DS refusing to drink milk

jetgrrrl · November 2012

So our DS, who never had a problem with milk, is suddenly very resistant to drinking it. We did change a few months back from giving it to him at bedtime/naptime to meals, which he wasn't thrilled about, but now we have to cajole, beg and threaten him to get him to drink it. Yesterday DH and I talked and decided we need to stop fighting parts of this battle - like when he has oatmeal or cereal with milk in the morning, we won't give him another cup of milk. But then yesterday he came home with his milk untouched in his lunch box (I'm a FT WM, he is in full-day preschool). And it was a big struggle to get him to drink it at night. Our neighbor's daughter went through this and they basically capitulated and now she gets yogurt drinks for lunch at school and I'm not sure what they're doing at night. Anybody go through this - did you substitute other sources of calcium or keep pushing the milk?

juliane2004 · November 2012

hocus:
Milk is not a requirement for proper nutrition. I would offer low sugar yougurt, cheese, etc. If dairy is also an issue I'd just offer other foods that are either high fat or high in calcium.

This. My kids never drink milk.

KathrynMD · November 2012

I would not struggle to force milk. Offer it, but if he doesn't want it, let it go.

I offer DD milk or water at almost every meal - and she chooses water about 75% of the time b/c she can get it herself. She drinks milk w/ breakfast (cereal) and certainly gets lots of other dairy - cheese, yogurt, etc. I've never heard of anyone having a calcium deficiency.

jetgrrrl · November 2012

Thanks everyone - I grew up drinking milk at every lunch and dinner and I think I'm mentally programmed that it has to be that way, so I probably should let it go and just try to get more cheese and yogurt in.

mrsseguin · November 2012

I wouldn't fight him on it at all. Offer other sources of dairy...yogurt, cheese etc.

smilejenn · November 2012

Ditto the other comments. I never drank milk past the first couple years of life, as a child or as an adult. I just don't care for it. Actually, I'm not a huge dairy eater either. I once asked my nurse about it and she said even if I don't eat dairy at all, my daily vitamin would cover my bases. You may want to check his daily vitamin, but it may cover his calcium too.