Bottles at Nap

[gravy_train]

Personally, I have never put a child in their bed with a bottle. Yes, it is a choking hazard, it smells and it is also really unhealthy for the child. The child has to learn to fall asleep without eating and that can be a very hard habit to break. It also leads to childhood tooth decay and can cause permanent damage to those little teeth (http://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health...ooth_decay.asp). This is something that I am clear about in the interview process. When I transition a new baby who is still using a bottle I will use it to comfort the child before naptime or if the child is really having a tough time but I do not rock them to sleep with the bottle and I don't use it as part of the naptime routine.
I think you have two options, mickyc: 1) you can just transition the child of the bottle and tell the parents after the fact or 2) you can tell the parents that you feel the child is ready to give up the naptime bottle as there are some serious health risks associated with bottles in the bed. You have to be firm about this and be prepared for them to argue and tell you that it will never work. Tell them it is amazing how well children respond to rules in daycare, etc. etc. I have a little one who is still using a soother at 2.5. I told him he could only use it here at naptime and I recently just told him that he isn't using it here at all anymore. End of story and that was that. He still comes in regularly with it in the mornings though as mom swears that he won't give it up at home :-S.
Also, 5 Little Monkeys - a bottle at 2.5 is ridiculous!!!!