Liminting Milk in Toddlers?

Well I always thought milk was the best thing a child could drink and there should be no limit, but I was wrong. When my 4 yr old grandson was having trouble with the number2 potty, we had to take him to a specialist and he told us not more than 2 8oz glasses of milk a day, but we are lucky because he only drinks water if he can't have milk. And don't forget a daily vitamin.

I had this same problem with my daughter now 5, let him have one or two glasses a day of regular whole milk but give him skim or 1% the rest of the time, he will grow out of it i promise

Try Organic 2% milk. It has the same full taste as whole milk and is well worth the extra dollar or so to cut out the additives in regular milk, especially if he is drinking that much. We have even gone down to 1% and sometimes skim. Organic milk just taste better. He probably won't notice any difference and he will be taking in fewer calories.

Maybe try giving him water, or "juice" as my son calls it, which is actually crystal light. This way he's getting his water, and slowing down on the milk. But my son drinks a lot too and I asked his doctor if there is such a thing as too much milk, and he said no, not now.
They are growing sooo much now, its hard to say. If he was like 5 and doing it, I could see it maybe becoming a problem. I also question if it is going to make him used to having something to drink allll day long, but he doesn't get to do that all day at daycare, so I know he can go without it too.

I don't have a lot of personal experience with this issue, but I just finished reading Ellyn Satter's nutrition book about all these types of concerns. It's called Child of Mine:Feeding with Love and Good Sense, and about your situation, she basically says, kids will regulate themselves if you let them, like one other commenter said, let them eat and drink all they want of the good stuff (limits only on "treats", etc) and they will be healthier. She also mentions that kids this age need a LOT of fat to grow healthily and often don't get it because we're so worried about them gaining the weight. And she says we shouldn't be because being a little extra chunky in childhood does NOT correlate to becoming obese as an adult. (Okay, I paraphrased that part...don't think she said "a little extra chunky!") She also said that kids who get restricted are more likely to become obese because they freak out and then want to eat as much as possible every time they get the chance, instead of following their hunger.

So I would suggest you read that book, or at least the part relating to your child. And of course you might want to talk with your doctor as well, if you really feel there is something *wrong.* But sounds like you have a good handle on the situation and were just checking to make sure it's okay. Best of luck!

I would switch him from whole milk to 2%. He will still get the vitamins he needs if he is consuming that much milk, but will not get all the calories. Also, try to add some water at some point. He may not like it - but if he's thirsty he will drink it (or something besides milk).

I agree with Sharon D on this one - ask your doc, but they really need the fat from whole milk for smart brains! :) If he is active (like most toddler boys), he probably IS getting ready for a growth spurt and will slim right back down. My oldest LOVED milk, wouldn't drink anything else until about 2.5 years. But he wanted chocolate milk alot, so I added Ovaltine, which adds nutrients also. If you want to cut a little of the fat/calories, I would say mix it half and half with 2% and at age 2, go to nothing but 2%. Other healthy habits are more important - like not a lot of junk and getting plenty of exercise - milk and water are the healthiest things for him to drink, so don't discourage it! My second son loved fruit juices, didn't care much for milk, and still doesn't. He has always had more weight on him than my older one...

Best wishes for a happy, healthy child! :)

J.,
I always heard it was very important in the development of a childs brain to drink quite a bit of milk at your child's age. I wouldn't worry, as you've said, it's probably a growth spurt. I believe they should consume many calories at this age, and don't believe it will set a president for future calorie intake. In a short while you will be cutting back to 2%, but, right now from what you've said, he is consuming calories in many different foods. Enjoy this time and don't worry.....truly milk builds strong bones and the extra calories are good for his brain.

My daughter is 22 now but I had a similiar situation.
a 1-year-old should drink about 4 cups of milk daily, depending on how much solid food he takes in.
or a minimum of 350ml (two thirds of a pint) of full-fat cow's milk each day at his age. You might try giving him Soy milk instead it is good for him but has fewer calories. you might want to try offering some other things also like water, juice etc in place of whole milk but check with your doctor first. hope this helps
C.
www.momstakeaction.com

Too much milk is not only too much calories, it can cause constipation. Try giving him fruit juices instead. Limit milk to 2 meals a day, breakfast and dinner. Give him juice with lunch and snack, and water in between. I worked in daycare, and I know what you're going through; had a kid who would ONLY drink milk when he started, and within a week, he was very happy with juice and water and hardly drank the milk. He may not be happy with the change at first, but if you persist and not give in, he will become accustomed to the different drinks you offer him.

Well, i googled some info. Although I dont have this problem with my toddler, i was interested. I went to About.com:Pediactrics. It notes that if the child is gaining weight, you may want to reduce it to 16-26 ounces a day. It says to try decreasing the amount you put in each cup to 5-6 ounces at a time. If he is still eating well, and not filling up on milk, it might not be an issue.

Mine did the same thing! a half gallon every two days; I was always at the store buying milk. When I talked to his pediatrician he seemed concerned only until I told him that my son was also eating a well balanced diet at meal times and having minimal snacks. Plus, my son was asking for the extra milk throughout the day. So, the Dr. said to continue on and that it would probably taper off. (He said he didn't reccomend switching to 2% or watering it down.) It did taper off after a few months. Now, at nearly 20 months a gallon is lasting us a week or so. The little guy just started slowly consuming less and asking for it less. We followed his cues. In our case we couldn't see added weight to speak of, but looking back it was a time of rapid growing for him. He added inches, teeth and a little weight!

Here'a my take on feeding children..dont limit them..well dont limit the good stuff..fruit,veggies,meats,grains and MILK.Let them eat as much as they want of that.Junk food of course limit that goes without saying.Do have other liquid handy..juice water..so he has a choice.You may find that not limiting him well help to fold..one he will get everything he needs to grow up healthy and strong and two when he is older you wont have to fight him to eat his veggies/fruit because he will enjoy them already..good luck..
S. B

My toddler drinks milk all the time, also. However, she does not eat well. My doctor advised me that a milk diet was fine, but when she starts eating better to switch to 2 percent milk or skim. Hope this helps. J.

Hi, I am new to the group, and just started reading these "requests" and your situation is completely familiar to me! I have a 3 year old son, & he is the EXACT same way. What I had to do, was tell him he was allowed to have 3 sippy cups full of milk everyday, and it was his choice when he got them. Whenever he'd cry for milk, i'd remind him how many glasses he's had, how many he has left & so on. It did take a little while for him to understand the concept, but it has really worked out well for us.
Something else I ended up doing, was I switched to 2% milk, I can't remember though how old he was when the Dr. told me it was fine to switch, I think he was 2 years old, but I can't remember for sure. (they need the fat in the whole milk for their little brains up until a certain point, but i can't remember when it was exactly)
Now, I've even started adding a little water to the milk as well. He was gaining weight because of the milk too.
GOOD LUCK!!!!

Since he loves milk so much, maybe you can talk to your doctor about switching to 2% milk? I'm sure he's just fine though. But, it's worth a conversation with your doctor if you're worried. =0) Most of the time parents have to try things to get them to drink milk in the first place, so you're doing great! =0)

If it were me, I would probably stick a sippy cup with water at his reach at all times instead of letting him drink milk or caloried drinks as much. Now if he doesn't eat that much one day I would let him drink more milk. Sounds like your child is opposite of mine. If she drank alot of milk, she wouldn't eat. So I took away some of the milk and the drinking all day so she would eat. Now we have it balanced out. I would think that you most certainly would want to teach him to like water so when he gets older he will want to drink water more instead of juices and cokes. To do that ... start early.

You definitely should limit his milk. I would discuss with your pediatrician how much is adequate. Too much milk can cause iron deficiency anemia.
Good luck! I am trying to get my toddler to drink more milk!

Hi J., I'm pretty for sure you don't have to worry about your boy being a couch potato. Therefore, you really don't have to worry about calories. I agree with the other responses about the anemia. At this age, toddlers really start testing their independence. For him to be able to tell you what he wants and then get it is a good thing. He's learning cause & effect. Just keep his choices balanced, and don't give him the milk just because that's what he wants. Let him lovingly know that he has to have other choices as well.

If truly left to their own resources, a child will eat what they need when they need it, and as much as they need. It sounds as though your observation that he's getting ready for height growth spurt is right on target. As long as he's getting variety and balance, there doesn't seem to be cause for concern.

Hi, my daughter recently had her 18months & he said that they can have too much milk. Something about cause a anemia(iron defeiency). Both my kids love milk & he had to back off a little luckly they like water. God bless and good day.

I am a Registered Dietitian and also a mother to a 4 1/2 month old. I have a nephew who is 3 now, but went through the same thing you are talking about. It is important for your son to consume milk, but TOO much milk can lead to iron deficiency (anemia). I would call you pediatrician and ask what they recommend as the max amount of milk. Iron and calcium compete for absorption and usually calcium wins, therefore the much needed iron from foods etc sometimes will not be absorbed and lead to anemia. That can cause many behavior problems and other health things. Best thing to do... measure how much he gets everyday and gradually decrease it to what your Doc says

I don't think you have anything to worry about. My children did the same thing but worse. My little boy would not hardly eat for years and he would drink lots of milk. My doctor would tell me to give him what he will eat and don't worry about it. He was also a chunky monkey. Now he is 5 and his milk consuption has dropped dramatically and he eats a whole lot better. Plus he has slimmed down alot. My doctor and the WIC office told me that a child under the age of 2 needs whole milk for brain development. I think if you have any concerns you should consult your doctor. I really think things will get better as he gets older. I think he will slim down as he gets older too. So don't stress and good luck!

Yes, there is a medical reason that you should limit the amount of milk. Don't quote me, but if memory serves me correctly it can block the absorption of other necessary vitamins and minerals and I think it can cause anemia. I would probably just call your pediatrician to find out what the limit is and then not exceed that. Our pediatrician told us to use whole milk or toddler formula, not to use any reduced fat milk.

Just give him milk at meals and offer him water at all other times. My kids (3 1/2 and 23 mos.) only get milk with meals and all milk cups stay at the table and I refill their cups if they finish their milk and want more while they're still at the table, but in the morning I give each of them a sippy cup of water that they are free to tote around and drink from whenever they like. If they want more and the cup's empty, I happily refill it. This way they stay well-hydrated, but they don't fill up on milk. Now that your child is well into solids, getting enough water in him is just as important as the milk. Good luck!

Toddlers need whole milk until they turn 2 years old. The fat in milk helps brain development. At 2 years old you can switch to skim milk. I have always let my children drink as much milk as they want. I offer other things such as water, juice, etc. There is current research on milk that says that people who drink 4 glasses of milk per day are less likely to be overweight.

My boys always got a little chunky right before they had a growth spurt. I would cut out sweets before I would cut out milk. My kids drink a lot of milk and they have never been fat. They drink milk at every meal. I have four kids and we go through a gallon of milk a day. I think they get more calories in juice than they do in milk.

Why don't you switch to 2%? That's what I did when my daughter turned 18 months. The doctor said it was okay.

Yes, you should limit milk. He is gaining weight and will eat fewer fruits and veggies if he's full of milk. Also, he should probably be drinking 2% or less, as he does not need the fats in whole milk. He needs 3 or 4 servings of lower fat milk per day, with a serving being 1 cup. If you give him smaller amounts, you can give him milk more often, so you could try just giving him a half cup at a time. You can give him water in his cup when he is out of milk if he still seems thirsty. My niece was a big milk drinker, and her mother started putting a little water in her milk, increasing the amount of water slowly until it was about half water and half milk (they always used skim milk, too.) That seemed to satisfy her. Just remember that you don't want to put your child on a diet, but you don't want to encourage drinking too many calories, as that's where most older people get into weight trouble. Too much juice, milk, or soda leaves fewer calories for fruit, veggies and whole grains. Helping him learn to enjoy water now will also help him when he's older. If he seems to not like water, you can try getting those packets of powdered lemon, lime and orange that they sell to use in place of real juice. They don't have sugar or calories, but they give a crisp flavor to plain water without being overpowering.

My son was the same way and he is now 3 1/2. He continues to prefer to drink (milk, apple juice, water, etc.) instead of eat. I have to make him eat before he drinks during meals. My son's not a big meat eater but he eats other foods very well. His ped told me to give him a multi-vitamin daily. She's never told me to limit his drinking although many mags will say that. I will usually water down his juices and make sure he's getting plenty of water. You may want to call your ped and ask their advice and definitely mention it at the next wellness visit. Hang in there!

Ok, first of all, let's break this down. You said a Half gallon every two days.. so that a quart each day. There are 4 cups in a quart, so he is actually taking in 4 cups of milk a day. If you look at 4 cups of milk, that's really NOT a lot of milk for him to comsume in a day. As I recall, the infant concentrated formula that I used came in cans to be mixed with a can of water, which yielded about a quart, which was a days supply for my little one and most infants. So he was probably consuming this amount at a much earlier age. Now if he wasn't eating regular foods and only had a desire for the milk, then you would have a problem. But honestly sweetie I don't see a problem with your toddler drinking 4 cups of milk a day. Milk is better for him than, koolaids, soft drinks and some other things you could be giving him, but I do think he should be consuming some water too, because it aids in flushing the digestive system, helping with constipation, etc.
Good luck and don't worry, I think he's a healthy 17 month old that LOVES milk.
God bless,
R.

Hey! I am mother of 5 and grandma of 14. I would ask my Pediatrician. Milk fat can be an issue, even for later in life. Good luck!
D.

Hi J.:) Have you tried changing to a 2% milk or lowfat milk and see if he drinks that it won't make him gain so much over his ideal weight and maybe something else that might work is get him to try different drinks, like juices, flavored water, and things of that nature see if that works and maybe he will find something that he likes. I do not think milk is all that bad but during summer weather it is going to be hot and that might just stop him too when he would rather have something cold and tasteful. Good luck and let me know if this helps any:)

Have you tried switching him to 2% or even skim. He would get the same nutrients just not the calories. Of course, ask your ped before you do it just to make sure, but that would be my first suggestion. Then if it is still an issue, you could even give him something else besides milk in one or two cups per day.

Do be careful with the whole milk, your precious one will gain unwanted weight. He should not be drinking that much whole milk in such a few days. Increase his water consumption and change your milk to 1% or 2% to get those milk fats lowered. It might take some encouragement as he is use to drinking milk all the time. Is he still drinking the milk from a bottle or cup? If he is still from a bottle, it might be his own way of saying I still want to be your baby. Which he still is, but time to start encouraging him to be your big boy now. Many parents have different ideas to accomplish their childs growth, use what works for you and your boy. You can get great ideas from other moms and some really good books at the library. Just remember any changes your are going to make must be done in little steps, that way your not putting you and your son under unneeded stress. Suggestion: milk start half 1% and half whole milk, increase 1% a little each day until he is adjusted.