[blparent] Holding a bottle independently?

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Hi.  According to the books I've read, most babies should be off the bottle by their first birthday.  I'm not one who has to do everything by the book, so if Sarah takes longer than that, I don't have a problem with it.  She doesn't have any teeth yet, so it isn't like I have to worry about mouth troubles.  But she isn't even the slightest bit interested in holding a bottle by herself, or in drinking from a cup or a sippy.  Is there anything I can do to encourage her, or if I just wait, will she come to it all on her own?

Thanks,
Jo Elizabeth

"Don't throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water."--Swedish proverb