DD (2) won't drink milk - any suggestions?

[Minnie824]

I posted this on the community board also, but I thought someone here maybe able to help.


DD just turned 2 and was still on the bottle. I wanted to stop this habit before our 2nd one is born. So, we spent a weekend 2 1/2 wks ago and got rid of it. One crying fit, not really a problem. It actually went better than I planned. Except for the fact that she will not drink milk from any other cup and hasn't had any since. (She's very stubborn). I have tried every kind of sippy cup imaginable, even tried to let her drink from my cup, but no way. Tried chocolate milk - doesn't want that either. I know she was having way too much milk with the bottle..at least 6 bottles a day and the good thing is she is eating so much better now. She's been getting oatmeal made with milk, and having cheese, ice cream or yogurt, but still, I want her to actually drink some milk still. Any suggestions?

 

[skiwee1]

This happened with the last two of my kids. I got rid of the bottle and they never touched white milk again! My DS, who is 15, still does not drink white milk! My 4 y/o DD doesn't either. They both drank chocolate milk though. Every morning my 4 y/o still has to have her one cup of chocolate milk. You can get the same benefits by eating cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. I wouldn't worry about it if she is eating those.

 

[elgerber]

Neither of my kids would drink milk from a cup, from about 18 months to 4 or 5. I bought calcium fortified juices, plus they ate cheese and yogurt. Minute Maid juice boxes are 100 juice and have calcium. Some others do too, you just have to check the labels.

Erika

 

[Brat862]

My youngest has just decided to quit drinking white milk also but will drink choc milk on occasion. I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as she is getting her calcuim else where

I personally don't like milk myself

 

[Familymoon]

Just FYI - kids don't really need milk *or* dairy...it's a common misconception and children who drink milk actually have a higher risk of obesity and osteoperosis. Milk is 97 percent water anyway, and can be replaced with nutritious foods and water to drink. So...no worries.

Calcium is better absorbed when combined with vitamin C, and you can find all kinds of orange juices that have calcium, and some even with vitamin E and other vitamins added. I'd stay away from the Juicy Juice type juices - even though they are 100% juice it is all empty sugars and no real nutrients. (At least that's what my pediatrian says). He recommends orange juice, if kids will drink it (mine do) because it contains a lot more than just vitamin C and Calcium.

Our pediatrian also had us start our kids out on sippies of ice water - because, as I said before, milk is almost totally water, and developing healthy (read:non-sweet) eating/drinking habits at a young age will translate to healthier adults.

The main reason children need to drink milk (or are told they need to) is because children under the age of 2 need a high-fat diet. Milk is an easy, quick fat addition to a toddler's diet. You can just as easily replace it with almonds, avocado, whole milk yogurt, and cheeses...but in your child's case, they are old enough to not have a highfat diet and they should be just fine.

So - offer water first, then juice with calcium, and don't be concerned a bit

 

[shelleyz]

DS2 & DS4 do not drink milk either. Once I took them off the bottle they wouldn't drink it anymore. Occasionally they will drink strawberry milk. I dont worry about it.

 

[2MuchOhana]

Thank-you! I don't feel like such a terrible mother now. My DD was born six weeks early. She is now over two years old (27 months) and still on the bottle. She is a terrible little eater; and I worry about going cold turkey with the bottle as she is on whole milk for the calories. She will take a few sips out of cup for milk; but that is it. She loves water in a cup and refuses to touch juice; but loves popsickles. Can't win for nothing. She loves cheese and dairy products; so I can see I am not doing her any favors here.

You all have given the courage to just let Tink come and take the bottles away for good. Question is whether to do it before our after our trip? The bottle was the only thing that kept her from screaming on the bus ride over to the parks and back in July. It's her version of a security blanket. There is still almost a month before our trip. What do you suggest.

 

[bethnburke]

He was still on the bottle at 2 and refused to drink milk any other way. I think it was a security blanket for him. We tried every kind of sippy cup we could find - even a special Buzz Lightyear cup (his favorite) but it still didnt work. One day I couldnt find a bottle when he wanted milk and he decided to drink it out of a sippy cup since he wanted it - He was probably about 26 months at the time. He never asked for his bottle again! I think every kid does things in their own time. When shes ready she will take the sippy cup. In the meantime I wouldnt worry too much about how much milk she drinks. She will do fine either way.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I agree with the others that as long as she is eating calcium rich foods and drinking calcium enriched juice she will be fine. Add a few extra mickey bars .Just a note of caution as parents make the switch from the bottle to a sippy cup. The new nonspill sippy cups hold many of the same cautions for teeth as the bottle does. My best friend's children were addicted to their sippy cups much like a bottle. They developed cavities on the backs of thier teeth. The dentist said that he is seeing more problems for these non spill sippy cups than bottles!!! They need to be treated like a bottle and used just as a means to supply a drink and then put up unless filled with water. Many twos can learn and like to drink out of a regular cup or with a straw. One last suggestion for the milk is a very thin milkshake. If she will drink that, decrease the ice cream until she is drinks just milk.


Jordan's mom

 

[justhat]

Just to confirm what Jordan's MOM said about sippy cups. I work in a day care with kids 15 months to 30 months and they all drink out of regular cups without a problem. We don't allow the use of sippy cups past 18 months because of studies that show that they cause the problems bottles do (delayed/problem speech, cavities, etc.), and all of our kids do fine with regular cups by that age. With the younger ones (15-16 mos) it takes about a week or 2 before they can drink a whole cup without spilling, but the ones closer to 18 months, they only take about 3-5 days to stop spilling. Of course, inevitably sometimes the cups get knocked over, but in terms of putting it to their mouths and getting the beverage in and not on their shirts, they're fine. And our kids will drink milk, juice, and water out of regular cups, even those who still get milk in a bottle at home. I think it's easier for us since they're younger so they are less likely to protest as it is, but also since there are 7 other kids using the cup they want to do it too, the earliest forms of peer pressure!

 

[thumperjr9]

I agree, I wouldn't worry about her not drinking milk. In fact, if she senses you want her to drink milk she may hold out just for that reason. Sometimes 2 year olds can be like that. The last thing you want is to get in a power stuggle over food. With the experience of a DS that is a so-so eater and a DS that will eat (or at least try any food) I would suggest to just offer a variety of nutritional foods and in the end she will most likely get eveything she needs. I think that in time she will probably start drinking milk again on her own.

 

[MinnieGi]

Minnie824 - My DD did the same thing. She used to love her bottles of milk. She drank way more than she ate. At 20 months she got a nasty stomach virus and couldn't hold anything down. Although it was awful on her, I decided that was our chance to break the bottle habit and we went to cups only. She then refused to drink any kind of milk, chocalate, soy, whole, etc. I asked the ped. and she said as the others have said before me, no worries if she eats and drinks other calcium foods. DD already loved yogurt and orange juice that was fortified with calcium plus she ate quite a bit of cheese so no need for milk too. Well now DD is three and guess who is loving milk again!

 

[Minnie824]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I feel a lot better now. She is definitely eating a lot better and getting some calcium through other foods, so I'm not going to worry. Thanks!

 

[2MuchOhana]

Thanks to encouragement here DD has now gone almost a whole week without a bottle. She complained quite a lot at first; but DH and I remained strong in our united front. We gave her lots of praise and she is so happy to be a "big" girl now.

She actually will drink milk from certain cups. Sometimes it can be a matter of finding the right one. Nibbles a little more; but still not a great eater. Since she no longer has a bottle before bed; she wakes up earlier because she is hungry. I can deal with that.

Thank-you eveyone!