Weaning a baby from a bottle is a heartening phase in parents' life. For you as a parent, your little champ has leaped from babyhood to childhood. But at the same time it may be quite painful experience for your baby. Psychologically, it may prove to be a difficult phase for you as parent as well, if you do not handle this situation tactfully. From babies' perspective it is like first “break-up” with his faithful companion. And keep it in mind this break-up is forcible. 

Psychological Perspective of Weaning Baby from Bottle: Parents usually dub it as a happy moment in their parenthood life. They consider it as normal as the baby was first weaned from breastfeeding, now what is the big deal in weaning baby from bottle?  Realize the scenario has changed a bit. Now your baby has become child and learned some basic social skills.

To understand why this is different from the previous phase of weaning baby from breastfeeding, put yourselves in your babies' shoes. Unfortunately now matter what you try they are too small to be put on! But try to get gist of it. You give them bottles and taught them not to depend on you for feeding. As they have become used to it, now you are telling them that even bottles are bad for them. They may ask if these were bad things then why you give those bottles in the first place. Be prepared to answer. Secondly, it may be compared to as their first break-up and adding insult to injury, a forced one. So be prepared to cope with this situation mentally. If need be, ask a professional i.e. psychiatrist (e.g. in case your child refuses weaning) on how to handle the situation.

Useful tips of weaning baby from bottle:

I remember when my mother weaned me from bottle. We (my siblings and I) threw away bottles voluntarily. She arranged a party. I felt proud that I have done something extraordinary. The next morning I went straight to the dust bin and searched for the bottle….. But never found it, except in my memories. LOL.

 Search the net, and you would find thousands of tips of weaning baby from bottle. I have enlisted some of effective ways of weaning baby from bottle:

• Make it a period, Instead of making it an incident or to be more accurate “accident”. The process of weaning should be gradual.
• During the weaning period, keep the foods taking timing constant. The logic is the child will revert to bottle if you are away and child feels hungry. 
• Children imitate what they see. Use this principle for smooth transition of your child from bottle to cups and glasses. Bring new small cups with their favorite cartoon characters on them. Use these cups yourselves first. Familiarize them with these new cups. They will adopt them more readily.
• When your child is mentally prepared of giving up bottles, tell them they are going to party on a particular day. Invite family and relatives. Ask them to bring gifts. Make this party memorable. Make them feel proud of what they have done. It's not an ordinary thing of giving up what they are used to!

Weaning baby from bottle can be a memorable and joyous time for you and your baby, if and only if you handle this situation tactfully. Otherwise, it may have at least a minor scare on their psyche.