Parents of Preschoolers  Discussion Forum

OK, don't scream, people! My son is 2 and I have not weaned him yet. He has to be fed before his noon nap and bed-time, but usually feeds nights as well, in his sleep. I love feeding him, but it's scary since now it is gonna be a nightmare to wean him. I KNOW IT IS MY FAULT, but any tips, help, advice, anything?! Jyoti replied. Dont worry, I weaned my son at 2, all I did was to stop feeding him, he cried for a couple of times, but he understood,not to come near me for that purpose.Just be strong, I know It will be hard. Mel replied. Jyoti, I'm just completing a week of weaning my daughter at 2 1/2 yrs. I started preparing her for it a couple of days earlier by saying Mommy's milky is getting spoilt. Two days later I applied the juice of the Chinese bitter melon (similar to Indian bitter Gourd but not as bitter) & when she asked for milk instead of saying \";No\"; I said, It's spoilt but you can try it. She tasted it & starting laughing & told dad, \"; Mom's milky is not clean anymore. It's all spoilt.\"; She tried it for 3 days just to make sure it was really bad & stopped asking since. The process was easy & painless for her since she was the one to reject it rather than my saying NO to her though I still feel a little guilty for doing so. But I believe she's got whatever she needed & I give her lots of aditional hugs & kisses & tell her how much I love her & how proud we are that she's such a BIG girl.
Try it out.......Goodluck.

Rama replied. Dear mother,
Since your son has already completed 2 years, you have to wean him off. This cannot be done abruptly. Do it gradually. Wean him off from the daytime feeds initially. For this you can take the help of your family members to put him to sleep instead of you. The nighttime weaning is going to be more difficult. For this you can ask your husband to put him to sleep. This is easier said than done. At sleep time his dad can help him relax by reading out stories or singing softly. Eventually your son will come out of it. Do not despair. All the best to you. Rathi Ramachandran replied. Hi,

Though this is a problem among many families, yet, i think it's time for your kid to get weaned. He may find it for a couple of days, but he'll be alright soon. It's good for them and for you. They get enough nourishment from you only till one year or slightly above that. After that, it's of no use. After that, you'll start losing your energy while they don't get anything. So decide and do the needful soon. NeDDre replied. Hello Friend,

I know you probably feel like your child is at the age to be weaned, but, it's all a matter of one's opinion. I personally do feel a child must wean naturally, for most children, it happens around 2 or 2 1/2 years.

It's quite common for little ones to have that need to nurse beyond the first year and it's very normal and it's better for your child.

If you are able to continue nursing him, do so. He will feel that security he needs.

Do not feel guilty. You are actually doing good to provide nurturing and security...

he will wean when he's ready.

I know a lot of people may scream at me for saying this, but, it's a fact that babies deal with life better if they aren't harshly weaned.

Good luck!
NeDDre