Just One Question

Is it normal for a 16-year-old to occasionally drink from a baby bottle?

Logic tells me its not 'normal' but what is normal ? If it gives you comfort (or whoever is doing it) then whats the harm ?

Hello clancularia, it's nice to meet you, welcome to psych central.
I think it's hard to say what is normal, it's not something that I have run across in my experience. I think like everything else it depends on how much effect it really has on ones life, if it's just for occasional comfort I wouldn't be really concerned about it.

How often are they doing it? Is it interfering with daily activities (ex. seeing friends less due to embarassment)?

I have a 16 year old and it would be very likely that he would do it just for the "shock factor". Now, if he's doing it when no one is looking, that's another matter. But they are very much into experimenting and defining their existence at that age so they do all kinds of weird stuff.

I have to say No that it is not normal for a 16 year old to drink from a babies bottle... I suggest you investigate the matter a little more to see if there are any emotional issues that need to be addressed.

More information on when this is happening might help us better understand the action.

I wouldn’t think it’s “normal” or even healthy. There are issues with ears for older children sucking on a bottle. But as Vickie mentioned kids that age do strange things for perfectly stupid reasons.

I'm not sure how often. It's not interfering with daily activities as she's doing it mostly at night it seems, and never openly.

It can't be insomnia or the like, since she spends almost all day sleeping anyways.

I'm not sure how often. It's not interfering with daily activities since it seems she does it only at night, and never openly (therefore "shock factor" ruled out). She sleeps all day, so it's obviously not insomnia or something done to help her sleep.

Sorry for the double post, I used quick reply and didn't see it go through.

Your teen could be doing this to be smart. I have 3 teens, and my boys will do some strange things, and just laugh about it. My daughter (even though I love her with all my heart) can lack common sense sometimes. I would just ask your teen what is up with the bottle.

I remember that my best friend back in junior high and all through high school used to have a going to bed ritual. No big deal, she just went through a pattern of things that I observed whenever I stayed over at her house.

The one thing I did notice was the last three things she did was put a glass of water by her bedside, grab her favorite stuffy and cuddle it, then put her thumb in her mouth.

We were 16.

Sounds like she is using the bottle to help fulfill her need to be safe - secure in knowing that her needs are being met (the same reason in which a baby wants a bottle).... have you talked to her about this issue?

P.S.
There is some thing emotional going on here.

It is not normal for a 16 year old to be drinking from a baby bottle, but that could be the point. Many teens are trying their hardest to stand out and be noticed and this could be the reason. If you think that maybe this is not the reason I recommend you take your child to see her doctor and express your concerns, there could be a deep rooted reason behind this but most likely she is just trying to stand out.

In this situation I too think there’s a deeper emotional issue going on that warrants some attention.

If it's not interfereing with their daily life than i wouldn't be too concerned with it. You should talk to your kid about it though. They are most likely filling an emotional need they have and it would be good to find out what that need is. It might be something you can teach them to deal with in a more appropriate manner.

I'd suspect that there is some emotional issue that is occurring because as you said, she's using the bottle in private, at home. She cant stand out because there's few people to see her and she's obviously trying to conceal the fact that she is doing it. She's doing it at night presumably because everyone else in the family is asleep. I don't think that it's simply because she's wishing to experiment or wants to "be smart" with you.

As for sleeping all day, that may be a sign of something or it may not, it depends whether or not she goes out with friends, does things around the house, etc... . How late is she sleeping until? Many teens (myself included) tend to sleep in late (i.e. until noon, maybe a bit past), although when classes start that changes. But if she's constantly sleeping, such as until dinner or so, then there may be an issue to address.

Her sleeping very late in the day may have something to do with the bottle. If she uses the bottle a lot during the night to a point where she doesn't sleep much, then come later, she's tired and sleeps in.

You could ask her about it or you could also put the bottle in a different place (and any other baby bottles you may have). If she ends up frantically searching for it, then you know something is definitely up or if she uses something else in place of the bottle, then you also know something is up.

I don't really see the problem, unless the person is obsessively sucking the bottle. As long as he acts like an adult in the ways that matter, and as long as he isn't dependant upon the bottle, whose business is it? Seriously, what is it with our society making a big deal out of people doing perfectly harmless things for comfort? When I get nervous, sometimes I catch myself rocking back and forth. It's an instinctive act that is soothing. Parents rock their babies to soothe them and it's soothing in adulthood, also. Something else that soothes some people, is sucking on something. Some people suck on their thumb. Some people might chew instead, popping gum in their mouths. What's worse about sucking a bottle? It's comforting and way better than chewing your nails down past the quick. Ouch! I decided a few years ago that I really had enjoyed my bottle and I could remember it. I kind of missed it. I have an oral fixation and I was kind of craving something to suck on, so I bought a bottle. I filled it up and drank it. It was extremely soothing and relaxing to me. I didn't become dependant upon it. I sucked it a few diff. times, then didn't use it for months, maybe even a year or longer before I used it again. My friend said to be honest, she missed hers, too. Another friend who has a child, admitted to me that sometimes, she drank from his bottle, then cleaned it up for him. I think people naturally have a sucking instinct and our oral fixation often doesn't end in childhood. It's a soothing action, so we do it to relax, whether we chew gum, suck on a sucker, puff a cig., etc. Cigs are considered adult, but they are far more dangerous to suck on than a bottle. They also cost more money. I think a bottle is a more adult decision, more soothing, a lot cheaper, and a lot healthier! Also, it's not physically addictive. People can say, "Wow, you have problems, you sucked a bottle as an adult," but I could easily turn it around and say, "Yeah, but I don't have to do it, and it cost me about $1. You on the other hand, are addicted, spending ridiculous amounts of money, to suck on burning toxins." And anyway, at least I'm not giving anyone lung damage, or raising their cancer risk by sucking the bottle in the house with them. And my friend who sucked on a bottle wasn't poisoning her kid by the second hand bottle sucking, whereas, smoking around him would poison him. So, maybe it's more normal to suck on your cancer causing formaldehyde sticks than it is to drink healthy juice from a bottle, but if you ask me, the more sane and responsible decision, is the bottle. Both are often done as a means of soothing the self. Ironically, smoking also causes shortness of breath, coughing, etc.- things that are far from soothing. And it's irritating to the lungs. Sucking a bottle allows for the sucking action, without causing irritation, so it is far more soothing. It serves its purpose better, is cheaper, more respectful of others, healthier, less addictive, etc. than sucking on tobacco sticks.

As for ear problems, which was mentioned by another poster- bottles don't just cause ear issues for adults, they can cause them in children and babies. It's not like they esp. cause problems in adults, to my knowledge. There are special bottles (which I don't have, but like I said, I rarely use one, anyway, and haven't in the past year), that help prevent vaccums from being formed when sucking on the bottle. That in turn, lowers the chances of bottle sucking causing ear problems. Also, I believe part of the issue has to do with the degree of pressure exerted when sucking- it you cut a bigger hole in the nipple, it might help. You should also get one that's free from toxins like BPA. These things (with the exception of the big hole, of course), should also be observed when buying a baby a bottle.