Sooner or later, almost all parents face a problem - how to wean their baby from the bottle. The sucking reflex is very important in the baby's life, the sucking process is soothing and gives confidence, so he is in no hurry to part with such important items as a bottle or a nipple. There are several surefire ways to gently wean from the bottle without hurting the child's psyche.
It is better to wean it gradually. First, remove the bottle during games, during the day it should not be seen by the child. Replace it with a convenient sippy cup or juice and straw when walking. You can pour ordinary water into a bottle - the child will compare it with sweet tea in a mug and choose what tastes better. If the nipple is gnawed, replace it with a shorter and harder one (labeled 0+ or 6+).
Every mother knows her child best, so she can use her strengths or weaknesses to choose a way to wean from the bottle. For example, some children are rather squeamish and afraid of insects. In this case, you can show him a bottle with a fly on a nipple - he, of course, will ask you to wash it, but an unpleasant impression will still remain and soon he will give it up himself.
If your child enjoys sharing toys, other children, or other animals, try playing out a ceremonial presentation of a bottle to another toddler. For example, it might be a fairy tale about a kitten who lost a bottle. In this case, you need to hide the bottle and never take it out again. Here it is important to put pressure on the good feelings of the baby, so that he feels sorry for the kitten more than himself.
A modest and impressionable child can be weaned from the bottle like this: ask a stranger to talk to him. It can be just a couple of words about the fact that he is already an adult, the bottle spoils his teeth, etc. At the same time, you should also listen carefully and in the future often remind of this conversation, full of respect in tone.
You should not put pressure on the baby, forcing him to abandon an expensive item. Sooner or later, most often at 2-3 years old, the sucking reflex weakens, the child becomes more independent and begins to treat the bottle with disdain, forgets about it. Your task is to determine this moment, gently and decisively take it away and not give it back.
