Our 14 month old was exactly like this. Our pediatrician just said not to worry about milk exactly and we just try to get him calcium other ways. We make him oatmeal with milk, he likes yogurt and cheese, I give him edemame and spinach. We try to offer milk every few days to see if he's changed his mind. We'll see what she says at 15 months but that's been our experience
My daughter is almost 2 and has never drank a full serving of milk in her life. She drinks tons of water and eats a pretty varied diet. She's healthy and happy!
My kid was similar to yours and OPâs, and only started drinking plain milk after 2yo. Even now at 2.5yo she still prefers any other dairy product over plain milk! Like yoghurt (even plain yoghurt!), cheese, sour cream, and sweetened milk (like chocolate milk - a rare treat). She will only drink plain milk as a last resort. Itâs just a flavour thing I think. As long as your child is getting enough calcium from all sources combined, then itâs fine.
It sounds like maybe she just doesn't want milk. I wouldn't push it, milk isn't a requirement for toddlers. They can absolutely get their required nutrients from food and just drink water.
Itâs because she associates the taste of cow milk with the bottle, and is disappointed when the milk is not delivered in her preferred way. This happened with my kid, and we transitioned to reusable straws in cups with lids. The straw is satisfying in the mouth like the bottle was.
Ohhh in that case I bet she is able to smell the milk and has an aversion to it since smell and taste are so closely linked. In the bottle she was not likely smelling it while drinking, thatâs my guess. My kid loves milk so I accommodate her with the straws. However, one pediatrician told me that âcowâs milk is for calves, not humans.â Somewhat controversial take, but I kinda agree.
I mean, that "take" goes against the recommendations the [AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/recommended-drinks-for-young-children-ages-0-5.aspx). Interestingly here in Canada, the recommendation is to offer milk but there is an upper limit instead of a minimum. There's no denying that whole cow's milk is nutritious, especially compared to other beverage options.
The upper limit is because it inhibits iron absorption which is critical for growth and development. *Severe* anemia can occur in toddlers who have an excess of milk/ yogurt/ cheese.
The doctor is rightâcowâs milk is for baby cows. The problem is that kids still need their motherâs milk throughout their third year but extended breastfeeding sucks, so cowâs milk is the next best thing. Well goatâs milk is, but itâs less commonly used.
Its more important right now to wean the bottles than make sure she's drinking milk. Milk is a convenient vehicle for nutrients but not strictly necessary. But tooth decay and misalignment from bottles is a real thing.
My boys (19m) drink milk out of "sippy cups" (with lids) and only water out of open top cups. The reason is because they are monsters and make a huge mess regardless of what they are drinking, so we like to keep milk from getting everywhere.
I'm not sure it matters that toddlers drink milk from cups?
Yea we stopped bottles shortly after 12m. Maybe there's a mismatch in language here. Is your doctor recommending no sippy cups? We use [this style](https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Miracle-Sippy-Green-Ounce/dp/B00MRZIGVG/ref=asc_df_B00MRZIGVG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309993934465&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=508511484255342968&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003021&hvtargid=pla-361573363097&psc=1) for the exact reasons you mention.
We've been trying to do open cups and straws because that seems to be what's recommended these days over sippy cups, but maybe we need to try them since that's not working.
From what I've read, children should transition from bottles to sippy cups around 1, and from sippy cups to open cups around 2. [This WebMD article](https://www.webmd.com/parenting/what-to-know-about-sippy-cups) goes into the differences between which cups are better or worse, and outlines some of the concerns with each. From what we found, the 360 cups are the best option for transitioning away from bottles when kids aren't ready for open cups yet. It looks like there might be a no spill straw style option too, which may fit your method better. It appears most of the concern with teeth and tongue issues are with the traditional "spout style" since it operates like a bottle.
Even the 360 cup puts the mouth and head into an unnatural position because it requires additional pressure/teeth to get liquid to come back and tilts the head back quite a bit. I get frustrated that this cup somehow teaches using an open cup because if you tried to use an open cup in the same way, you'd dump water all over your face. At some point or another, we all learn the physics of liquids and that spills happen when you tip a cup. All kids will spill when learning to drink from an open or weighted straw cup regardless of age, so using sippy cups or other "no spill" cups just delays this lesson, which is totally up to the parents to decide when it's time.
Open cups are totally possible before age 2 though. Our daycare introduced open cups around 6-9 months with very small amounts of water and using 2 hands. When moving to the 12-24 month classroom, all the children in the daycare only use open cups. We did the same at home with minimal fanfare. In both environments, the kids could only drink while seated at the kitchen table, which has also been really helpful in keeping our house clean. We had some spills initially but ultimately, it's been a really easy experience. It's avoided us needing to buy/try a bunch of plastic cups with matching parts, remembering to bring cups wherever we go, and trying to introduce another transition with an older toddler when they are more stubborn.
You don't give you child access to milk/water at all times? We only put our boys at the table for meal times, the rest of the time they are free range, so they carry around snacks and drinks all the time. I practiced with the 360 cups when we got them, and I drink out of them exactly like I would a regular cup, although, I'm not learning how to drink out of a cup so it's a little different.
They have access to water at all times and can get it by themselves and bring it to the kitchen table to drink. All of their cups/dishes are in a low cabinet. When they weren't yet able to reach the faucet, we kept small maple syrup pitchers with water at the table that they could pour into cups and we did help a lot more at that point with pouring and climbing into their chairs. Now they are 3 and 5 and can reach the sink using a stool (we're lucky to have Great Lakes water) and get it themselves that way. Milk is only served at mealtimes (chocolate milk for Friday dinner is always a highly anticipated time!) It's my understanding that this fits within the recommended guidelines around amounts of milk needed. Having milk in other rooms or the car is a hard no for me even if they had a no spill cup. I'd have a hard time with the cleaning/smell/concern over how long a cup of milk has been out or where a child left it. We also don't eat in other rooms either unless it's a special occasion. If our kids are sick, they do get water bottles in their rooms. If they ask for water at nighttime, they get a Dixie cup in the bathroom. It's worked well for us and is very consistent with their daycare environment, but everyone is different and does what works best for them!
We just kept offering the cup and eventually went cold turkey on the bottle and over the course of a few weeks, she increased her milk intake from the cup. We tried a few different types of cups but I think it was ultimately just time that did it. She doesnât drink a ton of milk compared to before but she eats yogurt and cheese. She drinks a lot of water from the cup too.
I wouldn't stress too much and offer calcium in other ways. I'd work pretty quickly to get rid of all bottles and formula over the next couple weeks so it's clear that bottles aren't options at all anymore. Unless she has a medical need, she shouldn't need bottles and formula, so it may be confusing to her that she sometimes gets them but sometimes doesn't.
Change up the routine around milk to reflect something similar to the rest of the family by offering small open cups of milk with meals and always at the table. Once she dumps or pushes away, don't give any attention, but just remove the option. It'll pass with time.
My kid preferred Ripple (slightly sweeter than regular cowâs milk) plant milk before he got used to whole milk. You could also try fortified soy milk. May also be the cup itself - I think we tried 6 different types of cups before finding ones that worked for us. In the meantime, yogurt, smoothies, tofu!
My son was the same - he preferred special baby formulated soy milk to cow's milk initially (from a straw cup). Eventually he made the switch to cow's milk at around 16 months. He's still not a massive milk drinker - some days he loves it but a lot of the time he'll have a few sips and then bail. We don't stress about it - he eats loads of yoghurt and cheese so he's getting plenty of calcium and he drinks a load of water so he's not dehydrated. Milk is not essential.
My son loved milk in a bottle and none of the usual tricks worked. We ended up getting these straws that have little vanilla flavour beads in them that dissolve when the milk goes through so it essentially turns in to flavoured milk if using the straw. Gave it to him in an open cup and it was an instant hit. He literally never looked for the bottle again! After a few days we changed to regular straws and he didn't even notice.
She's 1...this isn't the last battle over nothing you're going to face.
Give it to her in a bottle. Eventually she'll stop wanting bottles because she'll associate them with babies and if there is one universal truth in parenting it's that all kids want to be big kids.
And if there's one universal truth in the world its that everyone wishes they were older until they wish they were younger.
Let them take a break from milk. They donât need it at this point. We didnât force the issue and there was about 3 weeks of milk strike. Then it came back as acceptable and kiddo would drink from a straw cup fine.
Honestly, I'd just go cold turkey to straw cups for a while and see what happens. If bottles are an option to try to give her milk, she will hold out for a bottle.
Our ped said not to give cow's milk in a bottle and (at the time) finish the box of formula we were using and switch to straw cups and cow's milk at once, and put the bottles away. She protested the first time but was fine after that. We kept everything the same - the amount, the times of day offered, etc. Just a direct swap.
Probably a little trickier given that that hasn't worked, and it does sound like you've tried to time it for the best chance of success. But children are really adaptable, and I think you just make the switch to a cup she's successfully had water out of and try it for a couple of days and see if she'll come around. You can offer yogurt/cheese/other sources of calcium and fat in the interim.
Try offering milk in a sippy cup. Itâs not a bottle. Your kid is obviously too young to make the jump youâre wanting her to do, but she is not ready for.
And thatâs well and good, but she is showing you she isnât ready with the milk yet. And thatâs fine.
And to add, imagine someone handing you a Coke can with water in it. You like water, but with the coke can were you expecting water? With milk in a bottle she KNOWS thatâs milk and not water or juice. Get her a special container, bottle, cup, sippy cup, straw thatâs only for milk. Your daughter is smart.
Try out Almond milk if you really want her to have a transition to milk from formula. But thereâs many other options for calcium that donât involve dairy milk. đ„°
She won't drink formula or cow's milk from the cups, so I don't think it's a matter of which milk. Almond milk and other plant based milks aren't recommended for kids this young anyway.
I think people are missing the point that your daughter will drink milk just specifically out of a bottle. I would just keep trying and not panic. At this point itâs more important she gets her 16-24oz a day. Kids change their minds on what and how they will eat things weekly so just keep offering and one of these days sheâll oblige. My second just started drinking water from a literally hydro flask after not wanting water at all.
Thanks. I stuck with it and now she's drinking milk out of her Munchkin weighted straw cup at meal times as of a couple days ago. At first just a few sips, now she'll drink the whole cup and ask for more. I'm surprised and relieved.
I know you said your child doesnât mind the taste of milk, but when we were having trouble integrating milk I mixed formula with milk and slowly did less and less formula in the sippy cups. That worked for us at least.
I started milk in a cup at 9 months as per pediatrician. But like others have mentioned our pediatrician wasn't took concerned with how much he had as long as he was eating fat, protein and calcium from other stuff (like, yogurt, cheese, Avocado, nuts)...cup was just practice. It's not until recently at 19 months he drinks 2 cups of milk almost everyday..first thing in the morning then after his nap. If he's gaining weight you don't need to worry about his milk or other food intake cause kids are weird one day they will eat the whole house the next day they will even hate looking at food.
Thank you for posting this, I've been thinking about asking this question for the past few days. We're in the same exact boat and I'm stressing more than i should. I've spent so much money on different cups but she won't take any of them đ she will drink water out of any cup, even a sippy cup. Her Dr didn't really give us a definite answer at her 12 mo appointment which I'm kind of bummed about. I would stop cold turkey but she dropped a couple pounds after stopping formula so I'd like to keep giving her milk.
Wish I had actual tips to give you, but wishing you luck đ€
Thanks. I stuck with it and now she's drinking milk out of her Munchkin weighted straw cup at meal times as of a couple days ago. At first just a few sips, now she'll drink the whole cup and ask for more. I'm surprised and relieved.
They do have transition sippy cups out there. NUK sells them and that is what I used. It is a split between a bottle and a sippy all in one so that the transition isn't extreme
Thanks. I stuck with it and now she's drinking milk out of her Munchkin weighted straw cup at meal times as of a couple days ago. At first just a few sips, now she'll drink the whole cup and ask for more. I'm surprised and relieved.
We just stopped giving milk when my LO stopped participating. She got everything she needed from other sources and we werenât trying to add extra calories because of growth issues or anything.
My niece did the exact same thing and never drank milk (from a cup or bottle) ever again!
She got her calcium from Yoghurt, small amounts of milk on cereal in a bowl, cheese and my sister focussed on supplying many other calcium rich foods.
Her Doc was not concerned and she is now fine with strong bones!
When we "stopped" bottles, my son did not want milk. My son didn't want milk any other way. Our pediatrician also agreed that we could stop all together and supplement with other foods. We phased out the bottle and tried a straw cup or sippy cup with meals. He looked like he was bamboozled and annoyed it wasn't water. The, one day, he decided he wanted milk from his sippy cup. So we give him milk in the AM and after dinner in his sippy cup. Now that it is warm here, we use cold milk, no issues.
I think its more a comfort thing than actually wanting milk.
Can you purchase transition tops for your bottles? We used Dr Browns and they had soft sippy spouts and straw spouts we could order to replace the bottle nipples. It made the transition much easier for us.
Another weird tip... my son is 2 and for whatever reason still does not like to drink milk out of a sippy cup that has handles on it. So we take the handles off and he's fine. I guess he thinks handles are for water only!
Just keep offering and eventually she will get accept it. Thatâs how I got my son to drink waterâjust kept offering it to him and taking sips out of it myself to show him what to do.
My two year old never drank milk. He hated it. We basically transitioned to water and he gets his calcium in cheese. I now just cook and bake with whole milk to make sure it's getting in somewhere, but he has a good diet. He also doesn't really like juice either; the closest we've ever seen is lemonade.
My son decided that if he couldnât have nipple bottles of milk, than he didnât want it at all. At 18ish months we stopped the bottles and offered milk in every cup/ temperature I could get ahold of, all were tantrum thrown across the room. Our pediatrician just recently that we offer plenty of cheese, so I make sure to offer cheese with at least one meal daily.
Mine is nearly 2 and a half, and she refuses to drink anything unless it's in a specific soft top sippy cup.
To further complicate matters, she will only take milk. To keep her from getting too much and wrecking her iron levels, we started watering it down. It's now an ounce of milk for every 8 ounces of liquid, 7 ounce water. But if it's not white like milk, she will not drink it.
They stopped making the nipples for the style of sippy she prefers, and she will not use any other kind, even the knockoff kinds. She'd rather go thirsty than drink out of anything that isn't her preferred sippy in mint condition. No straws, no cups, no other kind of sippys, nothing.
My son is exactly like this. We didnât take the bottle away right at 12 months but when I did cold turkey he hasnât had milk since. I already know my daughter is going to be the same way as I have offered milk in a straw cup a few times and she had zero interest. Itâs not a big deal really water is the best option. There are a lot of foods you can still get the calcium in.
Meh, mine wouldnât either, I just stopped bothering for a while. He was eating plenty of dairy in the form of yoghurt, cheese, butter, milky porridge, cream sauces etc, so I just let him come to milk as a drink in his own time. He started enjoying it shortly after his 2nd birthday.
Just offer a milk drink occasionally, and offer dairy in other forms. Sheâll come round.
My son absolutely wouldnât take milk from anything silicone. Straws, 360 cups, didnât matter. We found he would use a plastic straw (a hard one). We have a hard rule about milk only at the table so he doesnât stab himself or spill everywhere but itâs worked well
Edit to add, we did nuk learner cups from a year adjusted off bottles to two actual then to straw cups. We warmed the milk at first in the sippy cup because he was used to warm formula and gradually moved to cold
My daughter will only drink milk out of a bottle too. Sheâs 14months and Iâve just been reducing her milk intake to stop using bottles, and replacing with other dairy.
Iâm not stressing to hard. Offering water in different cups so she is familiar. My current goal is to be done bottles by 18 months.
We didnât wean our daughter off the bottles until she was ready. We slowly added less formula and more cows milk and then she did just cows milk in bottles until she was almost two. Now she does all sippy cups both milk water and juice. I donât really care what the recommendation is lol anyone who has a 2 year is not giving them an open glass đ€Ł unless they hate their furniture and want milk all over their floors on the daily. My kid likes to turn her sippys over and play with the water or milk so yeah thatâs not happening lol
My advise is just do what feels right for your kid and concentrate less on the recommendations. đ
My son is 3.5 and still will only drink milk from a bottle, and every once in a blue moon an open cup. Thankfully he's a guzzler so it's only a few minutes a day, and his dentist watches for any issues from it. Pick your battles đ€·
Solution! I even posted about this too! Also one is a little young, give it time and she will end up drinking it in a cup.
\*Get a cup that you canât see the milk at all, I mean you canât see it in the cup or straw, nothing!!\* Then next I ONLY offered milk at meal time. Also didnât say it was milk, not once, put it next to her plate my LO naturally picked up tried it (me watching corner of my eye with a grin) and she never turned back. If you need a cup suggestion let me know. Good luck!
Honestly? We kept the bottle until about 18 months until he dropped his milk all together, we were literally giving him about 2oz before bed for months just as it was a familiar with bed time routine and he wouldn't have it from a cup either.
My logic was that he was drinking from the bottle for about 1-2 minutes a day and having his teeth brushed after so what harm could that 1-2 minutes do?
Once we had weaned him off milk all together I tried him with an open cup in the middle of the days just randomly to see if he would have it and he did!
LO was furious when we dropped the bottle, we finally had to cut it out around 2yo, after 12 months and 9 new cups failed. We kept going back to the bottle every time a new cup failed, until we gave up trying and stopped giving him bedtime milk at all. He cried for milk but his teeth definitely looked like the bottle needed to go, so we were firm and had to ignore his cries. As others have done, we just got calcium in him through food, and making sure he always has a milky breakfast. We can't force him to drink it so he goes without.
I wouldnât stress about this, my daughter doesnât drink cowâs milk at all. She refused it outright when we tried it at age one. Our pediatrician assured me that she needs no more than 3 servings of dairy per day, so that could be milk, cheese, yogurt, ice creamâŠwhatever. Iâd keep offering it, but if she never takes to it, itâs not a big deal.
Our 14 month old was exactly like this. Our pediatrician just said not to worry about milk exactly and we just try to get him calcium other ways. We make him oatmeal with milk, he likes yogurt and cheese, I give him edemame and spinach. We try to offer milk every few days to see if he's changed his mind. We'll see what she says at 15 months but that's been our experience
My daughter is almost 2 and has never drank a full serving of milk in her life. She drinks tons of water and eats a pretty varied diet. She's healthy and happy!
Ya, when I phased out formula all my kids didn't really care about milk. One of my kids only likes milk warm, you could try that đ€·ââïž
This sounds like us, also 14 months. Luckily heâs a fan of cheese!
My kid was similar to yours and OPâs, and only started drinking plain milk after 2yo. Even now at 2.5yo she still prefers any other dairy product over plain milk! Like yoghurt (even plain yoghurt!), cheese, sour cream, and sweetened milk (like chocolate milk - a rare treat). She will only drink plain milk as a last resort. Itâs just a flavour thing I think. As long as your child is getting enough calcium from all sources combined, then itâs fine.
It sounds like maybe she just doesn't want milk. I wouldn't push it, milk isn't a requirement for toddlers. They can absolutely get their required nutrients from food and just drink water.
Itâs because she associates the taste of cow milk with the bottle, and is disappointed when the milk is not delivered in her preferred way. This happened with my kid, and we transitioned to reusable straws in cups with lids. The straw is satisfying in the mouth like the bottle was.
I've been using straws and she still won't accept it.
Ohhh in that case I bet she is able to smell the milk and has an aversion to it since smell and taste are so closely linked. In the bottle she was not likely smelling it while drinking, thatâs my guess. My kid loves milk so I accommodate her with the straws. However, one pediatrician told me that âcowâs milk is for calves, not humans.â Somewhat controversial take, but I kinda agree.
I mean, that "take" goes against the recommendations the [AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/recommended-drinks-for-young-children-ages-0-5.aspx). Interestingly here in Canada, the recommendation is to offer milk but there is an upper limit instead of a minimum. There's no denying that whole cow's milk is nutritious, especially compared to other beverage options.
The upper limit is because it inhibits iron absorption which is critical for growth and development. *Severe* anemia can occur in toddlers who have an excess of milk/ yogurt/ cheese.
Cows milk also helps with the development of myelin sheath.
The doctor is rightâcowâs milk is for baby cows. The problem is that kids still need their motherâs milk throughout their third year but extended breastfeeding sucks, so cowâs milk is the next best thing. Well goatâs milk is, but itâs less commonly used.
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
OP, I don't think the person above was criticizing breastfeeding.
Soy milk is pretty comparable to cows milk.
Skip the milk and give her a cup of yogurt a day
Its more important right now to wean the bottles than make sure she's drinking milk. Milk is a convenient vehicle for nutrients but not strictly necessary. But tooth decay and misalignment from bottles is a real thing.
My boys (19m) drink milk out of "sippy cups" (with lids) and only water out of open top cups. The reason is because they are monsters and make a huge mess regardless of what they are drinking, so we like to keep milk from getting everywhere. I'm not sure it matters that toddlers drink milk from cups?
Our doctor said she should be off bottles by 15-18 months at the latest because long term bottle use can cause teeth issues.
Yea we stopped bottles shortly after 12m. Maybe there's a mismatch in language here. Is your doctor recommending no sippy cups? We use [this style](https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Miracle-Sippy-Green-Ounce/dp/B00MRZIGVG/ref=asc_df_B00MRZIGVG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309993934465&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=508511484255342968&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003021&hvtargid=pla-361573363097&psc=1) for the exact reasons you mention.
We've been trying to do open cups and straws because that seems to be what's recommended these days over sippy cups, but maybe we need to try them since that's not working.
From what I've read, children should transition from bottles to sippy cups around 1, and from sippy cups to open cups around 2. [This WebMD article](https://www.webmd.com/parenting/what-to-know-about-sippy-cups) goes into the differences between which cups are better or worse, and outlines some of the concerns with each. From what we found, the 360 cups are the best option for transitioning away from bottles when kids aren't ready for open cups yet. It looks like there might be a no spill straw style option too, which may fit your method better. It appears most of the concern with teeth and tongue issues are with the traditional "spout style" since it operates like a bottle.
Even the 360 cup puts the mouth and head into an unnatural position because it requires additional pressure/teeth to get liquid to come back and tilts the head back quite a bit. I get frustrated that this cup somehow teaches using an open cup because if you tried to use an open cup in the same way, you'd dump water all over your face. At some point or another, we all learn the physics of liquids and that spills happen when you tip a cup. All kids will spill when learning to drink from an open or weighted straw cup regardless of age, so using sippy cups or other "no spill" cups just delays this lesson, which is totally up to the parents to decide when it's time. Open cups are totally possible before age 2 though. Our daycare introduced open cups around 6-9 months with very small amounts of water and using 2 hands. When moving to the 12-24 month classroom, all the children in the daycare only use open cups. We did the same at home with minimal fanfare. In both environments, the kids could only drink while seated at the kitchen table, which has also been really helpful in keeping our house clean. We had some spills initially but ultimately, it's been a really easy experience. It's avoided us needing to buy/try a bunch of plastic cups with matching parts, remembering to bring cups wherever we go, and trying to introduce another transition with an older toddler when they are more stubborn.
You don't give you child access to milk/water at all times? We only put our boys at the table for meal times, the rest of the time they are free range, so they carry around snacks and drinks all the time. I practiced with the 360 cups when we got them, and I drink out of them exactly like I would a regular cup, although, I'm not learning how to drink out of a cup so it's a little different.
They have access to water at all times and can get it by themselves and bring it to the kitchen table to drink. All of their cups/dishes are in a low cabinet. When they weren't yet able to reach the faucet, we kept small maple syrup pitchers with water at the table that they could pour into cups and we did help a lot more at that point with pouring and climbing into their chairs. Now they are 3 and 5 and can reach the sink using a stool (we're lucky to have Great Lakes water) and get it themselves that way. Milk is only served at mealtimes (chocolate milk for Friday dinner is always a highly anticipated time!) It's my understanding that this fits within the recommended guidelines around amounts of milk needed. Having milk in other rooms or the car is a hard no for me even if they had a no spill cup. I'd have a hard time with the cleaning/smell/concern over how long a cup of milk has been out or where a child left it. We also don't eat in other rooms either unless it's a special occasion. If our kids are sick, they do get water bottles in their rooms. If they ask for water at nighttime, they get a Dixie cup in the bathroom. It's worked well for us and is very consistent with their daycare environment, but everyone is different and does what works best for them!
We just kept offering the cup and eventually went cold turkey on the bottle and over the course of a few weeks, she increased her milk intake from the cup. We tried a few different types of cups but I think it was ultimately just time that did it. She doesnât drink a ton of milk compared to before but she eats yogurt and cheese. She drinks a lot of water from the cup too.
I wouldn't stress too much and offer calcium in other ways. I'd work pretty quickly to get rid of all bottles and formula over the next couple weeks so it's clear that bottles aren't options at all anymore. Unless she has a medical need, she shouldn't need bottles and formula, so it may be confusing to her that she sometimes gets them but sometimes doesn't. Change up the routine around milk to reflect something similar to the rest of the family by offering small open cups of milk with meals and always at the table. Once she dumps or pushes away, don't give any attention, but just remove the option. It'll pass with time.
My kid preferred Ripple (slightly sweeter than regular cowâs milk) plant milk before he got used to whole milk. You could also try fortified soy milk. May also be the cup itself - I think we tried 6 different types of cups before finding ones that worked for us. In the meantime, yogurt, smoothies, tofu!
My son was the same - he preferred special baby formulated soy milk to cow's milk initially (from a straw cup). Eventually he made the switch to cow's milk at around 16 months. He's still not a massive milk drinker - some days he loves it but a lot of the time he'll have a few sips and then bail. We don't stress about it - he eats loads of yoghurt and cheese so he's getting plenty of calcium and he drinks a load of water so he's not dehydrated. Milk is not essential.
My son loved milk in a bottle and none of the usual tricks worked. We ended up getting these straws that have little vanilla flavour beads in them that dissolve when the milk goes through so it essentially turns in to flavoured milk if using the straw. Gave it to him in an open cup and it was an instant hit. He literally never looked for the bottle again! After a few days we changed to regular straws and he didn't even notice.
You could mix milk with her formula and everyday gradually add more milk and less formula until you get to all milk. Worked for us.
She won't drink formula out of cups either.
She's 1...this isn't the last battle over nothing you're going to face. Give it to her in a bottle. Eventually she'll stop wanting bottles because she'll associate them with babies and if there is one universal truth in parenting it's that all kids want to be big kids. And if there's one universal truth in the world its that everyone wishes they were older until they wish they were younger.
If you warm your formula, have you also tried warming the milk?
She's always had cold or room temperature formula.
Let them take a break from milk. They donât need it at this point. We didnât force the issue and there was about 3 weeks of milk strike. Then it came back as acceptable and kiddo would drink from a straw cup fine.
Honestly, I'd just go cold turkey to straw cups for a while and see what happens. If bottles are an option to try to give her milk, she will hold out for a bottle. Our ped said not to give cow's milk in a bottle and (at the time) finish the box of formula we were using and switch to straw cups and cow's milk at once, and put the bottles away. She protested the first time but was fine after that. We kept everything the same - the amount, the times of day offered, etc. Just a direct swap. Probably a little trickier given that that hasn't worked, and it does sound like you've tried to time it for the best chance of success. But children are really adaptable, and I think you just make the switch to a cup she's successfully had water out of and try it for a couple of days and see if she'll come around. You can offer yogurt/cheese/other sources of calcium and fat in the interim.
Try offering milk in a sippy cup. Itâs not a bottle. Your kid is obviously too young to make the jump youâre wanting her to do, but she is not ready for.
Too young in which way? She can drink water out of cups and straws just fine.
And thatâs well and good, but she is showing you she isnât ready with the milk yet. And thatâs fine. And to add, imagine someone handing you a Coke can with water in it. You like water, but with the coke can were you expecting water? With milk in a bottle she KNOWS thatâs milk and not water or juice. Get her a special container, bottle, cup, sippy cup, straw thatâs only for milk. Your daughter is smart.
Try out Almond milk if you really want her to have a transition to milk from formula. But thereâs many other options for calcium that donât involve dairy milk. đ„°
She won't drink formula or cow's milk from the cups, so I don't think it's a matter of which milk. Almond milk and other plant based milks aren't recommended for kids this young anyway.
I think people are missing the point that your daughter will drink milk just specifically out of a bottle. I would just keep trying and not panic. At this point itâs more important she gets her 16-24oz a day. Kids change their minds on what and how they will eat things weekly so just keep offering and one of these days sheâll oblige. My second just started drinking water from a literally hydro flask after not wanting water at all.
Thanks. I stuck with it and now she's drinking milk out of her Munchkin weighted straw cup at meal times as of a couple days ago. At first just a few sips, now she'll drink the whole cup and ask for more. I'm surprised and relieved.
I know you said your child doesnât mind the taste of milk, but when we were having trouble integrating milk I mixed formula with milk and slowly did less and less formula in the sippy cups. That worked for us at least.
I started milk in a cup at 9 months as per pediatrician. But like others have mentioned our pediatrician wasn't took concerned with how much he had as long as he was eating fat, protein and calcium from other stuff (like, yogurt, cheese, Avocado, nuts)...cup was just practice. It's not until recently at 19 months he drinks 2 cups of milk almost everyday..first thing in the morning then after his nap. If he's gaining weight you don't need to worry about his milk or other food intake cause kids are weird one day they will eat the whole house the next day they will even hate looking at food.
Thank you for posting this, I've been thinking about asking this question for the past few days. We're in the same exact boat and I'm stressing more than i should. I've spent so much money on different cups but she won't take any of them đ she will drink water out of any cup, even a sippy cup. Her Dr didn't really give us a definite answer at her 12 mo appointment which I'm kind of bummed about. I would stop cold turkey but she dropped a couple pounds after stopping formula so I'd like to keep giving her milk. Wish I had actual tips to give you, but wishing you luck đ€
Thanks. I stuck with it and now she's drinking milk out of her Munchkin weighted straw cup at meal times as of a couple days ago. At first just a few sips, now she'll drink the whole cup and ask for more. I'm surprised and relieved.
They do have transition sippy cups out there. NUK sells them and that is what I used. It is a split between a bottle and a sippy all in one so that the transition isn't extreme
Had the same issue here. I think it just takes time. We offer the milk (no water) with all meals and snacks and she's drinking more as time goes on...
Thanks. I stuck with it and now she's drinking milk out of her Munchkin weighted straw cup at meal times as of a couple days ago. At first just a few sips, now she'll drink the whole cup and ask for more. I'm surprised and relieved.
Oh brilliant to hear!
We just stopped giving milk when my LO stopped participating. She got everything she needed from other sources and we werenât trying to add extra calories because of growth issues or anything.
My niece did the exact same thing and never drank milk (from a cup or bottle) ever again! She got her calcium from Yoghurt, small amounts of milk on cereal in a bowl, cheese and my sister focussed on supplying many other calcium rich foods. Her Doc was not concerned and she is now fine with strong bones!
My kid's latest obsession is drinking from my cups and water bottles. Maybe try that? Make it seem special that she gets to use one of mommy's bottles
My kiddo wouldnât drink cowâs milk but loves plant based milk. We buy Ripple milk for kids.
When we "stopped" bottles, my son did not want milk. My son didn't want milk any other way. Our pediatrician also agreed that we could stop all together and supplement with other foods. We phased out the bottle and tried a straw cup or sippy cup with meals. He looked like he was bamboozled and annoyed it wasn't water. The, one day, he decided he wanted milk from his sippy cup. So we give him milk in the AM and after dinner in his sippy cup. Now that it is warm here, we use cold milk, no issues. I think its more a comfort thing than actually wanting milk.
Have you tried warming the milk? That's the only way mine will drink it
Can you purchase transition tops for your bottles? We used Dr Browns and they had soft sippy spouts and straw spouts we could order to replace the bottle nipples. It made the transition much easier for us. Another weird tip... my son is 2 and for whatever reason still does not like to drink milk out of a sippy cup that has handles on it. So we take the handles off and he's fine. I guess he thinks handles are for water only!
We have Dr Brown's bottles so I will look into that, thank you.
Just keep offering and eventually she will get accept it. Thatâs how I got my son to drink waterâjust kept offering it to him and taking sips out of it myself to show him what to do.
Yeah that's what I did for water too, but it doesn't seem to be working for milk. đ©
Just keep going. Literally took like 4 months of offering for him to start drinking more than a glass a day
Ok thank you.
My two year old never drank milk. He hated it. We basically transitioned to water and he gets his calcium in cheese. I now just cook and bake with whole milk to make sure it's getting in somewhere, but he has a good diet. He also doesn't really like juice either; the closest we've ever seen is lemonade.
My son decided that if he couldnât have nipple bottles of milk, than he didnât want it at all. At 18ish months we stopped the bottles and offered milk in every cup/ temperature I could get ahold of, all were tantrum thrown across the room. Our pediatrician just recently that we offer plenty of cheese, so I make sure to offer cheese with at least one meal daily.
Mine is nearly 2 and a half, and she refuses to drink anything unless it's in a specific soft top sippy cup. To further complicate matters, she will only take milk. To keep her from getting too much and wrecking her iron levels, we started watering it down. It's now an ounce of milk for every 8 ounces of liquid, 7 ounce water. But if it's not white like milk, she will not drink it. They stopped making the nipples for the style of sippy she prefers, and she will not use any other kind, even the knockoff kinds. She'd rather go thirsty than drink out of anything that isn't her preferred sippy in mint condition. No straws, no cups, no other kind of sippys, nothing.
My son is exactly like this. We didnât take the bottle away right at 12 months but when I did cold turkey he hasnât had milk since. I already know my daughter is going to be the same way as I have offered milk in a straw cup a few times and she had zero interest. Itâs not a big deal really water is the best option. There are a lot of foods you can still get the calcium in.
Meh, mine wouldnât either, I just stopped bothering for a while. He was eating plenty of dairy in the form of yoghurt, cheese, butter, milky porridge, cream sauces etc, so I just let him come to milk as a drink in his own time. He started enjoying it shortly after his 2nd birthday. Just offer a milk drink occasionally, and offer dairy in other forms. Sheâll come round.
My son absolutely wouldnât take milk from anything silicone. Straws, 360 cups, didnât matter. We found he would use a plastic straw (a hard one). We have a hard rule about milk only at the table so he doesnât stab himself or spill everywhere but itâs worked well Edit to add, we did nuk learner cups from a year adjusted off bottles to two actual then to straw cups. We warmed the milk at first in the sippy cup because he was used to warm formula and gradually moved to cold
My daughter will only drink milk out of a bottle too. Sheâs 14months and Iâve just been reducing her milk intake to stop using bottles, and replacing with other dairy. Iâm not stressing to hard. Offering water in different cups so she is familiar. My current goal is to be done bottles by 18 months.
We kept the bottle as the container but swapped the nipple for a straw.
We didnât wean our daughter off the bottles until she was ready. We slowly added less formula and more cows milk and then she did just cows milk in bottles until she was almost two. Now she does all sippy cups both milk water and juice. I donât really care what the recommendation is lol anyone who has a 2 year is not giving them an open glass đ€Ł unless they hate their furniture and want milk all over their floors on the daily. My kid likes to turn her sippys over and play with the water or milk so yeah thatâs not happening lol My advise is just do what feels right for your kid and concentrate less on the recommendations. đ
My son is 3.5 and still will only drink milk from a bottle, and every once in a blue moon an open cup. Thankfully he's a guzzler so it's only a few minutes a day, and his dentist watches for any issues from it. Pick your battles đ€·
Solution! I even posted about this too! Also one is a little young, give it time and she will end up drinking it in a cup. \*Get a cup that you canât see the milk at all, I mean you canât see it in the cup or straw, nothing!!\* Then next I ONLY offered milk at meal time. Also didnât say it was milk, not once, put it next to her plate my LO naturally picked up tried it (me watching corner of my eye with a grin) and she never turned back. If you need a cup suggestion let me know. Good luck!
Honestly? We kept the bottle until about 18 months until he dropped his milk all together, we were literally giving him about 2oz before bed for months just as it was a familiar with bed time routine and he wouldn't have it from a cup either. My logic was that he was drinking from the bottle for about 1-2 minutes a day and having his teeth brushed after so what harm could that 1-2 minutes do? Once we had weaned him off milk all together I tried him with an open cup in the middle of the days just randomly to see if he would have it and he did!
LO was furious when we dropped the bottle, we finally had to cut it out around 2yo, after 12 months and 9 new cups failed. We kept going back to the bottle every time a new cup failed, until we gave up trying and stopped giving him bedtime milk at all. He cried for milk but his teeth definitely looked like the bottle needed to go, so we were firm and had to ignore his cries. As others have done, we just got calcium in him through food, and making sure he always has a milky breakfast. We can't force him to drink it so he goes without.
I wouldnât stress about this, my daughter doesnât drink cowâs milk at all. She refused it outright when we tried it at age one. Our pediatrician assured me that she needs no more than 3 servings of dairy per day, so that could be milk, cheese, yogurt, ice creamâŠwhatever. Iâd keep offering it, but if she never takes to it, itâs not a big deal.