My 18-Month-old Daughter Can't Drink Milk in a Cup

L.,

Give her a cup with maybe 2MM (very little) water on the bottom. Help her then let her practice on her own. It's a great non-staining way for her to learn to do this.

Above all, don't worry. She's going to 'get it' in her own time. Like a lot of kids, she'll transition.

If you are truly worried about the bottles and dental issues (after age 3 I believe for pacifier, but don't know about age for bottles since the nipples collapse), then gradually give her cups and let her know her supply of bottles is 'dwindling' until you have only one that you use regularly, and it actually wears out and can't be used anymore. She'll understand and know she has to make the transition. What doesn't exist can't be used.

Good luck,
M.

Most babies will not drink milk from the cup at first. I would try the sippy cup with a straw most kids take to it easier then a regular cup.

I gave my son a straw with his cup & it worked like a charm. But I think it worked so well because he always saw his older siblings use a straw and wanted in on it. Good luck.

Just another thing I wanted to add it addition to what other people have written... my son did the same thing and for a little while he didn't drink milk at all (I just made sure that he had other dairy products), but at some point he turned around and now he loves milk again. If you really can't get her to drink the milk now, just know that it probably won't be forever! Good luck!

I think you just have to keep trying. She probably knows milk comes in a bottle and juice and water comes in a cup, so thats what she's used to and expecting. Just keep explaining to her that milk is going to be in a cup now too, I think she'll eventually make the switch. If she's drinking the milk from the bottle then she still likes the milk, she just isn't grasping the new delivery method. Give her some time and keep trying. In the meantime if she isn't drinking as much milk, just be sure to give her other dairy products and fortified juice to keep the calcium and vitamins going. I think in due time she will be fine.

Target sells cups that have a softer sippy top much like a bottle. They work great for transitioning from a bottle to a sippy cup.

When I transitioned my dgtr from bottle to cup (at that time she had an am bottle, and after nap bottle) - I started with a cup of milk with meals (used a cup w/ lid and straw) - and honestly can't remember if I started with one meal or all three at once!!! Definitely, if she didn't drink much - I didn't say anything and the meal was done. But I cut out the am bottle right away and kept the afternoon bottle - kids at that age only need 8-12oz of milk I believe I was told - so a couple ozs here and there plus one good bottle and she had the quantity for the day (plus yogurt, cheese, etc). When she began being more consistent drinking more of her milk with each meal, I cut out the afternoon bottle too and at some point began to insist that she drink her milk entirely before she was allowed to get up for that meal - she'll be 3 at the end of June and still makes sure her milk is all gone. Good luck! Giving up that bottle is a toughie!!!

if she understands fully what you are asking her to do. try this...put a sticker of something she likes on the bottom of the cup on the outside of course...and put just a liitle bit more then she is drinking for you now..tell her if she drinks it all she might find something special on the bottom of the cup...each time add just a little more milk until you get the the amount you wish her to drink..you can tape the sticker on buy folding over the tape and attaching to the back of the sticker and then to the cup... so she will be able to use it once she takes it off...get her a scrap note book to keep her stickers into..you could also do this with coins if the cup has a little up ness to the bottom..you would not want to put the coins on bottom of flat cup that might allow it to tip over..good luck...rosie

Hi, I have a little one, 2 1/2, who doesnt really like the taste of milk. Around 1, I started her on soy milk instead of whole milk. My son, now 8, did the same thing, didn't like milk, and felt bad, even vomited a couple times on whole milk, thats what triggered the switch to soy. He liked the flavor better, so it took about 1 year to switch to regular milk.
Now for my daughter,I got her off of soy a bit earlier and onto whole milk with a cheat.
I don't know how appropriate it is, but I ad just about a teaspoon of flavored coffee creamer to her milk cuppy. She likes Irish Cream, and Cinnamon Creme from International Delight. Or, like this morning, I added just a quick squirt of strawberry.
And around 18 months, I switched her milk cuppy to a water cuppy at bedtime and she gets a regular childrens cup during the day with meals.
Good luck with milk.

L.,
The bottle is like a security blanket so to speak for her and it appears she is not ready to give it up just yet. Let her have the juice in her cup as well as having her bottles of milk at least for now. You can try offering her another style cup with milk in it. I found that a straw cup worked great for my kids as it really helped with the transition from bottle to cup and used it whenever we went out. I would do picnics in the park with a blanket and we all drank with straws which helped a lot; I did this with all 5 of my kids and when the time comes I will do the same with my grandchildren. I hope these tips work for you.

T.

My daughter is 16 1/2 months and we are going cold turkey. All the bottles have disappeared. By the time we reached day five (yesterday) she drank about 4 oz in one shot, with an ounce here or there(another 3 or over teh day). It is a very different consumption pattern than with her bottle. I just make sure she easts more cheese and yogurt to make up for the calcium and protien she would normally get from the milk.

This was not an easy route, so if you choose it be prepared for temper tantrums. They do pass though. I like the idea of a cup with a straw that someone had, and I may pick one up. If I do I will let you know how that works out.

Good luck!

Sounds like she is telling you enough is enough! At 18 months old she should be getting all of the liquids and food she needs on her terms. She seems to be wanting to give up the bottle as well. 2 sips from a cup and then giving it back is a big heads up to Mommy ..... I'm not thirsty, but thanks anyway. LOL If she is growing and thriving happily... take the cues from her. She's ready to give up the bottle of milk and possibly all bottles! Hurray for you AND her if that's the case. She will get enough vitamins and nutrients from other sources in place of milk. Time to stop and think... is the bottle times for Mommy or Nicole?? Good Luck - but I think she's calling the shots..............LOL
J.
P.S. I've got 2 boys now 27 and 21.... Oldest was off bottle at 11 months and the youngest at 13 months.

I suggest flavoring the milk, to make it into something 'new'.
When I refused to give my son any more bottles at, 21 months, The milk drinking stopped for at least a week.
I thought this was weird because he had been drinking milk from bottles, sippies, as well as a cup.
But when I nixed the bottle, he rejected milk completely.
Then, I tried a little strawberry flavoring with the milk in a sippy cup, and he loved it. so I transferred it to a regular cup right in front of him. The rest is history...

Hi I had the same problem with my now 6yr old son. He realized his sip cup always had something sweet in it so I would put a little choc or strawberry syrup to his milk. It worked and he drank his milk from his cup always after that