1 year old refusing to use cups

[Anonymous]

This is my third kid, but a new problem for me. We’ve been attempting to wean him off bottles. Pediatrician wants him bottle-free by 15 months and he’s 14 months.

With the other kids, one meal at a time we just dropped the bottle and replaced it with a sippy cup of milk. Sometimes they were mad the first day, sometimes they refused to drink for a few days, but a week later they were always happily drinking from the sippy cup. Repeat with the next meal until all bottles were gone.

This kid WILL NOT drink from a sippy. Before we started dropping bottles he would occasionally have a little water from a sippy, so I know he knows how to do it. We thought maybe he needed a little thirst as a motivator, so we kept dropping bottles and now he’s ONLY getting one six ounce bottle a day (at bedtime). That’s been the case for two weeks. Will not take a single sip of milk or water from a sippy cup. I’ve tried an open cup, same deal. He will not do it. He devours the night bottle and that’s the only liquid he’s getting right now. He does eat a ton of fruit and a wide, varied diet.

Any suggestions? I’m really trying to avoid switching cup types - before I try that, anyone have any out-of-the-box ideas? This child is SO stubborn.

[Anonymous]

I’d prioritize hydration over dropping the bottle - it’s just not that critically important to meet that milestone, but dehydration can be super dangerous. He needs more liquids, he’s thirsty. Let him drink however.

My kid also resisted the switch big time. We first changed the nipple on the bottle to be fast flow. Then we started cutting the very tip off the nipple. At the same time we offered a sippy with the same shape bottle and a very soft nipple like tip. He ended up disliking the feel of the cut nipple and would choose the sippy when both were put in front of him. It took weeks to make the switch.

[Anonymous]

I'd also prioritize hydration over meeitng this exact milestone - especially given that we're eading into summer and it's going to be so hot.

[Anonymous]

My daughter went through this and the only cup she would use was a spoutless, munchkin 370 one. I don’t see the exact one for sale anymore, but the dr browns ones look similar.

I know you said you didn’t want other cup suggestions, but throwing it out there anyway just in case you get to that point. I think it was different enough from a bottle but easier than an open cup so it somehow worked.

[Anonymous]

What worked for us was to slowly dilute the milk in the bottle until it was just water. Once there was only water in the bottle, the sippy cup became more interesting.

[Anonymous]

Go back to newborn nipples. Very frustrating

[Anonymous]

Have you tried different cups. Maybe take her to a store to pick one out. Or get one in her favorites color.

[Anonymous]

Career nanny. I agree to make bottle less appealing:
1) Change to a newborn nipple
2) offer only water in the bottle

Simultaneously make the cup MORE interesting.
1) I get why you don’t want to buy a bunch of other cups but try offering it with the sippy lid, with no lid, with a no lid and a silicone straw, etc. You may also offer the bottle as an open cup option with no lid at all, or with a straw in it.
2) put some stickers with your kids’ favorite animal or character or whatever on the sippy cup
3) Offer milk and diluted juice ONLY from the cup

[Anonymous]

Why do you need to get off the bottle so badly? My first kept the bottle until she self weaned at 2. Second is still going strong at 15 months. They both have perfect teeth in terms of palate, spacing, absence of cavities, no open bite, etc. It’s an old wives tale that bottles ruin teeth. The bottle is only in the mouth a few minutes at a time.

Kids who exclusively breastfed aren’t expected to quit at one. Why are bottle-fed babies? We acknowledge breastfeeding has psychological benefits of providing comfort. Why are we so eager to take that comfort away from bottle-fed babies?

I truly don’t understand the issue.

Also, why on earth haven’t you tried a straw?! You sound kind of rigid and nuts.

[Anonymous]

Give water all day long in straw cup... reduce bottles further. My kid is very intermittent if she'll finish her milk or thawed breastmilk but dr says it's fine as long as she's eating solids ans drinking enough water.

Go to buy nothing for a bunch of different brands of straw cups. I like Dr. Brown and mama bear best- easier to clean and fewer spills than the munchkin we use

[Anonymous]

My kids stopped the milk from bottle when they were ready to do that. What is the problem? Though they never had pacifiers because i did not give them pacifier.

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure why your pediatrician cares so much. I breastfeed for 2 years. This one is bottle fed. If he wants to nurse a bottle till 2 then who cares?

[Anonymous]

Man I’m on my third, similar age, and I truly DGAF what month someone else wants my child drinking from a cup…

By your third you should know the difference between completely arbitrary ‘milestones’, like this, and actual needs.

[Anonymous]

Diluted apple juice in the cup