14 Month-old Won't Drink Milk from Cup

Babies/Toddlers usually don't like food the 1st few times they have them. You should introduce more then one or two foods a week and you need to give it to them 8-10 times before they will really like or not like something. So just keep giving him foods and letting him try them and somethings he will eventually like.

I don't have any suggestions on how to get him to drink from a cup...I guess I'd continue with at least the bedtime bottle too. They do make beginner sippy cups that have a very soft nipple on them- maybe try those? As for food, I have a 10mth old and I make a lot of frozen mixed veggies in the microwave...super easy and fast and she just feeds herself. You could also try buying some varieties of chunky soup w/meat & veggies, heat it in the microwave then just give him the chunks.

HI M.---I agree it is frustrating when it seems like your son is starving himself, but don't worry, he'd never do that. I do have a couple of suggestions. I have the pleasure of working with the 3 Dr. Sears, you may have seen Dr. Jim on the ABC show, The Doctors. His father, Dr. Bill, is a Harvard trained pediatrician and author of over 30 books on babies, toddlers, immunizations, etc. Go to their website, www.askdrsears.com, and you can read about how to handle picky eaters. The best advice, echoed by other moms here, is just to keep offering different foods, those that you eat, and he will come around. His nutrition will not suffer in the short term.

Another resource I share with my clients is www.eatingwell.com. It has a section on great kid friendly recipes, and it has health information as well. I've never been disappointed when I need to find a recipe.

I am taking a series of wellness classes and I have accumulated a lot of information that I would be happy to share with you. I have charts of serving size recommendations for children of various ages, and with that is a great shopping list so that you are bringing home a good variety of fruits and veggies for a healthy family.

Lastly, I also agree that you don't need to worry about getting your son to drink cows milk. I say this as a former milk lover, giving it up in my mid-40's as I began my wellness journey. Please go to www.strongbones.org to learn more. It does seem counter-intuitive with all of the advice we get about how important milk is for strong bones, but food politics come into play. But that's a subject for another post. You actually get more absorbable calcium from broccoli, kale and bok choy.

Oh, if you are interested in getting your son to eat more fruits and veggies, let me know. I know of a researched based whole food supplement, made of 17 different fruits, veggies and grains that have been juiced and dehydrated and then the resulting powders put into capsules, chewable tablets and gummies. Dr. Sears uses this product in his practice and states that kids (that includes the big ones we sometimes call adults) develop a sort of metabolic programming when they eat these supplements and the body starts to crave fruits and veggies.

Call me at any time if you have questions. Wellness education is a passion and I truly enjoy helping others learn how to optimize their health.

Good luck. D. ###-###-####

Hi M.,

Toddlers can be tough, for sure.

I would get rid of the bottle all together. It's not even an option. Keep in mind, milk is not necessary. Doctors want us to give our kids whole milk for the fat content, which they do need for proper brain development. However, this can also be given in other ways... whole milk yogurt, whole milk cheese, Cod Liver Oil (Nordic Naturals is a great brand with flavors. My daughter loves it.), avacado, etc.... So, giving these things every day gives them the good fats they need for proper brain growth. My daughter is almost 20 months old and has never had whole milk. She exceeds all her milestones and is growing like a weed.

As far as foods... give him what you eat. As another mom mentioned, often times kids don't like something at first. I heard Dr. Oz talking one day and he said that toddlers have literally thousands more taste buds then adults. This means their taste is really sensitive ... so often times you have to give a food many many many times before they decide if they really like it or not.

No need to buy special toddler food. It's a waste of money. Give him what you eat. There are plenty of easy things to fix that are nutritious. Barilla has a new pasta, Barilla plus that has semolina grains and other yummy stuff in it. It provides a good portion of Omega 3's and protein. I've started using that. It tastes great and is packed full of goodies.

My daughter doesn't like mashed potatoes either....I think it's the texture. So, instead, I will cut potatoes into cubes, boil them, then toss with a little olive oil and serve. She eats them up.

I've also found that she doesn't like many things with a skin. (the exception being plums...she LOVES plums). So, peppers are sometimes problematic... but I still offer them to her every time I make them. Nectarines and stuff like that. It seems the skin is just too difficult for her to chew through, even though she has all of her teeth.

Try things like banana, cubed apple - peeled, steamed broccoli. A little water in the bottom of a sauce pan, throw in the broc, then boil until bright green. Cool a bit and serve.

Keep offering these things to him. Don't give in. My daughter is a GREAT eater. I'm blessed. But there are things she has a preference for. She is also stubborn...BUT, when she gets hungry enough, she will eat those things that she has a lower preference for. I just don't give in. I will bargain with her though. Like, the other night I fixed veggies with beef sausage. She loved the meat and mushrooms...but wasn't so into the potatoes and red peppers. She only wanted to eat the meat and mushrooms.... so gobbled those up first and then asked for more.

No go. You finish it all before getting more. So, I sectioned off little bits... told her to eat that and then she could get a small piece of meat. We did this through her entire plate. In the end, she ate it all. (I didn't push the peppers too much, but made her try them several times.)

Have you tried tuna casserole? Canned tuna, cooked pasta, ranch dressing, frozen corn and peas...throw it all together, mix, put it in an oven safe dish, cover with shredded cheese and bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees. My family LOVES this.

If your son likes scrambled eggs... quiche is always a good thing. If you want to try it, message me and I will give you the recipe. This response is already getting pretty long!

Just keep trying. You don't have to be a gourmet cook to provide good nutritious things.

www.nourishmd.com has some great recipes and ideas.

good luck!

Hello!

On the bottle/cup issue; I feel your pain! My 2nd child was very difficult to transition but, I have a rule in my house: No bottles or pacifiers past 1 year of age! It took about 3 days of her screaming and hardly drinking before she gave in. The trick is this: don't give in, no matter how hard it is! and remember this: they will not starve themselves. When they are hungry enough, they will eat. Especially after the 1 year mark where they don't need formula anymore and it's just milk, it's not as crucial.

As for the few bites of veggies, that's good! Babies/toddlers need amazing little amounts of food, especially per meal. That's why healthy snacks each day are important as their little tummies don't hold as much as one time as ours do. Even if he outright rejects a food, offer it over and over and over again. It may take 20 times before they decide to eat it. If you start only giving him the couple of things he will always eat, you will create, that's what I said, create a picky eater. Picky eaters are not born, they're created. :) He will come around. He needs to be exposed to all different flavors and textures now so he will be more open to them in the future, don't worry so much about quantity. You can always give him vitamins. My ped told me as long as my toddler eats something green once a week she's happy! But, b/c I practice what I preach, they get more than that. Sometimes they eat 1 bite of broccoli, othertimes they eat it all, that's just how it goes. They are never forced to clean there plate, but they must always take at least sone bite of every different food on it.

It sounds like you're doing a great job! Hang in there!

P.s. My son gags at mashed potatoes too!

My son is 2 and he ate EVERYTHING till he was about 18 months old then he started getting picky.

I feed him a 'shake' every morning and he has some for other meals as well. I make it with fruit, spinach, oat bran (protein) a protein powder from Trader Joe's, yogurt.. anything else I can put in it carrots sometimes. He'll drink it.

Why not just continue the bottle for now at night and continue to work on the sippie cup during the rest of the day.

I think you should get rid of the bottle completely. He's old enough not to need it anymore (my kids were 12 months old when I got rid of their bottles). If you keep going back-and-forth between the two he's always going to prefer the bottle because it's easier. He'll learn fast that if he wants something to drink then he needs to use the cup.

As far as being a picky eater, just give him the kinds of foods that you want him to eat and either he'll eat it or he won't. He won't starve and eventually he'll learn to eat the things you give him. It takes time, but eventually he will eat those other foods. If you continue to give him the yummy unhealthy foods then that's what he's always want to eat.

Good luck!

Frozen veggies are quick and eazy. YOu got to stop this now or he will be picky. If you want him to eat more fruits and veggies, then that's what he gets and nothing else. When he is hungry, he will eat. Your job is not to make him eat. It is to provide nutrious food. Sounds like too much carbs right now.

If you are just not introducing a sippy cup it could take some time. My daughter is now 13 1/2 months and has been off bottles since she turned 1. It was easy for her because we started introducing the sippy cup when she was 6 months old. Just keep trying. As for the food, my daughter eats anything we eat. I don't do much of the Gerber foods anymore. I still get her the pasta pick ups and yogurt melts, but other than that she eats regular food. I buy canned veggies and fruit, she eats a lot of pasta type foods, chicken, meat, just about everything. You might just have a picky eater. Find out what he does like and give him that. If he likes the mac & cheese, put some carrots or peas in it. You can add tomatoes to the grilled cheese. You don't have to be a good cook, just creative and sneaky!! Good Luck!

Hi, I transitioned my daughter on to sippy cups by using the Born Free sippy cups. They have a soft tip for drinking so if feels a little like a nipple but it is a cup and also BPA free. Make sure you get the ones that are for 6 months. The ones for 9 months plus leak. Then I moved her to the harder cups. It really worked with little protest from her:)Good Luck!

To get my son to eat more fruits and veggies, I make a green smoothie in the blender - 1/2 C green Grapes, 1/2 pear, 1 cup kale and 1/2 banana along with 1/4 C apple juice and 4-6 ice cubes. It is a pretty green and has LOTS of nutrients. I put some in a cup for him and I drink the rest. The ratio of ingredience isn't an exact thing, so don't worry about it. The banana and apple juice are the main things you taste and the texture is smooth if you run it in the blender for about 1 min. The ice cubes are a must to get the kale to turn into juice. you can always add milk and protein powder if the flavor works for you and your son. Good luck. As far as mashed potatoes, a little extra milk will make them creamer and your son will be able to swallow them easier. I found putting small piles on a plate, my son would pick up the piles with his fingers and pop them into his mouth.

had to laugh when i read this, b/c it sounds just like how my son was at that age! my daughter would eat whatever i put in front of her, and my son was more difficult. once he finally got the logistics of the sippy cup down (for some reason he couldn't figure out how to suck on it right away) i just took the bottle away, and for a few days he didn't drink much milk. but when he realized that was the only way he was going to get it, he just did it. it only took a few days. as far as food, try and try and try again! keep trying different foods with him, try not to get stuck in a rut of giving him the same things over and over, otherwise it'll just get harder to give him new things. they say it can take up to 10 times of trying a new food for a kid to develop a taste for it. trust me, if he's hungry, he'll eat!! maybe give him a new fruit or veggie with each meal. or at snacktimes, give him something new, and if he at least tries it and gives up, then you know mealtime isn't that far away and he won't starve.
be patient! takes time, and if he's like my son, he's stubborn so that makes it even more fun. :)

Unless he has allergies, he should be able to eat what your family eats, mashed or cut up or with his fingers. It's not too late to learn how to cook. Get a simple book from the library, even one for kids if necessary, or ask someone to teach you. All parents need to be able to cook. It's not rocket science! The problem with the mashed potatoes may've been the texture or the newness of them to your little guy. I don't think he needs a lot of milk if he's eating well, and you can give him baby vitamins.

Stay persistent and DON'T GIVE IN!!!! You have to throw away the bottles (I had the SAME problem with my 12 month old). If they're gone then that's all he'll have to use. He'll be thirsty and drink them, but now he knows he'll get more out of a bottle in the evening, so why learn this? My daughter used to drink water from a sippy cup (I think about 6-9 months I started that) and formula from a bottle. When I decided to transition to only sippy cups (these were the soft spout nuby ones) she threw a fit, temper tantrums, screaming flailing... I gave in a few times to the bottle but finally just thew them away and dealt with her fits. The final day I had to give her a banana to eat, to get her to calm down enough to drink her milk from the sippy, and after that, she never gave me a huge problem.

As for fruits and veggies. Same thing. Don't let him have the stuff he wants until the veggies are eaten off his plate. You don't have to be a gormet cook either. Just get the frozen stem in a bag type ones, they turn out good. And prepare yourself for him throwing a fit, but stick to your guns, he's old enough that missing a meal isn't going to be a huge deal. Offer him water and his fruits and veggies until he eats them. After he's eaten them, reward him with mac and cheese or something like that. You're building life habits for him right now, and its a pivotal time in his life. Self will is going to get stronger and stronger, so keep at it. Our daughter was the same way, and then she started eating everything, it was wonderful. Once we moved she regressed and started being picky again, but we knew how to handle it and she got through it. She now goes through stages of eating everything or pickiness, but we stick to our plan and she gets through it.

Best wishes, you won't regret this!!!!

when it come to going from bottle to cup or breast to cup you have to do all or nothing they wont starve them self you just have to get rid of the bottle once and for all and your son will come around to the cup good luck

sippy cups are hard to manipulate. Try a cupwith a straw that is secure. NOne of my kids used a bottle, and sippy cups were too hard, but the straws worked nicely. Eventually they were able to use a sippy cup. As far as feeding him foods, don't let him choose the foods. If you only feed him what he wants, he wo't developa taste for anything else. You give him what you eat. If he doesn't like it, then he won't eat it. IF he doesn't eat at all within 24 hurs, get him one of those pediatric supplements, like pediasure. He is just developing his taste buds and it is going to take awhile. My son did gag and throw up with a lot of foods, and it turned out to be a sensory issue. Rightnow, it is way too early to tell if that is the case for your son. Hang in there, and just feed him what you eat, in small finger friendly pieces.

Try a cup with a straw - my nephew loves it!

As for dinners...show him by example...have a bowl of fruit and nibble at it - with my nephews I make "home made" cool whip. It is heavy whipping cream beaten with a whisk. They love to watch "milk" turn into fluffy white whip. I also let them help with prep work. It is a little messier, but then they are VERY interested in what they've made. With mac and cheese...add some broccoli florets (the frozen ones) right into the mix. He will eat it and not even know what he is eating. There are lots of ways you can get "creative" to spark his interest.

Born Free sippies are a lot like bottles. The sippie part almost seems like a bottle nipple (it is soft and sticks out more than the regular rigid sippy cup). They are also BPA-free, come in four different colors. Also, when it is time for milk, maybe put water in the bottle and then the milk in the new sippy. He should eventually choose when he gets hungry/frustrated enough. Don't react/give in...he will not starve.
Also, he doesn't need/shouldn't really have more than 16oz. of milk a day. Offer him the foods you are eating, you may be surprised (my 16 month old has loved guacamole and chips and salsa since she was 10 month old).
Good luck!

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