How to Break a 2-Year-Old From the Bottle

Breaking your 2-year-old from a bottle can be a challenging endeavor, but one that is necessary for several reasons. Children who continue to use a bottle after age 2 may not get the proper nutrition from other foods, since they are filling their bellies with milk or juice, according to "What To Expect -- The Toddler Years." Using a bottle after your child has teeth can also lead to tooth decay, due to sugars from the milk or juice sticking to your child's delicate baby teeth. It may take several attempts, but with patience and guidance, your child will be using a cup in no time.

Things You'll Need

  • Sippy cups
  • Small rewards, such as stickers or toys

Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase a variety of sippy cups for your 2-year-old to try. Select cups with different-sized spouts and nipples. Some sippy cups are transitional and mimic a bottle to start. Use the different lids to transition your child to a full cup. However, this technique can prolong the process if your child is very attached to her bottle.

    • 2

      Talk to your 2-year-old about how fun and exciting it will be to drink from a cup. Show her the different sippy cups and let her pick a favorite for her water or milk. Let her touch and try each one until she has satisfied her curiosity.

    • 3

      Demonstrate how to drink from the sippy cup and assist your child the first several times. Since many children enjoy mimicking others, watching you drink from the cup might encourage her to do so.

    • 4

      Provide your 2-year-old with her favorite beverage in her sippy cup during a happy and comfortable time of the day. Trying to take away her bottle initially at nap or bedtime, if she uses it for sleep, will result in tears and tantrums. Gradually replace the bottle with a sippy cup by choosing one time during the day to switch. You can then continue to select other times to introduce the cup rather than the bottle.

    • 5

      Give your child water or a beverage she is not fond of in her bottle if she refuses to take the cup. She may protest and request or demand her favorite juice or beverage or even throw a tantrum. Do not give in to her demands. Tell her she may have the juice/milk/favorite drink in the cup, but not the bottle. Allow her to make the choice.

    • 6

      Continue to follow steps 4 and 5, increasing the number of sippy cups you give rather than bottles throughout the day. The last bottle to go will probably be the nap or bedtime bottle, as this is usually the hardest to break. Provide your child with another comfort object, such as a new stuffed animal or blanket, to help ease the transition.

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