2 1/2 yr old daughter will not sleep b/c the bottle is gone! Please help!?

Here's the deal. She is 2 1/2 and (please no lectures) was going to bed with a milk bottle (her "baba") every night. We threw it away after explaining that it was time to be a "big girl". She has been fine during the day, but now she screams her head off every night. She knows it is gone, so she doesn't ask for it, but comes immediately out of her room balling every time I put her down to sleep. I have already put her down literally 12 times tonight starting at 8:00PM. We had the full bedtime routine with warm bath, brush, water, changed diaper (whole other issue), read a book, said our prayers, gave her, her favorite Jasmine doll that lights up when she hugs it, put on the nightlight, and gave the final kiss and hug. I am ballistic! I work during the day, Daddy works at night, I have no "me" time, and I have to get some sleep!!! I keep putting her back in her room, but she opens the door and comes out crying. Her 6 1/2 yr old sister shares the room and is exhausted from lack of sleep!

2 1/2 yr old daughter will not sleep b/c the bottle is gone! Please help!?
Consistency is key! When she come out of her room, take her back in and put her in bed. Do not look in her eyes and do not say anything to her at all. Do not show any emotion. It may take an hour of two for a couple of nights, but I guarantee that it will work.
Reply:You obviously aren't beating your child enough.


But seriously, what kind of consequences do her actions bring about? you just put her to bed the hundredth time? Truly, a swift swat on the behind and an explanation that it is not okay to deprive the whole house of sleep should do the trick.
Reply:hmm see the problem here is that you taught your daughter to use 'the bottle' as a way to self-regulate. Most problems that parents have with their children is that they use 'bottles, pacifiers etc' and self-regulation tools. Now for the hard part, it is really nice to hear that you have developed a routine. Instead of just putting your child to sleep, establish a new routine. Such as, instead of a bottle use a 'sippy cup'. You and her can sit for 10 mins and drink milk. Then afterwards maybe try reading a bedtime story book 3 mins. Keep it short. Turn off the lights and say 'Goodnight'. There are other methods you can use. This is just one. Good luck!
Reply:no lecture on the age vs bottle thing.





you need to put your foot down, and NOW. if she gets up and cries about the whole bottle issue, so be it. ignore her. yes it's a major adjustment for her to go through, not having her bedtime bottle anymore. but it's unfair of her to keep her sister up all night. it's unfair of her to keep you from having a moment's peace before you go to bed, too. sounds like you're giving her everything she needs in order to have a good night's sleep. yet you let her control you and the situation. whose the parent and whose the child? you and her need to learn tough love. i'd suggest putting the other child somewhere else to sleep until the adjustment of no bedtime bottle is made. so that your 2 1/2 can do what she needs to do in order to get over it all, while her sister and you get some sleep.





the only other alternative you have is to give her a bedtime bottle, but just fill it up with water. or give her a cup of milk before she brushes her teeth at bedtime.
Reply:First, 2.5? Whats the big deal about giving her a bottle to go to bed? As long as she is eating properly and leaves it alone during the day, if it gets her off to sleep faster, let her have it. Explain that eventually she will have to stop that too, but going cold turkey is like taking cigarettes away from a smoker. Giver her the bed time baba but no others. Eventually switch the liquid in the baba to one that she perhaps isn't so fond of.....like water and offer her milk in a glass before she goes to bed. She will switch herself over before long. Sometimes my 2.5 year old just holds and empty baba to go to sleep and sometimes she has milk in it. You have to pick your battles. I'm sure no one has ever seen a bride walk down the aisle with a bottle in her mouth! Good luck!
Reply:We were in this bad habit for a while too. Bu when I decided to put my foot down I did not go cold turkey. We were using sippy cups (the Nuby kinds from walmart) and we first started by giving water instead of milk. then after a few dyas of that, no sippy at all. Worked liek a charm, because they got upset about having water when they wanted milk, but they don't need it. I let mine have milk about 20 minutes before bed if they want it, butmost of the time they don't anymore. They can have it if they choose and still brush their teeth before bed. My son still asks for drinks sometimes and I justtell him he can get one first thing in the morning. I know he's not thirsty he just had a drink lol.





You could reward her for staying in bed. Maybe for everynight she stays in bed she get s a star and when she has 7 stars she gets to do something special. After a couple rounds she will be used to sleeping in her room without getting up.





You could also tell her if she does not stay in her big girl bed like she is supposed to that you will put her in a crib again. I don't reccommend doing that, but my son hates if I threaten to treat hi like a baby because he insists on being a big boy. If I say he is acting like a baby by whining or crying or whatever, he immediately straightens up.





Good luck!
Reply:You do not say how long this has been going on. It can take a few days to over a week.