Hello to you mother's out there! I have a 27 month old toddler who does not at all drink milk. She used to drink it all the time and then last summer, she just kind of stopped drinking it. We went to FL for vacation and got milk for her and she would drink it before bed, but that's it. When we got home, she quit drinking it all together. She just stayed on juice (1/2 water 1/2 juice), I think because it didn't upset her belly in the hot weather. I was always told not to drink milk when your hot because it can make you sick to your stomach.
Is this bad that she is not getting this milk? I want to make sure she is getting calcium, but I'm afraid she isn't getting enough. She does currently eat 2-3 gogurts (yogurt push ups) and about 2 of the string cheeses every day so she is getting some calcium, but is it enough? I just want to make sure she is getting proper nutrition. I know I should ask her pediatrician, but I want to hear from you mom's first before I ask the doctor. Thanks!
Thank you for the several responses! My child is perfectly healthy and she does currently takes a multi-vitamin per day. She is not fat at all and is growing perfectly healthy. She plays all the time so I cannot imagine she isn't exercising it off! We've been trying to cut back on the juices, but I'm afraid she'll dehydrate. We have been putting about 1/3 of her cup full of juice and the rest water. So she is actually getting more water than anything and it's the Kool Aid you make is what I give her (don't worry I don't put as much sugar in it as they ask you to). One day she will be weened off it, but for now I'll do it slowly.
We had this problem too! We now use "pink milk" which all we do is take the nesquik strawberry powder and put some in her milk. The best part is we don't put a lot in. You can't even taste it but just making it pink makes it good enough for her. I would imagine it would work with the chocolate as well.
Try mixing milk with chocolate milk or strawberry milk. Make it half and half. Cut the juice out of her diet too. She could be denying the milk because she is waiting for her juice. Good luck!
My daughter is a bit younger, 15 months, but we have the same issue. I breast fed her for 14.5 months. She has never really taken to milk. Some days she will drink 3-5 ounces, but never more than that. She will only drink it if it has strawberry syrup (sugar free). I have talked to her pediatrician about it and she said that everything will be fine if we supplement with other foods. From what you say, she is getting plenty of calcium. Four to five servings a day is great. Our only other concern is fat, but toddlers over 24 months don't really need to worry about that. I would keep trying milk on occasion, but don't stress about it. You are doing a great job finding other ways to keep your daughter healthy!
We don't drink milk in our house, no biggie at all. Just give her a daily vitamin with Vitamin D and Calcium. She'll be fine. Lots of folks don't drink milk and are perfectly healthy. If you are extra worried about it, there are plenty of foods with extra Vitamin D and Calcium added these days. My kids do eat yogurt also. The Dananino are small, perfect for her age. They are really good also, so, you may try those! I think one of those has a pretty good serving of what you might be looking for in a glass of milk. I know many worry about the "fats" in the whole milk, but, our pediatrician actually does not like kids on whole milk, but, rather skim. I'm pretty positive this is not an issue you should push, as long as she is growing just fine. My milk-free kids are perfectly healthy! All three of them! :)
There are lots of ways to get calcium and protein, if that is what you are worried about. She is old enough to be on a multivitamin. There are some great ones out there....check out Rainbow Light. It has not preservatives or fillers and you cn get it at Target.
My son doesn't drink milk at all. He's 32 months old. We don't offer it and he doesn't ask. We are vegetarians and I am not a fan of milk, although we do dairy and he gets yogurt, cheese, etc.
I don't think you should worry at all. I think with the yogurt and cheese she eats, she is getting plenty of calcium
There is really no reason to drink cow's milk at all.
There is nothing special about cow's milk. Keep in mind that the vast majority of people in the world do not drink any type of milk once they are weaned. In fact, the vast majority of people in the world (including the US) is sensitive or intolerate or allergic to milk. The American Dairy Association has done one heck of an advertising campaign to convince many Americans that milk is important, when it's one of the least important foods out there for us!!
My son is intolerant to milk (as most ADHD and Autism Spectrum kids are) and one of the BEST things we did was remove all milk from his diet. Totally different kid!
Remember that kids should get no more than 2-3 servings of dairy a day. A piece of cheese the size of dice is a serving. Those string cheese things are actually like 2-3 servings for a toddler. And I wouldn't go as far as to call GoGurt "yogurt"... it's a mixture of sugar and food dyes with a bit of probiotics thrown in. You can take probiotics in a chewable tablet and skip all the nasty stuff.
Calcium is better absorbed from other sources - tons of foods have calcium.
There are plenty of non-dairy ways to get calcium. Leafy greens, I think tofu, and others... look it up here:
http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/alternative_ca...
Hi Victoria----Cows milk is NOT for humans. I say this as a reformed milk drinker, stopping when I was well into my 40's. I have learned a lot from a series of classes taught by a Naturopath who has her PhD in Nutrition.
Please visit www.strongbones.org and www.pcrm.org to learn why not milk.
I think the diluted juice is fine. We sometimes add sparkling mineral water to Naked purees...yummy! Be sure there is no added phosphoric acid. This additive, found in sodas, leaches calcium from the bones. Water should be the beverage of choice. I also suggest that you eliminate kool-aid because of the artificial colorings. Please visit www.askDrSears.com to learn more about the dangers of these chemical additives. I truly believe, based on research, that all of the chemicals in our food combine in ways in our body that are likely to be detrimental in the long run. I don't want to take that chance.
If you have questions about anything, or would like to learn more about how to optimize your family's health, please feel free to contact me. I would be honored to share. Good luck. D.
my son was didn't drink milk from the time he was 4 months old til he was around 7. He is just fine. (it was for alleric reasons) so i would think with all the other dairy products your lil girl is having, she will be fine. Does she like cereal? will she drink her milk with that? choc milk?just some thoughts. but i wouldn't be too concerned. Good luck :)
I am like melodysmommy..I breastfeed, have a 16mos old who doesn't like milk either, drinks it periodically, but I supplement with yogurt, cheese and he isn't fat either, so it's either normal or you're not alone.
I think with the gogurts and the string cheese, she's probably getting a sufficient amount of calcium. There are also a number of other foods that you can give your daughter to up her calcium intake, like broccoli, green beans, calcium fortified orange juice, grapes, tofu, and the like. Here's a couple of links that tell you more about the calcium content in various foods:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/calcium-rich-foods-list-of...
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/calcium/a/06_calcium_food.htm
My daughter started refusing milk so my husband and I began giving her ovaltine. We just add a little bit of ovaltine and she loves her chocolate milk. Ovaltine is full of vitamins and minerals plus she gets the benefits of milk. Try it, you have nothing to loose. If she has dairy products in her diet, I figure your daughter will be fine without drinking milk.
I agree that you should check with your pediatrician. However, neither of my children drink milk and they are fine. I never drank milk. They both eat yougurt and cheese. You can also buy the calcium fortified juices. Dark green veggies also contain calcium.
The only advice I can really give is "do not give her juice, ever!" No matter how concentrated, a kid is going to prefer sugary and sweet tasting juice over milk. There is no reason for a child to receive juice. I have never heard that milk in hot weather can make a child sick to their stomach and my two older girls have drank milk no matter what the temperature was. They should not, however, drink it when they have a temperature/fever. I would stop offering the juice, regardless. Only offer water and milk. You may also want to stop giving whole milk (if that is what you are giving) it may now be to thick and creamy tasting. Go down to 1%, 1/2 %, or skim.
Also, it is great that she is getting calcium in other things, but be careful about gogurts too, there is A LOT of sugar in them which is why kids LOVE to eat them. I buy the carbmaster yogurt from Krogers for my girls. There is also calcium in meats and veggies too.
There are other ways of getting the nutrients in milk into her diet. Other dairy products provide alot. Also, if when you use milk in cooking, add some non-fat dry milk in. You won't notice the taste, but the extra nutrients are in there. You could even stir a little bit of the dry milk into yogurt or pudding and such.
You actually don't have to drink milk as long as you are getting calcium from other sources, which she is. Recently, it was found that even 2 % milk can lead to high cholesterol IN KIDS! I would try skim, but Organic, which tastes FAR superior to the regular stuff.
:)
I agree with the not giving her juice thing. even with water juice is bad for your kids teeth. I also agree with trying to flavor the milk, but alot of milk mixes are high in sugar. and the sugar free nesquik doesnt mix real well. but there is this product called milk mix that is sugar free and comes in indiviual serving packets it comes in chocolate malt and vanillia, and you can find it at krogers.
Sounds like she is getting plenty of calcium. My little guy wont drink milk either so I have looked into this. Lots of other foods have calcium in them. The lactic acid in milk actually inhibits the absorption of calcium so it really isn't the best source anyway. If you are really concerned one of the best sources is orange juice with added calcium and D. The vitamin C helps the absorption of calcium so it really packs a punch.
I think just with all the Yogurt and Cheese she's fine, but you can also get calcium fotified orange juice; one glass equals one glass of milk.
Because my son doesn't like cheese either, I also got him some calcium gummy bears at Costco as a supplement.
Good luck!
Looks like you already got alot of answers, but here's my 2 cents. Generally, if a kid starts to dislike something they have an allergy to it. Not like the usual "I don't wanna eat my broccoli" type rejection. There is no reason the child needs to drink milk. You get calcium from leafy greens and vitamin D from the sun. As long as the kid is getting a good diet of fruits and veggies she is fine. Try lessening the juice and adding more water, too. There's no need for juice either. It has too much sugar, and I don't mean added sugar. Drinking water is plenty good. If you notice tummy aches right after eating (or head aches the next day) after ice cream or cheese cake or pizza, then you are safe to assume she is lactose intolerant. Simply get Lactaid pills. They are an enzyme to digest milk. Good luck.
My always drank alot of milk. I can't keep enough of it in the house . Does she like fruit? Make a smoothie for her. Use fresh fruit , milk , yogurt and throw in a very ripe banana for natural sweetness. Good luck !
Victoria, I'm in the same boat. My son 35 mos. stopped drinking milk when I finally took the bedtime bottle away a few months ago. He refuses to drink it in any cup and he used to guzzle it down from the bottle. I tried Carnation breakfast, mixing it with strawberry quick, still nothing. I don't know what else to do except give him a multivitamin and food rich with calcium like broccoli and spinach, green beans. Also yogurt, yogurt smoothies with fruit, orange juice with Vitamin D and Calcium added. Lots of mac and cheese (home made loaded with cheese), grilled cheese sandwiches. I'm hoping that someday he'll come around. I also dilute the juices with water. I'll be watching your responses for some more ideas. Good luck. Bernie
