also, I find it much smoother to go cold turkey than to wean. Weaning is CONFUSING for most children (when can I have one? where? why not at lunch today but at lunch yesterday).
I would try straw cups and transition all of my kids to straw cups, then to open cups with straws, then to open cups. It takes a day or two to get them drinking. Might be a cranky day or two, but it's not traumatic or anything.
If daycare is dropping them, I STRONGLY recommend you do as well. Just easier for everyone to be on the same page.
Unregistered 08:56 PM 03-22-2014
When my kids were little and they reached a year old I weaned them from the bottle cold turkey. They did just fine. Maybe try a sippy with a soft spout? If you take the bottle away they will drink from the cup.
Unregistered 10:36 AM 03-23-2014
My little one was moving to a new center and I found out she would be in a different room and I could get a little cheaper rate if she wasn't taking bottles, so I lied (wrong- I know!) and said, of course she can drink from a cup! We were breastfeeding and she wasn't a fan of the bottle anyways, so we just cold turkey tried a straw cup and she did amazing with it. I'm not a fan of sippy cups. They seem just as difficulty, if not more, to clean and it's just another thing to transition from eventually. She did great with a straw and then at 2 1/2, it was only open cups. Again, we just gave it to her and she did great. I think we tend to underestimate our kids
hwichlaz 09:56 AM 04-17-2014
I don't even allow regular sippy cups. ONe of my daycare parents is a dentist and she says that there is no difference. Sippy cups just have hard nipples instead of soft nipples. They are still sucking it into their mouth and through their teeth. She recommends straw cups, so that's what we use. I only allow cups at the table, and bottles are only in arms, so no one is allowed to wander around my house with a drink. I'm not as strict about the age through.
MadisonHarris 05:44 AM 06-06-2014
Nothing to worry. This happens. This is normal. You should wait for few days. If still this is going on then you should call a child specialist.