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PiscesBattle of the Bottle
Yes, my daughter still drinks from a bottle. Deal with it.
I started this transition on time. I really did. She's moved on to cow's milk and all. But in the name of convenience, the pre-nap and pre-bed bottle switch totally blew way past me. So when it came time for her 18-month checkup and my pediatrician asked if she'd fully transitioned to sippy cups, my sheepish "no" caused her to shake her head, and the bubble above clearly read, "Poor Sucker."
Turns out when pediatricians say to nip the bottle in the bud around a baby's first birthday, they have a reason. When kids get older, they fight harder. We nixed the wake-up bottle, and she doth protested her little diaper off for a whole damn month. And I'm not just talking a little whining and mewling for her "Bwah." This chick launched a four-alarm breakdown every morning, starting at 5:30, mind you, and it went on until breakfast was over two hours later. Good times!
She finally got the hang of it, but the process sucked out loud. So I'm putting this whole endeavor on hold until I'm damn good and ready. Call me a slacker. I really don't care. The main thing I've learned as a parent is that you've got to pick your battles. And as far as I'm concerned, this round goes to my daughter. But the war, eventually, will be mine. After all, you can hardly craft a bong or beer funnel out of a Born Free bottle.
 | Vivian Manning-Schaffel has written for Babble, Parenting, The Advocate, The New York Post, Business Week and a variety of other publications and lives and works in the heart of breeder Brooklyn with her husband and two kids. She authors two pop culture blogs: The Mad Mom and A Hag Supreme, and is on the web at vivianmanningschaffel.com. |
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- 19 Comments
Well put Kelly!
I agree with Kelly. I babysit a 3 yr old who does that and her mouth is terrible!
She does not sleep with the bottle folks - and she always brushes her teeth after. Just to be clear :)
I wonder if she breastfeed her if she would still allow that too? My 2 girls were off the bottle about 1 and used a sippy cup. I work full time and still had the time to manage them so I don’t see what her deal is.
Hmm… I’m all for choosing your battles (I have a 5-year-old son and 1-year-old twin son and daughter. And my daughter is disabled.)
And I’m pretty sure this is one you need to actually choose-to fight.
It’s really in your daughter’s best interest that she not have a bottle anymore. Time to (wo)man up, mama.
Two hour tantrums daily remind me of a friend’s dd who recently got diagnosed with sensory processing dysfunction. Since she has removed milk entirely from her dd’s diet, the several-hour-long tantrums have subsided. It seems that the milk was triggering a reaction, kind of like an allergic sensitivity.
like kelly said…baby bottle syndrome
I agree, pick your battles! Maybe your daughter just isn’t ready to give up that particular comfort just yet…oh well, it won’t last forever :)
And in response to mother of 2:
Please correct me if I am wrong, but your post below sounds like a 2 year old shouldn’t be ‘allowed’ to breastfeed… If so, that is very shocking since most children are not ready to wean until after age 2.
“I wonder if she breastfeed her if she would still allow that too? My 2 girls were off the bottle about 1 and used a sippy cup. I work full time and still had the time to manage them so I don’t see what her deal is.
- mother of 2”
My pediatrician did me a big favor twice: the first time, I thought she was hardcore when she asked me to transition my son at 12 months from bottle to sippy, but I listened through three weeks of hell. Then, it worked. With the second, I breastfed to age 2 and listened when dr. insisted I do not use bottle at all. So, it was boob and sippy. Bottle free really rocked. I totally recommend for bf’ing mamas. You don’t have to fight the bottle battle is there is no bottle!
sounds like a lazy mom to me
BOTTLE BABY
Same situation here only mine’s not a bottle since he’s breastfed at 2 1/2. It’s only a comfort thing when he goes to bed. No he doesn’t fall asleep to it anymore, it just soothes him. Sometimes it’s a real pain in the patootie cause I’m basically his bottle but I know it’s not like he’s gonna drag my butt to college. It will end when it ends. As long as the teeth are being taken care of, then it’s no big deal. We all have our “security blankets” whatever they are.
I had a pre bed, pre-tooth brushing bottle until I was 5 - yes FIVE!! For whatever reason I loved it (and before anyone says anything about parenting, none of my other 4 siblings did - it was only me - I just loveed my bottle) I had zero teeth issues. I just loved my “ba” and found it so comforting - no different that kids who have a blankey or what not. Also, I wonder if she would get any grief if she was still bf’ing her kid before bed - probably not.
Like a nother poster stated, whether its a bottle, boob, blankey or sleeping in bed w/parents, it’s not like your kid is going to be 15 and doing this so don’t sweat it.
Tara, in my opinion a 2 year old is to old to be breastfeed. Did you breastfeed yours when they were older and asked you to “whip” it out for them?
Another case when a mommy thinks she knows better than a doctor. Not like a doctor has any specailizing training or additional eduction or more objective viewpoint or anything …
But this mom is defintely lazt, as sge wrote”the path of least resistance is often the path that seduces”. Meaning I’m too tired to care.
Maybe you sghuld have given up work if it makes you too lazy to do the right thing and take the path of least resistence.
I have come to realize that women on this site are absolutly crazy. And they are all PERFECT mothers. Apparently. Get off your high horses people !!! Giving the bottle to a 2 year old is not that bad !!!! If she was 4 or 5 then give her some crap. But then again I am talking to a bunch of crazy women who think they know everything.
Crazy women? Giving a child a bottle at 2 is being lazy. Shoving a bottle in their mouth to pacify them is absurd. Prolonged bottle use can still lead to dental problems even if they’re not falling asleep with it in their mouth. Not to mention anemia, obesity or malnutrition. They set these guidlines for parents for a reason. Us as paretns should put our childrend health and development at the top of the list and weeing them off the bottle when the doctors suggest should be a priority. Any why on earth is it okay to be “not that bad” not THAT bad huh? Just skate through parenting with your childs well being at the “not that bad” level. But it’s the total disregard of caring that this woman displays that pisses me off the most.
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Should you not be concerned for her teeth or the way he mouth developes? Also, I am assuming she does not actually laydown to take her bottle and that you brush her teeth after? I think there more to be concerned about than the fact that she won’t let go and it’s a screaming match. I am all about picking your battles but I also things it’s wize to actually play the roll of parent every once in awhile as it might actually be benefcial to the child.