How to Get My Son to Drink Milk

dear M.,

if he does not like milk, his body probably cannot digest it, like many many people who are lactos intollerant. whatever you want him to get from milk is easily provided through other foods.
i could not stand milk as a child and even today any milk products give me a headache and constipation. so if i must have ice cream, i take digestive enzymes and alfalpha.

bless you for caring about him so much,

A. m

Maybe try the flavored soy milk. My son likes the vanilla flavor. If you get enriched soy milk they get the needed nutrients.

Don't make him. Milk is for cows, not people. My children were raised on breast milk and soy milk and almond milk. Their friends are all overweight because of the hormones found in milk; my children are not. We also had comments from the doctor about underweight issues...I ignored them. At 10 and 15, my children are healthy and lean and beautiful. And they don't like the taste of milk. I never did either. We have organic milk in the house for cereal and cooking but rarely (unless we are eating chocolate chip cookies!) do they drink a glass of straight milk.

M.,
Your son doesn't have to drink milk. Although the dairy board would like us all to think so. Cow's milk is for baby calves anyway. Leafy green veggies have more calcium than milk. Can you make him a fruit smoothie and sneak some greens in? There are powdered greens on the market or you could use your own juicer. As long as your son is getting enough fluids (water, juices) he can get calcium elsewhere. Does he like yogurt or cheese? You can try cow's, sheep or goat milk sources. Goat milk is actually closest to human milk in composition. Don't worry if he doesn't like milk. That may just be his instinct that we don't need it. So many kids have allergies to milk anyway. Good Luck!

Won't he drink water? If not, I'd just start thinning the pediasure with water until he gets used to water. No idea why he'd still need cow's milk at 3.5 years of age, so I think you'll be fine with water unless there's some reason he has to have milk. I'm thinking if he drank water, he'd eat more. If he does need milk, just try using half milk, half pediasure and then easing out the pediasure as you go. Good luck! C.

hi M.,

my daughter is the same age and is going through the same thing..... i bought some VERY VANILLA soymilk (silk, it tastes the best) and told her that it's her milkshake........ she LOVES IT... although without telling her it was her milkshake, i don't think she would have given it a try.... it has the calcium your son is in need of and the health benefits are said to far outweigh the health benefits of milk... hope this helps :)

Hi M. V,

How about giving him Pediasure increasingly over time diluted with milk until there is 1/2 and 1/2. Stay with that for awhile then start the process again until he's drinking milk without even knowing it! This idea has worked for me! Good luck!

Hi M.,
We went through the same thing with our son. We started mixing in the milk and increasing the percent of milk each week. Also, we just kept unopened Pediasure in our cabinet, and our son had an issue w/ milk always being cold and wanted warm milk (um, no, my sweet little prince). If your son is having a similar issue with the temperature change, you might want to keep the Pediasure in the fridge, too. Our son still isn't a huge milk fan, but he has a big glass every morning and sometimes more at other times during the day. Just be careful about getting into a power struggle with your son. At that age, kids will notice that something is very important to you but under *their* control, and they are looking for opportunities to exert control over their environments. My son is quite thin (born at 2 lbs, 6 oz -- no longer looks like a rubber chicken, but it's easy for me to stress about his weight if I'm not careful), and I know how hard it can be to say, "Well, it's milk or water," but we got through it just fine in the end.
K.

Hi M.,
Many parents in my practice worry about whether their children are drinking milk. If your son is eating plenty of other nutritious foods, there is no reason he needs milk per se. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products will have similar health benefits. Also, green veggies, nuts and seeds and meats all contain some of the same nutrients. I would focus on giving him an all around healthy whole foods diet. Since it sounds like he doesn't need the pediasure any more, he might like to drink water as his main drink, while you focus on getting him lots of nutrients in other ways.

I hope this is useful!

Best,
E. Bender, NC, CHN
www.nutritionforthewholefamily.com

Stop the pediasure for a week and replace it with milk. He is most likely not drinking milk because he is used to the taste of pediasure. If there is a lapse of a few days, milk won't taste so different from what he is used to.

I've did the same thing several years ago when changing from full fat foods to reduced/low fat options.

I would forget about trying to get him to drink certain things and concentrate on feeding him well. Look for food that is high in good fat and others that have calcium. One way to get things down your child is in the form of a smoothy. Remember that milk really isn't all that great for you anyway. It is just a way to get children fat and calium. There are much better ways to do that. Good luck.

If Pediasure is filling him up, why would a doctor suggest it to a child who is under the growth curve? It is keeping him from eating what he needs to. It should never have been given instead of milk but as a supplement. Ugh! Sometimes doctors are so stupid.

So now here is what you do. Start putting a little, and I mean a little, milk in each cup of Pediasure. Very gradually add a little more. If this does not work, your child is old enough to talk to about this. You may just have to take the pediasure away. Tell him that big boys do not deink this kind of milk and now that he is older, he drinks something different.

It may not be easy but it is crucial.

Best of luck and find a new pediatrician - this one is not good.

Hi, M.

I have a daughter 3.5 years old. She drinks pediasure too, but i gave after meal. I mix with milk half and half, 2 times a day only. And outdoor actvities its helps to take their energy out and became hungry.

Have you tried gradually diluting the pediasure with milk until you are down to all milk. I know a friend who is doing the same thing right now and it seems to be working for her.

Dear M.,

I don't have much to add except to say I know your frustration. I breast fed my son until he was 2 but he wouldn't transfer to milk. I tried soy and goat. He refused. I did some research and thought about it. Milk, cows milk, is an acquired taste and really not human food. So instead of forcing the issue, I made sure he had plenty of yogart, cheese and other calcium rich foods (you'd be suprised how many calcium rich foods are not dairy products)
Instead of assuming he was being stubborn, I decided to accept that his disinterest in milk was natural. He is 10 and still doesn't drink milk but he's healthy and smart.

For you, I agree with the comments to dilute the pedisure. But also trust your instincts. Children on the lower end of the growth curve, and on the higher end, are what make 'average'. He's an individual and will grow according to his own schedule. I've had children on the high and low end so I know the desire to want them in the middle--'normal'. If your child is healthy, alert,active and eating a well balanced diet, he might not need pedisure or milk. Instead of forcing him, investigate his daily nutrition without the drink and different foods he might eat to fill any gaps.

Good luck,

S.

M.,

Try taking him to the store to get a new cup. Something special that he picks out. Then, offer him milk 3-4 times/day and see if he will try it. If all else fails, offer him food first and then the pediasure. As long as he is getting enough calcium from other sources, he should be ok without milk.

Molly

Hello,

We tried to give our daughter whole milk at 1 year of age and she would not drink it. We thought maybe she was just used to breast milk. Then we waited a few more months and she still would not drink milk. We decided to try the "Very Vanilla Soy Milk" by Silk (the purple ½ gallon box) and it was like night and day.

I believe part of the reason doctors would like for children to drink whole milk is the vitamin D which encourages brain and bone development. Well, my daughter was also on the lower side of the growth curve at 18 months. Since she has been drinking the soy milk, she has gained a body mass and height that is more fitting of a two year old and as a plus she is very talkative and active. We tried the Very Vanilla Soy milk because we found out our daughter had eczema. She is allergic to peanut butter and most citrus. It worked for us, try it and see he likes it.

Not to mention if you go online and look at the nutrition fact for the soymilk and whole milk….. You will be pleasantly surprised. I have added the links at the bottom for you.

Take care,

N. L

http://www.silksoymilk.com/Products/NutritionalInformatio...

http://www.berkeleyfarms.com/products/nutritional-info/Nu...

I would very slowly add milk to the pediasure, and trasition him over time. For instance, add 1 ounce of milk to the pediasure, and if he accepts it, do that for a week, and then just slowly get him over to milk. Let it take a couple of months.

My daughter won't drink milk, and I really have't found aything that she will drink more than a few ounces of, other than water, so I uderstand the problem!

Also, you can try those yogurt drinks - they are super sweet and have calcium, istead fo milk.

Good luck!

reduce the amt of pediasure. dilute it if necessary .this will help him not like it as much too, you may want to do this secretly.

Have you tried gradually adding milk to the Pediasure. Like you would do for a baby when you are weaning them from formula or breastmilk to milk. I would start with 6 oz formula/breastmilk and add 2 oz milk. I did this for a few days then moved up to 4 oz and the 6. My kids developed a taste for the milk and it ended up working better than trying cold turkey.

Is it possible to add a little milk to the pediasure and keep adding more and more milk until he is use to the taste? It may take a little time, but it will be worth it. We had to do this when we switched from formula to whole milk

our bodies don't actually need cow's milk, we absorb calcium more efficiently from other foods, such as vegetable greens or fortified orange juice. furthermore, research has shown that cow's milk can actually deter the body from absorbing enough calcium. so perhaps this is an issue you can not stress about if it's for nutrition sake.

Hi M.-
You already have alot of good advice about diluting the Pediasure with milk and disregarding the MD concern about your child's weight. The only thing I wanted to add was to remember your child only needs the equivalent of 3-4 servings of milk per day for a balance of Calcim/protein/other nutrients provided by this group. The servings sizes are small (4 oz of milk/yogurt is a serving for 1-3 year olds, 6oz for over 3), so don't go overboard on the amounts becasue those calories come with satuated fat that can set up our child for heart disease from an early age. Checkout the online government site for the Food Guide Pyramid, it's really interactive and helpful.
Good luck- J. (BTW- I'm an R.D. :) so I'm a big Food Guide Pyramid fan!)

Wwe drink Organic WHole milk from Straus Creamery. The milk is not homogonized so there is cream sitting on top of it. We think it tastes way better but the thicker texture might appel to your son. If he will eat some other dairy or another source of calcium just let him drink water and don't worry about it. I have an "underweight" child too. She isn't on the growth chart for weight but we focus on offering nutritious foods and leave it up to her what and how much she eats. When we are offering milk the first few times I have mixed it with breastmilk. Perhaps you could dilute the pediasure with milk? Then the change could be made slowly.

Maybe your son is lactose intolerant and the milk may be upsetting his stomach. Try soy milk, or rice milk to see if he will try that.

And don't worry if your son is shorter, being short is not "unhealthy". That and he will catch up as he gets older.

M. *~

I have no advice but am going through the same thing with my son who is almost 7!!!! We have finally got him down to one pediasure a day. That stuff is addictive to kids. Thank you M. for your question, I am going to try for this too. Keep in touch with what you find that works for you.

Does he like orange juice? If so, get the kind fortified with calcium and vitamin d and it has the same amount as milk but also has the vitamin c. My son never did like cow's milk after I weaned him from breast milk. So he drinks the oj (either plain or in a smoothie with yogurt, strawberries and bananas). For his cereal we use vanilla soy milk which is what my DH and I drink as well. That might be another thing to try is the vanilla or chocolate flavored soy.

Good luck! L.

have you tried mixing the pediasure with milk try 80 - 20 pediasure and then slowly go to 50 50. or possibly find a cartoon or video talking about drinking milk and how important it is or someone he looks up to drinking milk he might want to be just like them

just some ideas.

Maybe you could try mixing the milk and the pedisure for awhile gradually giving him more milk, kind of like changing a baby from formula to milk. I think it's just as well that he didn't go for the chocolate or strawberry milk. These are fine as a treat, but you don't want your child to ONLY drink milk if it's flavored.