You Can’t Bottle-Feed Someone Patience

I work in a daycare and am currently in the six-month to twelve-month room. One of the eight-month-olds is due for a bottle, so I go to feed him. He refuses the bottle, turning his head away and pushing at the bottle. I don’t want to force it, so I set him back down to try again later. About thirty minutes later, I offer it to him again and get the same response. I figure he ate enough at lunch and will let us know when he’s hungry again.

One of my coworkers sees this and rolls her eyes.

Coworker: “I’ll get him to take the bottle.”

Me: “He’s obviously not hungry yet. Don’t force it.”

She sits there for a long time, forcing the nipple into his mouth, until he eventually gives up and drinks the bottle. She sets him down and looks at me smugly. 

Coworker: “See, I knew I could get him to take it.” 

Cue the baby puking up the entire contents of the bottle. 

Me: “And that’s exactly why I stopped trying to get him to take it.”