How Do You Get a 2 Year Old to Drink His Milk?

Hi. My nephew who is two has a ritual with his milk. My sister mixes it with the Quick strawberry flavored powder. It is not bad for him and he now knows when he gets his pj's on that it is "pink milk time". It doesn't have to be heated, he takes it right from a cuppy. Hope this helps.

My daughter doesn't drink much milk so I give her dairy in other forms. I also will give her strawberry milk because she's like me and doesn't drink chocolate milk.

Hello Tania,
I am also the mother of a 2 1/2 year old. Yes, I had the same problem. Maybe you can try to put milk and bananas in a blender. It is like a shake and my son loves it. I also add a little touch of chocolate for chocolate milk.Hope that helps.

Thanks

M. G.

Tania,
Dr's. really have us all worked up about those dairy products for calcium, don't they?

I'm a 35 year old mom to two wonderful girls 6, 4 and my little prince who's 2. I posted a great resource last year, originally in Feb '07 for another mom. I will re post it as written for you. Just remember that regardless of what anyone says (Dr's. included), dairy is NOT a necessary part of our diet. And as it happens, our Maker actually gave us goats for milk and not cows. Theology aside, here's my calcium post...

***

If he has a varied diet, you shouldn't worry. Dairy is probably the worst way to put calcium in your diet since pasteurized milk products have been altered by the process as to render the calcium almost unusable by the human body. Water is still the best way to hydrate. Avoid juice if you can, as it's not necessary for hydration, or nutrition.

Here are some options for calcium rich foods to add to his diet if he's not already eating some of them. Keep in mind Dr's suggestions to avoid certain foods until appropriate ages. Also, organic sources are always best if they can be had.

The calcium contained in leafy green vegetables is more easily absorbed than the calcium in milk, and plant proteins do not result in calcium loss (yes, calcium LOSS) the same way as animal proteins do.

Calcium content of foods per 100-gram portion (100 grams equals about 3.5 ounces):

01. Human Breast Milk 33 mg (shown for comparison)

02. Almonds 234 mg
03. Amaranth 267 mg
04. Apricots (dried) 67 mg
05. Artichokes 51 mg
06. Beans (can: pinto, black) 135 mg
07. Beet greens (cooked) 99 mg
08. Blackeye Peas 55 mg
09. Bran 70 mg
10. Broccoli (raw) 48 mg
11. Brussel Sprouts 36 mg
12. Buckwheat 114 mg
13. Cabbage (raw) 49 mg
14. Carrot (raw) 37 mg
15. Cashew nuts 38 mg
16. Cauliflower (cooked) 42 mg
17. Swiss Chard (raw) 88 mg
18. Chickpeas (garbanzos) 150 mg
19. Collards (raw leaves) 250 mg
20. Cress (raw) 81 mg
21. Dandelion Greens 187 mg
22. Endive 81 mg
23. Escarole 81 mg
24. Figs (dried) 126 mg
25. Filberts (Hazelnuts) 209 mg
26. Kale (raw leaves) 249 mg
27. Kale (cooked leaves) 187 mg
28. Leeks 52 mg
29. Lettuce (lt. green) 35 mg
30. Lettuce (dark green) 68 mg
31. Molasses (dark-213 cal.) 684 mg
32. Mustard Greens (raw) 183 mg
33. Mustard Greens (cooked) 138 mg
34. Okra (raw or cooked) 92 mg
35. Olives 61 mg
36. Oranges (Florida) 43 mg
37. Parsley 203 mg
38. Peanuts (roasted & salted) 74 mg
39. Peas (boiled) 56 mg
40. Pistachio Nuts 131 mg
41. Potato Chips 40 mg
42. Raisins 62 mg
43. Rhubarb (cooked) 78 mg
44. Sauerkraut 36 mg
45. Sesame Seeds 1160 mg
46. Squash (Butternut) 40 mg
47. Soybeans 60 mg
48. Sugar (brown) 85 mg
49. Tofu 128 mg
50. Spinach (raw) 93 mg
51. Sunflower Seeds 120 mg
52. Sweet Potatoes (baked) 40 mg
53. Turnips (cooked) 35 mg
54. Turnip Greens (raw) 246 mg
55. Turnip Greens (boiled) 184 mg
56. Water Cress 151 mg

Best of luck,

Rolinda
Wife, Mother, Friend

I have kids that aren't big milk drinkers, and some that are. The bottom line is that kids DON'T need milk, so I don't worry about it. They need calcium, and they need protein, both of which are in milk, but they are also in other foods. Green veggies have calcium that is more absorbable than the calcium in milk. There is also calcium fortified orange juice and some snack bars like Nutragrain bars also have good amounts of calcium. If your son is otherwise a good eater, I wouldn't worry about the milk. I'd just focus on offering a good variety of healthy foods.

P.S. I'm not in the "milk is evil" category...but I'm definitely in the "milk is not necessary" category. But even as a former milk addict, it really surprises me how many people here are adding SUGAR to their kids milk (a.k.a. chocolate syrup, strawberry flavoring, Carnation instant breakfast) with the blessing of their pediatricians. As if our kids weren't already getting too much sugar...if you feel that you *must* sweeten milk to get your son to drink it, consider using fruits, as they are a healthier sweetner than processed sugar or artificial sugar.

Don't offer it to him. It's really not that important that he drink milk. Does he get a variety of other foods? Try leafy green vegetables like swiss chard. It could be that he doesn't feel so good when he drinks milk. Children are so much smarter than we are when it comes to food issues. Usually, if they don't like something, it means that it bothers them. My kids never liked drinking milk. They eat some on their cereal. My older daughter eats cheese and plain yogurt (never liked sweetened), my younger daughter eats plain yogurt with honey. Humans weren't meant to drink so much cow's milk. We are meant to drink human milk for the first few years and then other things. Water is perfectly fine for a child. Check out other foods that have calcium in them, there are many! Not those that are fortified with calcium. My advice, don't worry about it, he'll be fine.
A little about me: Mom of 2 girls, 11 and 7. SAH/small private practice in lactation consulting.

I can't say that my 2 year old does not like milk, in fact he loves it, but he also loves the drink yogurts and cheese and all other dairy products.

Maybe if you make the process of drinking milk more exciting.... make a milk shake, let him put fruits in the mixer and let him watch it all twirl around. Maybe that gets him excited about drinking it?
You said he does not like yogurt, have you tried the dannon smoothies? My son calls it Monkey Yogurt because it has a crazy monkey on the label.
I also think as long as he eats/ drinks other forms of dairy and calcium, for example orange juice is calcium fortified, you should not worry too much.
Just think of kids that are lactose intolerant and cannot drink milk at all.
There are many ways to substitute the calcium and nutrition.

Why do you need to push dairy products on your son? He may not like them or he may have some sensitivity to them that make his tummy upset when he has them. You could try giving him calcium enriched rice milk instead or just letting him drink water. Sesame seeds and leafy greens are very good sources of calcium.

Have you tried soy milk? My two girls, 2 1/2 and 2(adopted:)only drink soy. They like regular and very vanilla. I only give them organic dairy, cheese & yogurt. They never liked milk, were lactose intolerant as infants. After giving up the bottle, I had to try try different cups, they only use straw cups, never "sippy style" But I did find one sippy that they use at night time, they identify it with bedtime. Good luck!

I had a similar situation with my now 8 year old who drinks skim milk with meals. He didn't drink milk from ages 2-5. I didn't force it because I thought there could be a reason such as lactose intolerance. He stayed hydrated with water and juice. I think it's more important to keep the little guy hydrated as calcium can be obtained in other forms. My son also didn't like yogurt so, I gave him cheese and frozen yogurt. I also gave him a gummy calcium supplement to ease my mind. I wouldn't be surprised if your son starting asking for milk soon after you stopped trying to get him to drink it:)

My daughter has the same problem. I put carnation instant breakfast (vanilla) into it and put it into a sippy cup with a straw. I tell her that she has to drink all her milk like a big girl does then she can get a sticker (or any prize might work to) If she stops drinking, I tell her "no sticker) and she starts drinking again.
I hope this helps!!

Tania,
Maybe he just doesn't like milk. You can substitute calcium with other sources, like cheese, or calcium fortified juices (although juice contains a lot of unnecessary sugar). What about sugar free pudding? A childrens multivitamin is always a good idea. I'm sure green leafy vegetables are out of the question. You might consider that he could have a lactose intolerance....check with your pediatrician.
J. W

Hi Tania,

My 2.5 year old won't drink milk either. Although he will eat cereal with milk and he LOVES graham crackers with milk. The only reason they need milk is for the calcium - so I wouldn't worry about him not drinking milk - just try to find other sources of Calcium in foods - or take a calcium supplement. I give my son calcium supplements daily.

J.

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Tania-I know its hard. I have a daughter who was allergic to milk in large quantities. I loved Rice milk but they still need milk. I would try different cheeses, they all have different textures and taste. In my house, mozzerella worked. All my kidsd like the shredded the best. Also, drinkable yogurt was enjoyed when regular yogurt was rejected. I have even resorted to frozen yogurt to get dairy in them. I know you asked for ways to get kids to drink milk but sometimes other forms work. P.S.-I don't know if this makes a differnce but for us it is milk or water-that's it so I had to get them to get their calcium somehow. Good Luck-as you know 2 year olds are finicky.

I have 4 children and my only son doesn't like milk either. I give them all a daily vitamin and buy Danimals for my son to drink. I let him pick the flavors at the store and he tears through them. The other kids like them too.

I would offer him a chocolate milk, all kids like that and it's still milk with a little chocolate in it, that makes a big difference

I don't understand why he needs to have it at all. Why would it be unhealthy to drink no milk before lunchtime? Cow's milk isn't some kind of super-fuel that toddlers require in order to grow and function...it's just a drink (and a controversial one at that). As long as he's getting calcium from other sources, like cheese, calcium-fortified orange juice, pudding, certain brands of graham crackers, etc. he'll be just fine.

A toddler needs 500 mg of calcium a day...I bet if you read the labels, he's getting that already.

M.

try soy milk,they have vanilla flavor. another you can try is ensure. give him cheese if he will eat it. he may like the string cheese. try ice cream also. may be if he drinks his milk you can reward him at night with a little bit of ice cream of frozen yogurt.

I would not worry about your son not wanting his milk. I have heard from a nutritionist that the value of milk is a farce and that it's actually not good for you. The dairy lobby in DC makes sure that we think that milk is necessary, but humans are the only species that use milk after three years old. It contains the mucus from the cows and because it's pasturized and homogenized, there are no nutrients left in it. I would look this info up on the internet if I were you and check out some of the research. After my son was finished his formula years, I never gave him milk and he is just fine. He drinks water and prefers it. I give him a liquid multivitamin so that he gets his vit. D and calcium. I may sound extreme, but like I said check it out. The pediatricians buy into the milk thing because the dairy farmers and their lobbyist are so good at selling their product.
-M.

Put a little bit of chocolate or strawberry syrup in his milk. That's what I do when my daughter has days when she doesn't want to drink her milk.

i too have a two year old and a four year old, neither one of them would drink white milk and i didn't really want to get them chocolate milk so i talked with the WIC office here and they gave me some great advice, simply add food coloring to the milk, make it fun. let them choose the color and if your brave, even let them put a few drops in. Let them stir it up to see the milk change color!! my kids loved and it i don't have problems with them drinking their milk any more! good luck!

Is the reason you want him to drink milk the calcium? If so, it can be found in other things aside from dairy. There is Orange Juice and Soy milk with added calcium. Also some nuts and vegetables contain calcium too. You could try 'hiding' the dairy in different dishes such as Mac and cheese or lasagne. Or putting some yogurt or tofu in a fruit smoothy.

He may also be lactose intolerant. As a kid I never liked milk. i'd drink chocolate milk, because i loved (still do) chocolate. However, as a teen i found out i'm lactose intolerant. kids instinctualy stay away from things that make them feel bad. Most of my lactose intolerant friends had a similar experience, i.e. never liking milk.

check with your doc.

-D.

I feel your pain! My son is just now starting to entertain drinking milk. I nursed him for 18 months he never had milk or formula in that time. I partially blame myself for him not taking to milk. I tired everything to get him to drink it too....chocolate, heating milk, serving it cold, soy milk, rice milk, vanilla flavored milk.....you name it I tried it. My pediatrician was not thrilled by his adversion, but suggested I add milk to stuff that I make like mashed potatoes, give him cheese and other dairly products, and calcium enriched orange juice (I got the kind was vitamins too) FINALLY he because interested in eating cereal and I was able to slip some milk in. Now he will drink it, but only from a cup with a straw! Good luck! I am sure that if you find other ways to get it in there your son will be just fine! Keep offering.....you never know when they are just going to finally take to it!

You could try making picture cards when he's thirsty. Two with milk, two with water, two with juice and have him choose. Tell him by the end of the day he has to use all of them and then he can pick a favorite treat. I would also try to encourage other dairy things. Have you tried freezing gogurts. My kids love them as "popcicles"!!!

Can you use a reward -- an oatmeal cookie with his milk?

At 2 both my HUGE milk drinkers tapered off significantly.

I buy Nature' Organic (uses the whole bean)Chocolate Soy Milk. Does the trick for my sons.

They are also fond of yogurt -- so I try to always have the fridge loaded with yogurt. Sams has it by the case reasonable.

What is your goal? To get him to drink milk or to get all of his vitamins by drinking milk?

Just like not all adults like milk, not all kids like milk!

Or, like you said - they might like it for awhile and then suddenly hate it.

I wouldn't force him to drink it - there are other ways to get vitamin D and calcium. There are a bazillion healthy people out there who can't stomach milk or dairy! Forcing him to drink it might actually make him hate it more.

Does he like smoothies or milkshakes? If he does, that could be one way...

There is nothing wrong with giving him dairy in other forms like cheese if he likes cheese. Pudding is also made with milk - I know it's a dessert, but it's one way to sneak milk in there.

He might like soy milk (Nature's Promise brand at Giant is good), which is fortified with the same vitamins found in milk, and it's pretty healthy. It comes in regular or vanilla flavor.

If your goal is to keep him healthy, you could alway give him kids vitamins - maybe one that has a higher dosage of calcium and vitamin D. For a two year old, you might have to break a kids vitamin tablet in half, depending on the dosage to weight.

Hopefully he'll like milk again, soon! Keep re-introducing it to him every few weeks or so =)

PS: After posting, I saw Rolinda's post w/ a GREAT list of calcium rich foods! If you haven't yet, scroll down and read her post =)

www.milksucks.com
http://www.pcrm.org/health/index.html
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/

There are some resources for you. Milk isn't as healthy as you think.

Hi Tania,

I have the opposite problem, if I would let my children they would drink milk all day long. If your son doesn't like milk forcing him will only make things worse. In my humble opinion I would try giving him other forms of dairy. I would also talk to his Pediatrician and see if they have any advice.

C. D

Welcome to the world of picky children! LOL Some kids can be so stubborn with eating and stop eating/drinking one thing for a while, and then switch and that's all they suddenly want. But it isn't unusual for kids to turn their nose up to milk at one point or another. You've tried the chocolate milk thing. I'm not sure of what else you can do to add to it. What we've always done, and has been suggested to us by docs over the years, is to give them their vitamin every day, especially during the picky eater periods. That way they're getting some of the things they're missing in their diet. I wouldn't stress it too much. It can be annoying but give them their vitamin, which would be half of a Flintstones Complete, and keep with the same routine of giving milk for breakfast and all that. Give cheese and other calcium filled snacks later in the day, like yogurt, string cheese, ham/cheese sandwiches, grilled cheese, etc. Good luck!

Hi Tania, It's time to get creative! How about milk in his ceral? Try different kinds of yogurt, if you haven't tried the whipped style, or the custard style or you can get the kind in tubes and throw it in the freezer and give it to him like an ice cream treat. My kids love them frozen because they can throw them in their lunchbags and on a hot day they are a great cool snack that's good for them. There is always cheese & cottage cheese. It's okay if he doesn't want any milk until lunch time. It seems like all kids go through a peroid right after they get too old for a bottle that they don't like to drink milk. Don't start him on the chocolate or strawberry milk thing...you'll never break him of that one and he'll just want the sugar. Hang in there! Good luck & best wishes.

Just a suggestion. WIC reccommends that in order for children to drink things like water, to put them in a sports bottle. Maybe that will help. Or try giving him Pedisure. He just might not like milk.

J. W

You don't. It's really not necessary to drink cow's milk and if you've ever been to a processing plant, you'd swear off all dairy for good! Your son can get his calcium and the other vitamins and minerals found in cow's milk from other sources. Dark Green Leafy Veggies and Broccoli usually cover it. But most kids don't like those! You could just let him eat cheeses and other dairy products if he doesn't like milk. I never drank it either- yuck! But I love cheese and all veggies except Okra- so my mom had no trouble keeping me nutritionally sound!

I wouldn't worry about it. He'll be fine without milk.

They have 'magic' powder by the hershey's syrup in the stores that turn the milk different colors that my kids like! Blue is their favorite!

Oh don't worry I have one like that and he loves cheese so I give him that. I also feed him lots of calcium rich veggies which he loves, and the added bonus that is a better source anyways.

"We must be the change we want to see in the world"
-Gandhi

Abundant Blessings
Trish

When I was young, I would not drink milk either. It turns out that I was lactose intolerant. Try the lactose free milk (it tatse great - Smart Milk brand) and see if he'll drink it - if you have to start with flavored milk, there's chocolate, strawberry and vanilla now. If he drinks it, try putting less and less in the glass each time until, hopefully, he decides he likes milk just the way it is. Otherwise, talk with you pediatrician.

My 2 1/2 yr old daughter does not drink milk, and has refused it in any form (chocolate, strawberry, etc.) ever since we stopped putting it in a bottle at 14months. I too was very concerned, but after talking to my pediatrician, was reassured that if she is getting calcium from other sources, it's NOT a problem! The list that was posted is a great resource. Try to give your son healthy snacks and meals from that list every day. My daughter does not get "treats" as snacks (only special occasions), so she happily eats nuts, raisins, dried apricots, cheese, carrots, fruit, etc. I also buy calcium fortified snacks as available - for example, Goldfish crackers come in a "Calcium added" flavor. My daughter does not eat yogurt, but LOVES drinkable yogurts such as Danimals and "Less Sugar" Yoplait in various flavors. I've had great success making fruit smoothies with added milk & yogurt - she devours those special "shakes". I also give her a calcium supplement daily, just to be sure she gets what's needed.

Hope this helps!

I had a similar problem. My son was not a fan of milk or the milk mixed with chocolate syrup or chocolate powder. We started mixing the vanilla or strawberry milkshake (bottled) milk 1:2 with his milk and called it "moo." He loved it! Still drinks it like that. And he still calls it (and thinks he's drinking) "MOO." My pediatrician said to mix it about a third of the flavored to two thirds of milk (I use skim). We also for awhile used the carnation Instant Breakfast Vanilla packets. You could also try the French Vanilla coffee creamer that comes in a bottle that is refrigerated. It last a long time--just need a little of that!
Also..have you tried the Yo-Crunch yogurt? You can mix m&M's, granola, Reese's pieces, oreo etc right into the yogurt. My son was not a huge fan of yogurt but he LOVES it when he's mixing goodies into it & scooping them out! Also, he really liked the cottage cheese doubles with fruit to mix into the cottage cheese! Good luck to you! These things worked for me.

Try a couple of drops of food coloring. Does he have a favorite color? If so start with that. Make it fun! Say today we are having rainbow milk and you get to choose the color of the rainbow that you want in your drink today. What shall it be? <smile> Offer him smaller servings 6 times a day instead of larger ones 3 times a day.Using a favorite character cup that is only used for milk can be enticing.
I am not a Personal fan of juices however mixing them with the milk (there are many ways Such as an Orange Julius or Purple Cow) can persuade him. However I have had some children that do not like them.
You can also make smoothies as an alternative, but I have had the colored milk work Every time. Having him help you make the rainbow milk gives an added incentive. :)
I am sure that you are already aware that there are alternative ways to supplement the dairy in his nutrition, however these are just a few suggestions on how to help him make friends with milk. ;)
God Bless.
Ms. M.