Hello!

I need some help from someone…..my 20 month old son refuses to drink anything else other than formula and from bottles. I’ve tried putting his formula in other containers like sippy cups and the like but to no avail….and he absolutely refuses to drink anything else like water, juice or weakened cordial….I feel like I’m failing in getting him to move on… How can I get my toddler to drink something other than milk? Any advice would be most appreciated!!!

Posted by Carmen 1.1.2013


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  • maybe let your child go to the shops and choose their own special cup. sometimes they even like to scoop up water from a bowl with a spoon. A feeling of choice and independence for them.


  • I would try offering water with a little milk so it looks like milk but is mostly water then slowly reduce the milk over time


  • I bet your problem has been sorted by now Carmen ;)
    I agree with stepmom that juice and cordial aren’t such good choices. I would just have offered water in a sippy cup and gradually decrease the formula with 10ml each time. Watering formula is an option too, but I can imagine that tastes awful.
    By 20months they have plenty of solids during the day and don’t need formula anymore. Finish the tin you have whilst gradually increasing, and buy no more


  • Great advice! There are really interesting comments on this!


  • Ok juice and cordial are actually really bad coz its just sugar he is better off with formula try gradually watering down the formula to get him to drink water or mix it with milk and gradually make it more milk than formula. Poptops are a great way to get kids away from bottles aswell.
    but dont stress your not failling most kids go through this stage its normal.


  • How did you go? I hope you were successful in getting rid of the bottles :D


  • Did you end up getting them to drink something other than milk?


  • I hope you managed to get rid of the bottles.


  • If you have friends with children the same age, let your child see them drinking something different and then offer him some of the same.


  • How are you getting on since you posted Hope things worked well for you


  • What about one with his fav character on it.


  • I’d just keep offering water in a sippy cup.


  • It’s persistence… They all refuse it.


  • How are you going with this since posting this question? Did watering down his milk help, or did he choose to go to sippy cups?


  • Keep offering water, because they’ll need it when the summer months hit.


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