I Can't Get My 16 Month Old to Drink Milk

After children are weaned all over the world, they get water. You have to hydrate him. There are lots of items that are high in calcium. I would consider switching docs.

Try a straw cup. The novelty of drinking like mommy and daddy might entice him to drink it.
Good Luck!

You can also try potato milk or rice milk. They are fortified with the same amount of vitamins and minerals that are in regular milk. My son is on the gluten-free casein-free diet and can't have any dairy at all. We had to transition him from regular milk to rice and potato milk. He did well with it. The potato milk has a sweeter taste. You would still need to get the fat from somewhere else since the whole milk provides the fat they need at that age. But I would try either of those. Good luck!

My daughter can't have milk because of an intolerance but can still have small amounts of cheese, yogurt, etc. She also gets calcium fortified bread, snacks, juice. I would definitely keep trying to get your little guy to drink milk, but in the meantime you can give him the fat, protien and calcium he needs in other foods so no worries.

Sometimes with my daughter, when she is going through one of her "I don't want to do that because it wasn't my idea" phases, I trick her a little. Try taking him to the store and letting him pick out a new favorite sippy and then tell him how special it is. Maybe then he'll be so excited to drink out of it he won't notice the milk. It worked with my daughter when we had to try soy milk and she also refused. Of course you'll have to try whatever little trick you know will work, but you get the idea. Sometimes at that age it's not the milk they're refusing, it's just a way to assert their independence. Good luck, I know this age is a tough one sometimes!

If your son won't drink milk, don't make him drink it. He is not going to have weak bones just because he doesn't drink milk - really. I have a friend who has never liked milk, and he's as strong as an ox and has never broken a bone. Your son will get his calcium from other things. Do you give him a multivitamin? That's what I would recommend, and eventually his tastes will change, and he will drink the milk. Or if you are that worried about it, you could give him some nice natural cheese.

Hi J.,

I think your child's doctor is too hung-up on milk. 16 oz. is really a lot of milk for a 16 month old. There are plenty of other ways that your child can get calcium - yogurt, cheese, leafy greens, etc. Even calcium fortified juice. Although it is important to have vitamin D because it's essential for the absorption of calcium.

My daughter is 12 months. Her doctor said that as long as she's nursing she doesn't need cows' milk. The doctor also said she thinks cows' milk is overrated and there are other sources of calcium. She won't be nursing much longer, so I have started giving her some milk. But she seems to be sensitive to it and it constipates her. So I'm careful about not giving her too much.

I would keep offering your son milk at least once a day. And drink it yourself to show him how good it is (maybe he'll think he's missing out). But don't worry too much and keep offering other calcium sources.

My son stopped drinking milk at 18 months. I don't worry about it b/c he gets dairy from other sources like cheese and yogurt. He eats a lot of cheese. Also, i would avoid having juice in the house and just give him water or milk. See if having only those two choices will make a difference. If not then just make sure he gets dairy/calcium in another form.

Forget juice. Do water or milk. Period. For several days, if that's what it takes.

My daughter is 16 months old and we have the same problem....and I have only found 1 thing that works and that is Pediasure. I started giving it to her in the mornings and at night and once she got used to that routine I started adding a little milk and a little less Pedisure. Now she is down to half and half and working our way down. Not sure if it will work for your little one, but it has worked very well for us.

Hi! This is normal. I've heard it many times, and my third child did the same thing. It's a bit foreign, as they've gotten used to juice, and aside from warm breast milk or formula, they haven't experienced cold milk. Like everything else, it will just take exposure. I would cut back on offering juice/water as much until he gets a bit more used to it possibly.

Hi J.,

I say switch pediatricians! My oldest daughter didn't like cows milk either. I never even paid attention to it. She loved cheese, yogurt, etc. I didn't give her juice. The option was always water. But she's very healthy. I also gave her a multi-vitamin every day that she loved. I buy mine from Shaklee at http://www.shaklee.net/joanne_estes

But I wouldn't worry and I wouldn't stress about it. You don't need to start a food issue for your child around milk. =)

All the Best,
R.
http://www.noblemother.com

I was told the same thing with my daughter. She was way underweight and the doctor told us to withhold all fluids except milk. It didn't work. We stopped when she stopped having wet diapers and became constipated. I don't suggest this method to encourage milk drinking. What we did was start feeding other dairy products. My daughter loved the baby yougarts made with whole milk, cheese was another favorite. We finally found out that she preferred skim milk to 2% or whole milk. This is not preferable as children need the fat, but she is still getting the vitamins the milk gives. She now is 2 and drinks milk regularly. She loves it in milk and in the cartons from preschool. I hope this helps. If you do not get results with the withholding other fluids method right away, please don't continue with it.

I hated the smell of milk when I was little. My mom put a little bit of vanilla in it and then I would drink it.

J.,

Is he able to digest other dairy products? For our sons, we used soy milk. I see where the doctor is concerned, especially for the fat intake. Maybe there is another way to get the fat he needs for this stage. Given the willpower battle, perhaps a choice between water and milk. He may be after the sweetness of the juice. It will be tough, but hang in there, they will come around. ~rlw

Have you tried goat milk? it has a bit of a different taste, and it is closer to human milk, so it is easier to digest. Also, I assume your doctor wants him to drink milk for calcium. . . maybe try yobaby yogurt. . add some frozen blueberries or raspberries to make it more appealing. (You can also get the yo baby with added iron for an extra plus) If this doesn't work just research other foods that contain calcium. I know greens and broccoli have lots of calcium that is actually easier to absorb than cows milk. Good Luck!!
Becka

There are plenty of strict vegetarians whose children are strict vegetarians too -- no milk or other dairy products. Check out vegan resources online to see what their concerns and recommendations about calcium are -- I'm assuming the calcium content is why your doc wants him to drink so much milk. While you don't want him to be calcium deficient, there are other ways of getting calcium in your diet. I woudln't sweat it about your son. It's possible he has a milk allergy or something, and milk makes him feel bad so he doesn't like it. Maybe he'll just grow out of it. I wouldn't give him juice, though, if it's a behavior thing -- give him an option of milk or water -- no point in dehydrating the kid! :-) We're so used to having milk that it's become engrained in our society, but that doesn't mean that it's a necessity, and sometimes I wonder if it's even healthy, especially after all the processing that happens to it between the time it comes out of the cow until it gets into your child.

I'm curious why your doc wants him on milk. I have some friends in their 40's who hate the taste of milk. Maybe that's how your son is. If it's just to get the benefits of milk, have you tried other versions, such as soy milk?

Perhaps you should check with another pediatrican, as it sounds like yours is telling you and your child to 'just get over it and drink it' instead of working with you on this issue.

There are many drinks fortified with calcium or even the calcium "candy" like chews. Why is your doctor stuck on milk. You can't make your child drink it and like it. Have you tried the yogurt drinks? Please ask your doctor for alternatives, and if he won't budge (kind of like your toddler) you may want to shop a more flexible and realistic doctor.

Have you tried hot chocolate? My kids loved hot chocolate.

J.,
Your doctor is right - your child will drink the milk if it is all that is offered. IF you really are nervous about hydration, offer him ONLY water instead. Juice is really sugary and kids will hold out for it.
Good Luck
T.

my nephew hated milk too. There are other things to get him the calcium and vitamins he needs from milk, that he may love. Yogurt, ice cream, and a good multi=vitamin, he will be ok. I dont believe you should force him, he may know better what is right for him. If the doctor knows he doesnt want to drink it and still says that, I would consider another doctor more in tune to feelings of children.

My duaghter who is the same age is the exact same way! She might drink a tablespoon and then just not at all. My Dr. said as long as she is getting lots of cheese, yogurt, broccoli, and I do give her half of a flintstone vitamin everyday too. He said she should be fine. I do give her the grow and go similac formula before bed. I know she should be off the bottle but its just at night, about 6 ounces and I feel more comfortable giving the nutrition than taking it from her. Find foods that offer lots of calcium, he'll drink it eventually. don't worry. suzanne

Hi J., my DS was that way when I first tried to get him to drink cow milk too. I just offered it to him everyday and eventually he got more and more used to it. Now he absolutely loves it. My DD is now 14 months and we are having a similar problem. However, she is a bit excited to drink it when she can copy her brother ... either I let her drink from his cup (with a straw) or her own. She doesn't drink a whole lot yet, but this has definately helped. Also, I give her some vanilla icecream when we have desert sometimes. Obviously this is a lot sweeter than milk, but I think that it helps her generally get used to the taste.

I would say don't fret about what the doctor says. Just do what feels right to you. Good luck!

D..
http://www.bizformomsonline.com/

.

I don't see why your doctor is telling you that you son has to drink milk. Does he eat cheese, yogurt, other milk products? If he does he probably gets the calcium he needs. My son didn't really like milk either. Eventually he'll get the hang of it. Don't worry your doing fine.

And about the not drinking anything, they do get liquids from food. A friend of mine's son refused to drink from a sippy cup for a week once. She made sure to feed him water rich things like applesauce and he was fine.

Hope that helps.

My 15 month old daughter is the same way. I even tried giving her formula again and she wouldn't drink that. Her doctor said she just might not like milk. He didn't seemed concerned as long as she gets dairy from other places like cheese and yogurt. He also told me to give her a multivitamin everyday to make up for what she's not getting from milk. Hope this helps!!

Try the little bottles of suppliment with the teddy bear on the front. My grandkids needed more vitimins so they would love to drink the "teddy bear" milk. You can get it at Target or drug store. It is like Ensure but for kids.

Hello, J.. I went through my first daughter not drinking milk. We tried every flavor of milk they made. His mamaw even tried buttermilk. she was breastfed exclusively. She would only use the sippy cups with the straws. (the ones that you didn't have to turn up) Finally, I just started mixing half water, half milk. She got used to the taste and I gradually mixed in less water. I hope you find something that works. I know it can be really frustrating.
-D.

Does he like smoothies? Could you use a blender to mix milk, fruit, and yogurt? Yogurt is high in calcium and the sweetness of the fruit could make the milk more palatable.

Hi J.
I really don't agree with what your pedi said about not giving him anything to drink until he drinks his milk. Everyone needs liquids, even if it's water. Your LO maybe going through a phase or maybe he just doesn't like it. I definitely wouldn't push it. I've read studies where parents push a food or liquid that the child doesn't like and the child ends up absolutely hating this particular thing. As for adding things to milk, like chocolate, it's not healthy for kids that age to have all that sugar, plus that doesn't give him a chance to try milk by masking the taste. And juice simply isn't healthy for a toddler, yet. I would stick with water. Occassionly try the milk but never force it.
My advice (and what my doctor told me if my child didn't like milk) is to add calcium to his diet that way he will still get the calcium he needs without having to force the milk right now. Foods like yogurt or tofu and broccoli are high in calcium.
My child has never drank the 2 cups of milk. He'll drink some but somedays he'll drink more than others. So I'll supplement the calcium with the foods I serve to him.
One thing my child likes that I'll pass along to you is a tofu smoothie - I cook an orange veggie (carrots or squash) and add a fruit (banana, apple, or pear), a ounce of tofu and the add milk in a blender to make the consistency of yogurt. He loves it! I also add a little cinnamon and a dash of curry for flavor.
Good luck! I know it's very trying when toddlers get picky - we just need to be more creative!
P.

Maybe he'd like fortified rice milk or something. Soy milk is full of estrogens so you don't want to give him that. The more I learn the more I'm convinced that milk is for cows, and we're better off using it sparingly. If he has a nutritious diet otherwise, he doesn't need it for calcium. I sure wouldn't force it on him. My two boys both had intolerances to milk when they started on it: my first one had bloody diapers while I was nursing him because of the milk I was drinking, until the pediatrician had me cut down on milk, which stopped the bloody diapers; my second son had nonstop diarrhea when he started on it, but magically it went away within 24 hours when we stopped milk.

Unfortunately I haven't kept up with this and they both drink it now, although I try to limit it. My older one had nonstop ear infections for 1.5 years, which may well have been related to the milk (still not sure about that one). I know how hard it is; I am trying to teach them to drink water, but of course they want to be like Daddy, who guzzles milk.

Juice by the way, is just the sugar and water left behind from the fruit; it's truly not much better than koolaid. Real fruit is much better, and there's nothing wrong with drinking water after they are 12 months old.

he will drink when he is thirsty you might want to try a diff milk like a rice milk that is sweeter.....
P.s. my 18 month old hates milk too and my grandmother always forces her to drink it so after she leaves we give her juice lol. you may want to try pedisure

I never had this problem, but I will say that if the child is getting calcium in other foods I would not worry as much. Try getting him to eat yogurt, cheese, and calcium enriched veggies. Some children and adults just do not like the taste of milk. At his age he is only on 1% milk is that correct? So the fats come from other sources too.
Pray the Lord would give you a peace of mind that he will build your little boy up strong despite his dislike for milk:)
Blessings to you

Have you tried soy milk? My little one LOVES vanilla soy, but didn't really like regular milk. It may be worth a try. Good luck!

J.,

I have a 4yo that refuses to drink milk as well!!! At 1, when we broke her from formula, we kinda thought she might be allergic or intolerance. We had her tested and it did show that she was allergic to Cow & Soy milk ... we have slowly found a point that her body can tolerate small portions of milk product. You have been given some very good ways to try milk, but like others say, there are more ways to receive calcium than just milk. Our doctor has just asked that we push other forms of calcium and be sure to give her the calcium vitamins that they offer for children.
Please don't sweat it ... children can be very stubborn and hard headed!
GOOD LUCK!

Keep trying as you would with vegetables, which you know are good. Make sure he makes up for the lack of calcium in other products such as yogurt, cheese, even a little ice cream might help some. Try milkshakes, - yogurt, milk, fruit and have him drink that. And cut out the juice, just give him water instead. Good luck!
A. B

Get a new doctor!!!Liquids at your child's age are so important and calcium exists in all types of food!If your child resists drinking milk,it's not a big deal!Make certain that you are including in his diet lots of veggies that contain calcium.Give him a vitamin with extra calcium and continue to let him drink juice!But fresh friut juice or not from concentrate juice!We all want our children's bones to grow strong and healthy and you must not feel helpless in trying.If he eats other dairy products,then give him cheese with added calcium.Yogurt,although he is rather young for live food,is a sure way for him to supplement his calcium intake!Good luck!

I agree with one of the other posters, give him water. If after a week he still won't drink milk, then I would give him juice but very watered down. I give my kids 1/4 cup juice, the rest water. Juice has so much sugar. Introducing water at a young age makes it easier for them to drink it throughout their lives.

Hi, I am a child care teacher/former nanny and monther of an 11 month old with 20+ years experience with toddlers. All the advice I have read that moms have given you seems good. Just go with your gut or your pediatricians advice.

I just wanted to let you know that I was given the ok from a doctor to hold out nursing my daughter to get her to take a bottle for up to 24 hours as long as she was eating ok when she was only eight months old. It was rough, but she did eventually take a bottle.

I also like the idea of only offering milk or water. Most kids will hold off on milk if they know they can get sugar filled juice after a few hours (or even a day). If you do have juice in the house, make it only once per day. Even 100% juice has a lot of natural sugar in it and kids miss out on necessary fiber when they drink juice instead of eating the real thing.

Hope this helps!!

Don't quote me on this but I am under the impression that children need to drink milk because of the calcium in it. This is the recommended amount for calcium in your childs age 500 mg a day for kids who are 1 to 3 years old. Here are some replacements you can give him. Yogurt, Cheese, Milk shakes(YUM),Eggnog. Watch out for that juice addiction. My four year drinks it like crack. I have had to get her out of the juice habit. I wish I would have never let her drink so much juice. I actually think there are cultures that don't ever give there kids cow milk but then again they probably breast feed until there child is in college. My child went through a phase where she didn't want milk and I didn't even say anything to my Ped maybe I am naive but I just figured whatever.

Instead of giving in and handing over the juice.. try water. Just a thought. That way he is hydrated, but it has no taste. Give him watered down juice for dinner if he drinks his milk.

Hi J.,
I went through this exact same thing. At a year, I gave my son whole milk and he would not drink it. He loved yogurt though so I started putting yogurt in his cup and adding some milk to it to thin it out and he would drink that. Sometimes I would buy those yogurt smoothie drinks like YoBaby or Danimals yougurt drinks. He would suck those down and I felt like he was getting his calcium and some nutrition. I have recently been adding chocolate to his milk and he now likes it. Hope something ends up working for you.

T.

Well let me just say that if he doesnt drink 2 glasses of milk a day it is not going to hurt him. Maybe he does not like it. I have a little boy that is almost 4 and he has not drank much milk since he was off the bottle at 12 mths. He eats lots of cheese, pudding, yogurt, ice cream. There are lots of ways you can get milk products in them that will do the same thing for them nutritionally. It may be a power struggle. He knows you want him to do it and he aint gonna. The other thing you may try is letting him drink from a straw. My son will drink some strawberry milk with a crazy straw. I know he prefered straw cups over sippy cups. Also he will drink milk after he has dunked a cookie in it. I give him a half coffee cup of milk and 1 cookie. If he drinks all the milk with that 1 cookie he can have another cookie and more milk. I would not leave him go without a drink. Even though it is cooling off he could still dehydrate.

I don't know why your pedi thinks your son needs milk specifically. I would think he would just need dairy and other calcium fortified products. Will he eat those?

J.,

I have worked in child care for over 12 years and especially with the age group your child is in. I would start off by just adding a little bit of milk in his sippy cup and from there continue to put more. He may not even take it that first time but you have to just keep trying so he can get accustomed to milk. It's ok to give him juice once in a while but make sure you are not consuming him with too much of it because of his teeth. Make sure you give him 100% juice. If you give him juice, you can reward him that at dinner time. During lunch and breakfast I would give him milk. That way, he is getting his 2 servings of milk daily.

I'm not sure why milk has to be the end all be all of calcium intake. My son doesn't like milk, so I mix it with a danimal yogurt smoothie. Half and half in a sippy cup. Try yogurt and cheese. There are other ways to get what he needs. You can always try the older formula if you are really worried about it. Good Luck.

Your child won't go without something to drink. They will drink something when they are thirsty. When he is thirsty offer him milk. he'll drink it if there is nothing else to compete with. You can also try moo-Mixers. It's a powder form of flavoring to add to milk, they have vanilla, chocolate and bubble gum flavors. If he still refuses milk, you can go even further and make him a milkshake with mostly milk...that way you know he's getting the milk he needs. Hope this helps!

Good luck

Hi J.,
My son hates white milk and we really had a hard time getting him to drink it (and still do). For the longest time, we put vanilla carnation instant breakfast in his milk and all I could get in him was about 1 sippy cup. Just give him lots of other calcium-rich foods, like yogurt and cheese, to help get that calcium in him. Good luck!

Try a different brand of milk. We had this problem with my daughter and when we went on vacation to visit my brother in Minnesota she started drinking the milk. She liked the taste of their brand of milk better. When we came home, we tried different brands until we found a brand that she liked.

On another note, I personally am allergic to milk and haven't had a glass of it since I was 8 (when the allergy was finally diagnosed). I supplement with calcium pills and other calcium enriched foods. I also started eating soy products; the vanilla flavored soy milk is really good in cereal.

Why does he have to drink so much milk? Calcium can be found elsewhere. And protein. I dont think there is anything in milk that cant be consumed in other ways. Does your son like cheese or yogurt or eggs? Those are some good replacements. Make sure he gets enough Vit. D too. I dont know, just seems if there is no medical reason, he shouldnt require it.

L.

A friend told me that she would give her daughter Danimals instead. It has the calcium and D that they need. I tried it for my daughter who wouldn't drink milk and it worked. I did not give her total Danimals, I mixed it 1/2 and 1/2. As time went by I put less and less Danimals in her milk. Now, two years later, she LOVES Danimals and it HAS to be in every cup, but we only put a portion of it in the cup...barely even a 1/4. She is a big milk drinker now. In case you aren't familiar with Danimals, it is a drinkable yogurt in the yogurt section. Start by giving him Danimals only or maybe 3/4 Danimals to 1/4 milk. Good luck

Just some liquid for thought........

Is it upsetting his stomach or affecting his skin or sinuses? Just a thought.

If he can tolerate yogurt but not milk, he might have a lactose intolerance going on. (Not a milk allergy - that would be different).

Has he recently weaned from breastfeeding? If he was, did you drink cow's milk while breastfeeding? (If you did, you probably would know by now if he had a milk allergy.)

Many vegan moms choose alternatives to cow's milk, but still make sure vitamin and mineral needs are met. I wouldn't freak out too much unless it's ongoing and a problem health-wise - hopefully it's just a phase.

Good luck!

P.S. I hope your doctor is recommending he get enough water?

Hey J.,

I no real expert so that my advice as you see fit. I am a mom of two and run a preschool so I have come across this before, wtih my youngest actually. She was not weaned from the breat until about 14 months and we had a hard time getting her to drink cows milk. I think most importantly you need to be calm and non-emotional about it. If there is one thing i have learned it is that children can sense your emotions. If I were you I would just not worry about it a whole lot. Pick serval times during the day to offer milk and stick to it, do not allow him to have anything else at those times. We did breakfast and and before bed. If she did not drink the milk then she had nothing else at those times. She did not drink anything for a long time, but we jsut stuck with it. Eventually she came around and now still has mild every morning with breakfast and before bed. As long as they are getting another source of calcium I would not get to upset about it, he will eventually come around I am sure. The important thig is consitancy. Oh and a half a day without drinking is not a big deal. Just as long as they are drinking about a cup each day at some point.

There are somethings that children do not like. My daughter would not drink milk. She weaned herself from the bottle at 11 months because she disliked it so much. I tried everything that you can put into milk and she would not drink it. I did not force the issue once I realized that she did not like it because I would not drink milk as a child either. I rarely drink it now but will occasionally. When she started Kindergarten is when she started drinking some chocolate milk but only at lunch time. She will occasionally drink it at home as long as it is chocolate. If they strongly dislike something the more you give it to them doesn't mean that they are going to all of a sudden start liking it. Good luck.

My nephew just went through this. So his Grandmother gave him Soy milk and he loved it. Plus, he gets better nutrition with the soy milk. You may also try rice milk and/or goat milk. You do have plenty of options for your child to get proper nutrition without drinking cow's milk. I know that other's here have listed most of those options so I won't repeat them. Good luck and don't worry.. you'll find something he likes soon.

Hi J.,
Try Ice cream. It has the same ingrediants. Calcium and so forth. See if he will like that. Start with a little bit. And eat it with him. If you can. Let him see you eating what he has.
I hope I helped a little
Have A good Day TODAY
Vicki W.