We had a similar experience—my son wasn't fooled either, lol. Switching up the bedtime routine definitely helped us too. Curious if anyone noticed improvement in their kid's sleep quality after ditching the bedtime bottle? For us, nights actually got easier after the initial adjustment...
Haha, glad we're not alone! We had a similar struggle with our daughter—she was NOT impressed when we first ditched the bottle. The first few nights were rough, but honestly, after about a week, she started sleeping way better. Weirdly enough, I think it helped her realize bedtime meant sleep, not snacktime... hang in there, sounds like you're already on the right track!
We had a similar experience with our son, but honestly, the dental decay issue is what really pushed us to finally ditch the bottle. Our pediatric dentist explained how quickly milk sugars can cause cavities—especially if they're falling asleep with the bottle still in their mouth. Apparently, saliva production slows down at night, so those sugars just sit there, doing their damage... yikes.
Anyway, we tackled it step-by-step: first diluted the milk gradually with water (he wasn't thrilled), then switched to plain water only. After a few nights of protest (and some serious toddler side-eye), he got used to it. Surprisingly, his sleep improved too—guess he figured out bedtime wasn't an all-night buffet anymore.
Hang in there—it definitely gets easier after that first rough patch. And hey, fewer dentist visits for fillings is always a win.
"After a few nights of protest (and some serious toddler side-eye), he got used to it."
Haha, the toddler side-eye is so real... been there! We went through something similar with our daughter. Honestly, I felt awful at first—like I was depriving her or something—but seeing how quickly her teeth improved made it worth it. You're right about sleep too; once she realized the bottle wasn't coming back, bedtime actually got smoother. Hang in there, you're doing great.
Completely agree, bottle decay can progress alarmingly fast. We saw similar issues with our grandson—felt harsh at first, but the dentist explained how quickly nighttime bottles can damage enamel. Cutting it out early really helped him avoid more serious dental work later on.
