Son Won't Drink Milk!!

It's not necessary for humans to drink milk from another animal. Once a child is weaned from mom's milk, it's not necessary for him to HAVE TO drink cow's milk. We are not a big milk drinking family and never have been

Pedisure would help.

My daughter is the same exact way. Loves cheese . she has never had cow's milk. Her doctor said try rice milk or soy. she did not like soy Loves rice milk. He also said that as long as she gets enough protein throughout the day milk itself is not necessary. It has worked for me, it also put my mind at ease when he told me that. I do agree with C.S. My daughter gets calcium from beans and loves tofu and smoothies. she does not eat meat thats why. so we constantly trying to find ways to make things interesting for protein and also making sure she has enough calcium. I wish you the best. of luck.

My daughter who is 4 is lactose intolerant, and it is severe. my oldest was lactose intolerant when she was smaller too.. and we have always tried several types of milk. like lactaid, and rice milk, also soy milk. there is also pediasure too that your son might like?
they also now have straws that you can add to milk, that are flavored like chocolate and strawberry too.. that might help?!
there are several types of yogurts, and fun new tubes they come in.
for us there are limited types of things that we can eat with dairy and lack of dairy items for the lil one.

If your pedi isnt too worried about the milk situation then I wouldnt be either.
but you can always give him Tums for extra calcium. 2 a day. that is what we do here to boost the calcium.

You can get plenty of calcium from no salt beans of any kind, dark green veggies hidden in tuna or eggs, or just eaten plain. What about using plain yogurt to coat noodles or use as dips, mixed w/some basil. Tofu can be made w/soups, smoothies, or my son likes it plain. Many whole wheat noodles and cereals have extra calcium too.

Does he like instant oatmeal? I have a 6 year old who hasn't had a sip of milk since she stopped using a bottle, so I'm always trying to think of ways to get calcium in her. I make instant oatmeal using milk instead of water. She also likes hot chocolate (which I make with just milk) but won't touch chocolate milk. Go figure! They're frustrating sometimes aren't they?! I'm going to read through your responses to maybe get some ideas for myself. Good luck!

my youngest son went through the same after he stopped drinking his bottle at 13 months. I say stick with what he likes. My son now 4 1/2 still doesn't drink milk but eats lots of yogurt and shredded cheese and hasn't had any growth issues, if that's your concern. I too used to worry about telling my doctor that but if you have a pediatrician who doesn't see any issues to be worried about, i say go with the flow. Your son will probably change his mind at some point. Most 2 1/2 year olds are picky eaters anyway. Hang in there and good luck.

Same with my daughter. But we found she would drink the yogurt smoothies. She has one every day for breakfast. Maybe try those.

The key is offering a variety of whole, unprocessed foods that are grown or raised with few or no chemicals. Too much of any one thing, be it dairy, meat, soy, etc. is not good. Organic is more expensive but is the best way to go. Most children I know do not eat all of the leafy dark green veggies, but there is usually one or two things that a child develop a taste for, so keep giving him all kinds of stuff. Mine used to eat peas and green beans like a champ, but no more. Suddenly he eats iceberg lettuce and adores broccoli so I give it to him all the time, but he's not interested in peas or beans anymore. He drinks milk and eats yogurt & ice cream, but doesn't care for cheese anymore unless it's grilled cheese. You could try giving a choice between two things that have the desired nutrition (i.e. calcium) by saying you can eat either this kale, or this cheese stick. Whichever choice is made, he'll get what he needs. Also, as one mom said, hide good stuff in other foods, such as hiding spinach in spagetti sauce or lasagna, or tuna salad, etc. Casseroles are great for sneaking in good stuff. Just keep giving him all the good foods you eat, and he'll eventually expand his food likes. Good luck!

I would concur with the other posters that wrote that your son doesn't need milk or any other dairy product to be healthy. It is true that milk is not the best source of calcium. Most MD's are not required to take any nutrition courses in medical school. There are many ways to test for food allergies. Skin testing is the least reliable. Blood or hair testing is best. Please listen to your child's instincts. Many of us are raising children who are dairy free and extremely healthy. Rice milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk, oat milk, hemp milk, coconut milk and soy milk are all great choices. Dark greens, kale, collards, chard, dandelion, broccoli, are all great sources of calcium; along with sesame seeds. There are plenty of non dairy cheese items as well. Check out MOM's and Roots for all those options.
Hope this helps!
L. M

Hello. My son, (3),is the same except he loves cheese and yogurt. I used to tell his ped the same thing and then she just stopped asking lol. However, she did tell me that drinking milk is best, but as long as he gets the calcium and vitamin D from another scource, he will be fine. They make orange juice that is vitamin D and calcium fortified. Like I said he eats yougurt and cheese so he gets some from that, but my daughter cannot due to allergies, so she has to rely on getting it from other foods and she is perfectly heathly. They also make supplements that should help. Does he like oatmeal? Try making the oatmeal w/milk instead of water. Same thing w/ hot chocolate, its actually tastes good and alot of place do that anyway. It sounds like he likes melted cheese, so maybe you can make dinners that incorporate cheese, like cheesy chicken and rice. Will he eat frozen yogurt? You can buy regular yogurt cups and freeze it into popsicle units and give it to him like that. Hope this helps. Good Luck

My daughter's dr. said that as long as she got yogurt, cheese, broccoli, (aka other sources of calcium) I shouldn't worry. Will he drink fortified orange juice?

we had this problem, and it also started around the same age as your son, after a holiday trip where he ripped his bottle nipple (yes).
I tried different food like you, and it was not obvious to get him to eat any - disguised or not. but the real problem for us was the consistency of his stools and the amount of proteins daily. Until I met a dietecian, I did not know dairy does that (stool consistency). The ped ended up giving us a prescription for this high protein vanilla flavor milk. We give it in a sippy cup, even today (2-1/2). We had to give him a bottle every evening for a while until he resumed slowly his milk drinking. And I think it was when some of his friends were asking for it at the table that he also had a taste again. Peer pressure!!! ;-)
The dietecian had also a number of ideas of foods to try. So my recommendation would be to find a dietecian near you!

My son wouldn't drink it at first when I was trying to transition him to cow's milk. My pedi suggested the kids oj that is fortified with calcium and vitamins. Tropicana makes the best one, in my opinion. She said glass for glass it has all the same nutrients as cows milk except the protein, which you can get easily from other sources. I did a glass of that a day and it helped ease my worries about his milk. Another thing I did was take cottage cheese and blend it with chunks of pineapple in a little mini-food processor to get the curds smoothed out and mine loved that. Broccoli is another good milk substitute. Good luck!

Cows milk is for baby cows, and not everyone likes the taste. If you are concerned about his calcium, try other types of milk. We drink almond milk in this house. Also, try other fooods, you said he likes yogurt, what about broccoli or oranges? If he likes pizza, have it 2 times, or more, a month. DOn't be concerned that he doesn't drink milk, just be sure that he gets enough calcium.

Your pediatrician is not knowledgeable about dietary needs. Children past the age of two do not need milk. I raised my children on a vegan diet ( no dairy products or meats). Doctors were always amazed about how healthy they were. My daughter was a brain and graduated top of her collegiate class. My son was very athletic and won several mountain bike races. You can get calcium and other essentials from a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, and whlole grains. Be sure to include greens and nuts. So no need to worry if your son dislikes cow milk. If your still concerned try soymilk. AF

Maybe it's a lactose intolerance which may not be the same thing as an allergy.

I wouldn't be embarrassed - why does he need to have any milk any way? And he definitely doesn't need ice cream! I could use less ice cream myself. My DSD hates cheese...sour cream....and a few other milk products. I love cheese, but I hate cow's milk - I only drink soy. Really, I wouldn't stress it - if you want him to get calcium, try other methods like soy, green veggies, vitamins, etc. If you think about other cultures, how many of them even have cow's milk? Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and other cultures have no dairy....Chinese don't have dairy/milk products as food - Japanese people don't have cows and Indians don't believe in using cows as food...and all cultures have healthy 2.5 year olds...especially people in Okinawa - they are some of the healthiest people on earth and they live the longest, all with no cow's milk!!

My boys are the same way (now 6 & 3). The oldest will eat cheese IN things, but not slices or cheese sticks. My youngest will eat cheese, but only one kind. They both drink Stonyfield Yogurt Smoothies (every day) and they will drink Horizon Milks (in the box) I think because they have added sugar. But they NEVER drink milk. They do eat ice cream....I am thinking it's a taste thing, maybe a behavior thing too...I just kept trying.....

he's fine, he obviously knows his body can't digest it so he won't take it. My boys don't drink milk, they get their calcium the good old fashioned way (and the most easily digested way, and absorbed way) through greens, a healthy diet, fresh fruits and veggies.

T.,

Don't stress over your child not drinking the milk. I have 3 kids - 2 who LOVE milk & 1 who will not touch it (cows, soy, rice, chocolate, strawberry or plain). She is now 6½, has never drunk milk and is perfectly healthy. She LOVES yogurt, cheese & broccoli and I give her calcium fortified juices. You can also look for other ways to include milk that are not obvious - my daughter loves pudding (made with milk) and tomato soup which I make with milk instead of water.

Each child is different and you just need to find what works for your little one. As long as you provide a healthy diet rich in calcium, you don't need to worry about the milk.

Also, I have seen few other posts about this subject (Teisa J on 4/26/09 & Brian and Janine W. on 6/21/09). Both received quite a few responses, so you may want to search for them to get some more ideas.

Hang in there & Good-Luck!
~ B.