I feel like I have been living in a Steve Martin comedy, you know the kind of film, where the parent does silly things that go wrong, but somehow work out in the end? The kind of things that are so ridiculous you just know they aren't true and could only happen in a movie!!
The Royal advisor had stated last week that it was time for HRH to come off bottles as it was delaying the development of his tongue muscles. This, in turn, will impede his speech. But children with autism do not like change. Keeping things the same offers comfort and security in a world that can be confusing and frightening.
Then, a golden opportunity presented itself to me. In an unfortunate, yet timely, twist of fate HRH came down with the winter vomiting bug a few days later. As he couldn't drink milk for the duration of the bug, I took advantage of the situation and decided this was a good time to remove his main source of comfort and nutrition (extremely fussy eater).
The battle for hydration lasted two days. This was worrying, of course, but it also meant that he was too weak to have meltdowns as he mostly dozed on the couch. Occasionally he would venture into the kitchen, stand in front of the fridge and ask for 'bah bah' (bottle), leaning his head against the fridge and sobbing. Yes, very upsetting, even more so because when a non-verbal child asks for something it is to be celebrated and acted upon immediately. Not in this case.
There was another complication. Her Cuteness, at 13 months old, is still on a bottle. I took to hiding her in her playpen, stacking beanbags up and putting a towel over the rail so that HRH couldn't see her indulging. While she was having her bottle I sat on the couch with HRH for snuggles, offering equal parts of distraction and comfort. So how did this go?
Baaaaaadly.
Isn't she gorgeous?
Her Cuteness does not like to be left out and stood up to shout over the side of the playpen, waving her bottle and complaining. Of course she kept throwing the towel on the floor too. HRH always spotted the bottle and got upset.
So, today, I am also taking Her Cuteness off bottles. I am sure 13 months old is a
My first Steve Martin tactic of hiding the baby didn't work. The second idea of removing all bottles from the house might work, we will see. I hasten to add that both children will still get milk, just in a sippy cup from now on. HRH can't have milk for another few days until we are sure his tummy has cleared up.
With the bottle issue decided, if not quite resolved yet, I can move to the second item on my list. There is an enormous mountain of washing waiting to be done because my son likes to get sick in bed, multiple times.
What would Steve Martin do with that pile of washing?
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23 comments:
Hey I can see you have the Avent bottles. You can buy in pharmacies Avent spouts that adapt onto the bottles. They turn the bottles into sippy cups then. That way HRH could still 'feel' the bottle in his hands but would be drinking from a spout? See, I remember your post on how he felt the difference in the shape of the bottles (with the wonderful bin picture, remember?). Noelie is only 10 months but I am planning on replacing all the teats with spouts soon.
She certainly is gorgeous! I cant imagine it being easy! I dont think we will be attempting to wean Oli off bottles anytime soon - They are such a source of comfort to him, he always has one with him and still wakes in the night for a bottle or 2!!
Once you've tackled your huge mountain of washing would you like to attempt mine? Mine keeps getting bigger & bigger - it's like someone's feeding it miracle grow!!
Oh good luck, Jen!That sounds terribly difficult! When my hubby was a little boy and his mom couldn't get him off his bottle she finally trashed it and told him that she gave it to the baby cow at the end of the street, so it could have milk! LOL! It worked! He still talks about it to this day!
Oh that is rough! Caleb did okay with getting rid of the bottle, but Gracie was another story. I breastfed her for 14 months and then we switched to bottle because she couldn't even drink from that, let alone a sippy cup. It was years later that we were able to go to sippy and that is what she still has.
Good luck!
I think your tactics were quite reasonable. Kudos to you for hanging in there.
As for the laundry, maybe Steve Martin would try to slip it in with the neighbor's stuff, hoping they would wash, dry and fold it unwittingly.
Hope everyone is feeling better soon.
As far as the laundry goes....can't say that I know what Steve Martin would do but I sure know that what I would do is to let it pile up some more as I have one like that right now. Obviously, I hate putting away laundry, everything else in the house could be done but that is always the last.
She is so gorgeous and adorable indeed!!!!
Oh I hear you... we've been through the same pain trying to get Max off bottles. He'll now accept a bottle with a 'grown up' teat on it. I have still to make the jump to proper sippy cups... but I'm taking it one step at a time!
One think the paed said when she first saw him in jan was that he seems to get what he wants whenever he wants it. That I need to remember that I'm the one who's in charge, not him. It really made me think a bit.
He's even *started* to make some progress with eating more different things - still nothing wet or remotely slimy (that sounds wrong, but you know what i mean!)... pizza is his new favourite it seems!
As for the laundry... don't get me started. >_< Please!!
God this makes me feel like a terrible mother, my 2 and a half year old still has a bottle (can't believe I just admitted that!) she has it before bed and in the morning and would be extremely cross if I took it away, but I know I have to. My 10 month old still has quite a few every day, probably time to cut that down too really. Well good luck with it. May the force be with you!
That picture is just gorgeous! Bottles have been gone from my life for a good while - only reminder now is that all the kids like to start the day with a hot chocolate:) As for the laundry, well as a reluctant homemaker there is always the service wash for emergencies ....
She is just gorgerous Jen!
Stick with it on the bottles - not easy, I know we had a real battle with the NSLM but we stuck to our guns and after two weeks (which seemed a lot longer) he did eventually stop looking for them!
I have to admit Munchkin still has a bottle every night with her milk and melatonin in it. The speech therapist who we are under actually said not to worry about taking it from her as she has always had a poor suck and that it helps her to use these muscles. Id agree with the Royal advisor in some ways that if the child is going around with a dummy or a bottle constantly as a comforter it can effect speech, but as its such a strong reinforcer and something that he mands for verbally, would be reluctant to take it away personally xxx
@Foodie, you are a genius!
@Petunia, he does walk around with it in his mouth a lot recently, to the point where I have to take it out when he is trying to talk. This is very new though and I want to try nip it early. He also mands for 'cup' so he can use that. Good point though:)
@Emma, TheHenrys, AE & Lora, BlueSky - I can offer good coffee if you come and help with laundry......tempting eh?? :D
@ItsAMummysLife, my eldest had a bottle going to bed until he was 3. I personally have no problem with children having bottles at that age. It depends on the child really, I think the 'play it by ear' is the best policy, now is the time for us is all:)
@Marylin, we have the sensory issues re food here and HRH will only eat dry crunchy food from his hand.
@Clive, oh yes, sticking very strongly to our guns.
Lol @Candace, we told our eldest we had to give his bottles to his newborn cousin!
Thanks for the comments everyone, I always love reading them:)
Jen
Aw Jen, she's gorgeous and I bet she takes to sippy cups with no fuss at all. The comment about converting avent bottles into cups is exactly what we did, complete with handles....works really well! As for the washing...launderette? Full service wash, fluff and fold..just this once?!
Good luck with it all. Pxx
My youngest (autistic) had a bottle, every two hours, at night until he was four. My eldest (severe autism plus load of other stuff) had bottle until four or five and still uses sippy cups to drink. I would do what you feel is best - not what you are told by 'experts'.
Great blog Jen!! Wish someone would invent disposable laundry....xxx
P.s her cuteness is only gorgeous xxx
We moved both of ours onto the teats from Avent that turn the bottles into a sipy cup and from there I moved them onto proper sippy cups, although I was advised not to use the non spill ones as they are impossible to drink from, mine took to this quite happily (thankfully), jude did try it for a few nights but when he realised it was milk out of a sippy cup of none, he soon made his decision. Both of mine still have their nighttime drink for either a sports type beaker or the type with a straw and they are now 3 and 6. Good luck. by the way I have left you a couple of awards and tagged you in a meme (although have to confess to not really understanding these!)
oh jen, you are an amazing blog write, loved it and made me smile as to how us mothers will try anything and become devious, i took butterfly off bottles when she was 3 and half, god i remember how sad she was, but it looks as if half the battle is won for you, good luck girl
P.S. her cuteness looks so adorable, gonna be a heartbreaker that 1
Well done you! My little one gave his to Santa Claus this christmas (aged 2.5!) we withdrew his dummy at 11 months, and he had several bouts of severe asthma and the only think he would take was his bottle. So I didn't have the courage to remove it, Santa's reindeers in the end were thirsty. He still talks about his bottle and sees his brother with his, but we have moved on. Well done you! By the way gorgeous pic and a very cute face that is difficult to refuse! xx
Oh, what a tough week you've had Jen and well done for sticking it out. WiiBoy had night time bottles until he was 3...or 4 maybe! He was a Poor sleeper and extremely fussy eater too.
And her cuteness IS indeed gorgeous! xx Jazzy
She is gorgeous! Laughed out loud at the idea of hiding her, something I will remember to try myself when the time comes.
Love the new look!! I was experimenting too but didn't have a lot of time, yours looks very professional! Congrats on the blog win so delighted for you all XXX
Thanks for the comments everyone, appreciate all of them:) Still hanging in there with no bottles!
@IrishMammy, thanks:)
Jen
Too funny! And both of mine were off bottles right at 12 months, so her cuteness can do it. It will really help with your son.
And I am always feeling like I am in that movie Parenthood. When Steve Martin's kid is always doing crazy stuff and they all give him that look. Like when the kid has the bucket on his head and it running into a wall over and over again? Yes, that is my kids. And whenever we are out with other kids they make sure not to disappoint so that others will think back to the movie and think of our family as that family from Parenthood. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
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