Juice vs Milk

First of all, don't worry too much... But milk is important for toddlers because of the needed fat for brain development. I'm sure she is getting fat from other sources though. There are other sources of diary she may like such as yogurt (my son loves) and cheese. If she is picky about milk I wouldn't start her off on trying choc or strawberry because she may never like white milk then. I would also talk to her pediatrician about this matter at her next well baby check up to get the "professional" opinion. I'm a nurse and have learned some about babies but I always have so many for the doctor also. Write them down so you don't forget. Don't worry too much I think she is probably getting other sources of dairy and fat need for early brain development because the recommended daily dose of milk is only about 4-6 ounces a day.

My son wasn't big on milk either. Our pediatrician said to have him drink Orange Juice with calcium and it would be just as good. Hope that helps a little! :)

Before switching to milk, was she formula fed or breast fed? My ped suggested slowly adding milk to her formula. The first day I added 1 oz milk to 7 oz formula for every 8 oz; the second day I added 2 oz milk to 6 oz formula, and so on, until she was completely on milk. She never noticed the difference.

J. -

Have you tried some of the various juices on the market that are fortified with calcium (like Tropicana OJ w/Calcium, for example). My concern is the reason that she may be avoiding milk is that she has a dairy allergy and milk gives her a tummy ache. That turned out to be the case with my son, so maybe she knows what's best for her! You can have a food allergy test to determine if that's the case. We are told again a again by our pediatrician's and society in general that we're not being a good Mom if we don't give our kids lots of milk, but dairy allergies are becoming more and more common so that may be something to research and discuss with her doctor. Good luck, B.

Keep sticking to it. I had a hard time with my 2nd child when we came off formula, getting him to drink milk. Keep offering milk and water and nothing else. Try putting more flavoring in it and gradually cutting back. Keep trying to warm it up too. After drinking warm formula for so long, the cold milk is sometimes a shock. You can also try other flavors of milk from the store - they are a little sweeter, but it is milk - I think you can get Vanilla, Strawberry, and Chocolate at most grocery stores and Braums. Consistency will pay off in the long run and when your child knows you mean what you say, they won't try to push you into something else. You are right, they really need that milk to help develop strong bones and teeth. Good luck! If you still have problems, you might talk to your doctor.

My 3 yr-old daughter developed a milk allergy this winter. We bought Silk brand soy milk with vanilla- she drinks it WAY better than she ever drank her milk, even chocolate milk. The vanilla Silk tastes alot like icecream. My son keeps asking for it,too.

My daughter would not drink milk after a certain age when a toddler, but would drink orange juice. I made sure that the juice I purchased contained calcium. She is 14 now, has never broken a bone, and has only had one cavity. She still prefers juice to milk, but has never experienced any type of vitamin deficiency. Hope this helps.