Bottles of milk can be regarded as "good friends" of children. Usually, children will look for milk bottles before going to bed. Not surprisingly, there are some children who cannot escape from milk bottles until they are older. In fact, there are children who still drink milk using bottles when they enter school. Of course, this is not good. Well, what age should the child be introduced to drinking milk using a glass at? This is the answer.
Why do children have to switch to drinking milk using glasses?
Children who still drink milk using bottles when they are already older are considered not good. But, why is that considered? What is the danger if the child is still drinking milk with a bottle?
- Triggers tooth decay in children. Usually children drink bottled milk while sleeping. This causes sugar-containing milk to pool in the child's teeth, triggering bacteria to multiply. As a result, the child's teeth can be hollow. Not only that, drinking milk in a bottle while sleeping can also cause the production of saliva (which cleanses food scraps in the teeth) to be less so that it allows bacteria to multiply more easily.
- Increases the risk of obesity. Children who are used to drinking milk using bottles usually drink milk more often even though they have eaten a lot. This could be because milk bottles provide comfort for him. Research also shows that children who still use milk bottles at the age of two years tend to be obese at the age of 6 years.
- The use of bottles can change his smile. Constantly sucking the pacifier can change the position of the child's teeth, and affect the development of the palate and facial muscles. This can then affect the child's smile line.
When should children be taught to drink milk using glasses?
It's not easy to ask a child to switch from bottle to glass. However, it is certainly not good if you continue to let it. Children need to be taught early so that it is easier for children to get used to it. Don't be afraid if after the bottle, your child's intake will decrease. You can eat it by increasing the child's portion of food.
As reported by WebMD, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children leave their milk bottles before the age of 18 months. Some other experts also suggest that children get out of the bottle before the age of 2 years or faster is better. If you wait too long to get the child out of the bottle, this will make the child more difficult.
Introduce children with glasses gradually little by little. Start by modeling the child how to drink with a glass. Clever children imitate so that he will be faster if he often sees it. Try to encourage children to drink milk using glass during the day because it will be more difficult to replace the bottle with a glass when drinking milk at night.
If the child does not want to drink milk using a glass, try to offer the child to drink water or juice using glass first. If the child is able to, introduce the child to drink milk using glass and start increasing the frequency of children drinking glasses. Over time, children will get used to drinking with a glass. This may not be easy and as fast as you think, but the important thing is to keep trying it.