Show Your Baby And Mine By MYRTLE l IE MEYER ER ELDRED FORGET ABOUT BOTTLES AFTER FIRST YEAR YEARA A problem Is often Ignored by the parent as long as it il is not nol too inconvenient inconvenient incon incon- for her The moment it becomes becomes be be- comes bothersome she wants to eradicate tc it The following problem has been timely for lor the last 18 16 months At Atone Atone Atone one year ear of age any child who has had experience in cup feeding can dispense dis pense with bottles entirely but inthis inthis in inthis this case the retention of or bottles has grown to a major bad habit and is no II different from the childs child's using a pacifier or sucking her thumb in the I middle of the night They arc similar simi lar br habits WAI WAKES ES FOR BOTTLE I have a dau daughter 2 2 1 years ears cars old who still has to have her bottle when she goes to sleep bewails Mrs H. H P P. She wakes up about once or twice at ni night ht and wants it refilled Can you ou tell me what I can do to make her stop wanting her bottle She I doesn't take the bottle all day long but only at night We are planning a trip this summer and it will be a great bother getting up with her at night The only valid excuse for wanting to break this habit Is that it is definitely definitely nite bad for the child Your child needs no feeding at al night and certainly thinly does docs not need a bottle boUle It is hard for fot mothers to recognize that physical and mental development go hand in hand and that the child cannot cannot can can- not leave infancy behind so long as she retains any purely infantile habits DEVELOPMENT To develop ph physically she must learn earn more advanced habits of eating and drinking and to develop mentally mentally men men- tally she must embrace a new independence independence inde inde- in m eating not being enslaved enslaved en en- slaved by the sensory pleasure that thatis is part of any sucking habit habiL Such development insures that the child is definitely through with Infancy and well on the road to childhood Take the bottles away and have no nomore nomore nomore more of them in the house Let the child see you destroy them I would be very critical of at your feeding pro pro- gram The child will naturally sleep through the night if the daytime feedings feedings feed feed- ings have been sufficient to meet her needs The schedule of naps may need alteration to keep pa pace e with her age and growth She may be sleeping too long in the afternoon to toa tomake tomake make a restful sleep at night pos pOSe sible MAKE l CHANGES Send me a. a self addressed stamped envelope for my leaflets Weeks Menus from Two to Four Years and Schedule for the School Pre Child You may ma find by comparing the thc childs child's schedule and feeding and feeding with the proper ones for her age that there are arc some things which can be changed and md improved ed With a changed schedule and diet you should expect that the child will not waken at night A comfortable bed light covers or no covers at all If It it is hot and plenty of fresh air circulating In the room are all conducive conducive con can to deep sleep This is not a case for discipline Just recognize that the bottle habit must no longer be allowed gence If she does wake in the night offer her a drink of water Tomorrow Ignore Displays of Temper |