Believe it or not, the transition from bottles to sippy cups feels like the end of an era. Have you realized how much time do you spend washing bottles every day? So when it is the ideal time to say bye to the bottle?
If you asked your parents or even grandparents about when the last time was you had a bottle, they’d probably say 4 years old or even older. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents make the transition to sippy cups before 18 months.
Guilty! I waited too long and now it’s getting harder. The older your little one gets the more attached they get to these things. But let’s get back to work. Let’s get ready to leave the bottle stage behind and say bye-bye.
When to Start
Most professionals would advise you to start introducing sippy cups at around 10 months. In my case, my daughter wasn’t a fan of the change since she didn’t like pacifiers, and the bottle soothed her. So, take into consideration that every child is different. Many could be more attached to bottles than others.
How to Say Bye to Bottles
Many parents believe in doing it in a more drastic way–eliminating the bottles from the house and introducing the sippy cups all at once. Others prefer a more gradual approach, deciding to take it step by step. Both viewpoints have their pros and cons.
Whatever your decision, do not lose sleep or stress about it. The big deal about this transition to sippy cups is not that your kid will develop a dependence on bottles until they’re 18.
What’s the Big Deal?
Medical and dental professionals associate the long term use of bottles with an increased risk of cavities, tooth decay, and improper dental development.
However, the most important thing is to focus on your kid’s habits and sugar consumption in order to avoid these kinds of problems.
