My Daughter Will Not Drink Her Milk!

Please release yourself from the feeling that you need to make an issue of this. For whatever reason, she is not drinking the milk. When she is done, let her out of her chair, without praise or disappointment. Do not offer juice boxes. Water is ok. Do not prod, plead, negotiate or even seemed pleased when she does drink milk. This should not be a power issue, as some children learn to play food power issues when they are young, and repeat them later on in their teenage years as eating disorders. So call your pediatrician to ask what supplements are the correct amount for your daughter, and then enjoy your time with her.

hi G.,
my 16 month old does the same thing, but wont TOUCH a sippy of any kind. there are a few things i do to help her, and she gets enough milk AND calcium for the day....

1. seeing she will drink from a straw (juicebox), try getting the baby cups with straws at wal mart instead of sippies.
2.continue offering milk, yogurt and cheese, even if she wont eat it. eventually she will. just keep offering it and dont make a big deal out of weather or not she eats it.if she gains that power over you, it will result in an even bigger eating problem down the road.
3. try to "sneak" milk/calcium into other foods prepared with milk (eggs, mac and cheese, etc.).again, just keep offering it to her, eventually she will eat it.
4. seeing she has a milk allergy, im not sure if she can have these or not, so you would want to check first, but my daughters favorite snack is gerbers graduates yogurt melts. you can get them in the baby food isle at the grocery store.
5. give her some tropicana oj with added calcium each morning with breakfast, and/or smoothies that include milk, yougurt, or ice cream, with her snacks.

by doing these things, my daughter now gets 24-30 oz of milk to drink each day, AND gets MORE than the recommended amount of calcium (milk, cheese, yogurt melts, tropicana oj, ice cream, pudding, etc.).

C.

Just let it go. She doesn't seem to like milk. She'll learn to get calcium in other ways over time. Tons of kids don't drink 16 or more oz of milk a day and are completely fine. Water is probably the best thing for her to drink anyway, so she learns to like it and doesn't want sweet sugary stuff later in life. Of all the battles you'll have with her, this is one you should just let her win.

My son also has a milk allergy and I am surprised that you were told to use goat milk as a substitute. We were told to stay away from it because the protein and structure of goat milk is very similar to cow milk. Have you tried the goat milk, yogurt, or cheese they have a distinct taste to them and I wouldn't eat them either. Because of the natural enzymes and bacteria in regular yougurt some people with dairy allergies are able to tolerat it pretty good and some forms of cheese to but check consult with your allergist and nutritionist first. We use enriched rice milk for my son because he also allergic to soy but soy yogurt and cheese have calcium in it so maybe thats a way you could go to get more calcium in her diet. If you don't have an allergist or nutritionist I suggest you get a consult with them its great help.

I feel your pain. I have a 17 month old daughter who doesn't drink very much milk either. I've learned to try to relax about it, but I try to get the calcium in other ways. I try to sneak it in whenever I can. When I make her scrambled eggs, or cereal, or pancakes, french toast, macaroni and cheese, etc...I might add a little extra milk. Smoothies with fresh fruit and yogurt work "sometimes". I have found that if I try different sippy cups, she'll drink more. She likes trying new things. I had read in a parenting magazine that if your child isn't taking enough milk the 16-30oz they recommend, you could try giving juice that is has extra calcium. I know Tropicana has an OJ with extra calcium. I don't giver her very much because of the high sugar content, maybe 2-4oz per day mixed with water, but hey, is a little more calcium.

If it is making you really nervous, you could always contact your pedi about getting a multi-vitamin.
Hope this helps.

I know, it is so aggravating when kids don't do the things we know they need for their health and well-being! First, don't cancel your plans because you are chained to the house trying to get her to drink and eat properly! It will only end up making you more stressed, and I know from experience that when they sense we are stressed, kids are actually less likely to do what we are trying to encourage them to do. If she is eating well in the other food groups and drinks water and juice, comfort yourself with knowing that she is not deficient in a major way in her diet, and not dehydrated. That being said, sounds like it's not the milk that is the issue, it's the cup? Since she drinks the milk from the bottle at night? You don't want to revert back to bottles all day for sure, or you will confuse her or not get her back to the sippy. I would go with her cues and give her a vitmain D supplement while she is figuring this all out. I actually just read that many kids need that, unless they are getting 32 ounces of milk/dairy a day, which is a lot. Keep offering her the milk and try it throughout the day instead of just at meal time if you are not already. Maybe when you are on the floor with her, playing or reading, you could have the cup nearby and she might take some milk if she is more relaxed. These are things I have done with my kids when they were getting over a bug or something else was going on where I wanted them to have more fluids. She will do it when she wants to - it sounds like she is a strong-willed little one! And when she gets older you will be able to explain all this to her. I know it's tough! Hang in there and know you are doing all you can!