14 month old won't drink milk?

Question

Recently, my 14 month old decided she wasn't going to drink her milk anymore. She used to LOVE her milk but now I can barely get her to drink a cup a day. I'm afraid she isn't getting enough calcium throughout the day because she also won't eat a lot of calcium rich foods like cheese or yogurt. I was thinking of adding chocolate or strawberry flavoring to the milk but does this destroy the nutrients? Any suggestions how to get her to drink milk again?

Answer 1

Adding flavoring won't hurt the milk, so I'd try that first. But as a mom of a kid who was allergic to milk, what we did was add powdered formula (obviously hers was for those with milk allregies, but you could use regular formula for toddlers or powdered milk) to her baby food. You could also add it to pudding, mashed potatoes, etc. There are also liquid calcium supplements out there, but be careful to use an age-appropriate dose.

Answer 2

yeah why not? Giving her chocolate milk is just another way of weaning. And the same thing doesn't work for all kids. There is always ovaltine and pediasure. I think the doctor was more concerned about weight loss than weaning to milk. And the extra calories from chocolate will do that as long as she is still getting the nutrients she needs from the milk. It almost sounds to me like your sister didn't take your moms advice because it came from your mom. Sometimes it's best if relatives stay out of it because if she's taking her to the doctor she's obviously not neglecting the baby and perhaps needs to try different things before figuring out what works with her daughter. She won't let her starve but if she gets too overwhelmed with everything everybody is telling her she may miss the signs her daughter is giving her.

Answer 3

Try the Nestle Quick or Ovatine to add to it. My daughter loves them both. This way I know she is getting her milk in. A teaspoon will really change the taste of the milk. Another suggestion is to make drinking milk fun. If there is an older sibling or cousin or someone she admires, let her see them drinking milk. My 4 year old makes a muscle every time she drink milk. She thinks that milk gives muscles! Make it fun and she will come around.

Answer 4

Find ways to add things to it even make a smoothie with bananas or berries. Get creative with the other dairy products. yogurt with fruit, sour cream dip for carrots, little cheese cubes (various flavors), string cheese. We even recently made grilled cheese and cut them out with pumpkin cookie cutters. Put cheese on pretzels or celery. Frozen yogurt is good in the summer. Even if you put a little flavoring in the milk on special occasions it wont destroy the nutrients.
She may just be going through a phase. Keep offering her small glasses with regular milk. Perhaps it might help to have a special cup that she can pick out and use just for milk.

Answer 5

My daughter did the same thing. I put ovaltine in her milk now and she wants that more than anything now. At first I was like you and skeptical about the chocolate. I read that chocolate milk is the most energizng, and actually ads nutrients. So dont worry, try the ovaltine or something. At least she will be getting the calcium she needs with it.

Answer 6

Adding strawberry or chocolate does not destroy the nutrients.

When my son started refusing white milk around 2 or so, I asked the pediatrician if I could add chocolate, as he loved that as a treat so far...he said, 'I don't care how it goes in, so long as he's drinking the milk...a little added sugar won't hurt'.

I hate the taste of milk too, so my OB recommended I drink chocolate if I liked that...I'm having a glass right now. :)

Answer 7

My youngest child, who is now 21 wouldn't drink milk either. So, we did the Ovateen and Strawberry milk. His doctor said it was alright to do. He loves it still. It is the only way to get him to drink milk at all. I wouldn't give it to him in a bottle though, because of tooth decay, but in a sippy cup and tooth brush fun time, it was alright for him.
The little darlings have a way with them, don't they? Bless them.
We also had trouble with cheese and other dairy...so, we used Ranch dressing and easy to chew veggies. Sometimes, I would steam baby carrots until the were soft enough to chew, let them cool,and we would dip to our hearts content. It makes you be very inventive, being a parent, doesn't it?
Good luck !!

Answer 8

Calcium rich foods:

*Green veggies (particularly leafy greens, where do you think cow's get it from?) particularly collard greens, turnip greens, okra, broccoli, peas, bok choi, brussel's sprouts. If you put leafy greens in a smoothie with berries you can't taste them
*Certain fish, particularly small ones where you consume the bones including: sardines, anchovies, salmon, shrimp
*Molasses
*Legumes: baked beans (as they also contain molasses), white beans, cow peas, red kidney beans
*Nuts, in particular: almonds, sesame seeds (ground is best)
*Rhubarb

You can also use calcium fortified foods such as cereals and calcium fortified orange juice, calcium fortified rice milk etc. Coconut milk fortified with dolomite is another great drink that is high in calcium.

But no adding flavoured syrups will not destroy the nutrients

Answer 9

i know the thought of putting that flavoring in your childs milk is bad but try just putting a little and maybe look for a brand with less sugar or something with vitamins added~! maybe you could drink a glass of milk with her or make a game out of it make it look like fun or make up a drinking milk song~! lol it works with my kids they drink milk almost all day~!

Answer 10

Ask her why she doesn't want it. If she doesn't want to drink it because it upsets her stomach she may be developing an allergy. If she simply doesn't like it anymore it's probably just a phase. My kids go through phases of loving and then hating foods, most likely in a matter of days, weeks, or months she'll start liking it again.