HELP!!!!! My Son Just Wont Drink Milk!!!!

Updated on October 20, 2007
I.T. asks from Keyport, NJ
19 answers

Hi all!! my son , just turned 2 years old...He loves his milk, he'll drink it from a bottle BUT I can't get him to drink his milk from a sippy cup, He'll drink everything else from one , but not milk, this is day 2 and no milk!!! my husband said to just give him his bottle, but I think if I give in and give him his bottle, he'll never adjust to drinking milk from a sippy cup. What do I do?
any advise or help is desperately needed....thanx I.

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So What Happened?

First off, I want to thank every single one of you who responded.....We started on Monday Oct. 15 cold turkey and on Wednesday my son was drinking out of the sippy cup like a pro....I tried putting chocolate in the milk and that seemed to work....now he is drinking plan milk...I also ordered the bear cup w/ the flex straw, can't wait to get it...thanx again to all, for the advise.....I.

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J.I.

answers from New York on

I have a two year old, also had the same problem. I drink a lot of tea. Especially right before bed, he started to want some, so I make him a little chamomile tea, mix it with a lot of milk and tell him that you drink tea from a cup like mommy. He still demands a bottle every few days, but he's now able to drink milk from a sippy cup too.

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N.C.

answers from New York on

I would think to only give him milk from the sippy cup...no juice or water. If he see that is the only ting he can drink...he will drink it. It soulds a bit creul but some kids have to be pushed or they stay stagnant.
If that is too cruel for you then drink from the sippy cup first to let him know that its okay.
Whatever you do DONT give up and give in to giving him the bottle.

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M.G.

answers from New York on

Hi I.
I really don't think you should worry. It's his comfort. Trust me as a mom of four when they realize that other kids don't drink their milk form a bottle he'll stop also. I don't think you should take away something that he feels so comfortable with. As long as it's not affecting his teeth or he should be ok.
M.

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Q.F.

answers from New York on

hi, my daughter still won't drink milk from a sippy cup either, but at this point, i'm not worried too much about it, being that i HAVE to still try and get her to stop drinking milk at night and during nap with her bottle. once i get that down, i'll work on the sippy cup part. but she just drinks too much milk now anyway to worry about it. THOUGH...she recently just started with the sippy cups. she refused to drink anything from them for awhile, until my friend gave me one of those playtex sippy cups where you just pull the plug to clean it...well, she told me to pull the plug when giving it to her, so it would pour into her mouth and she would be able to taste what was in there. then quickly take it away and put the plug back in (so she doesn't make a mess, but knows what's in there, and it's worth drinking). all i had to do was try that method 2 times, and it worked...MAYBE if you try that (or the straw cups) you can get him to drink the milk in a sippy. good luck.

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M.F.

answers from New York on

Hello there....I have been there and I wrote here for the same help too. I started taking my daughter off the bottle at 15 months (was easier during the summer for me to tackle....grandma didn't have her to give in....and I was off from work for the summer). In the beginning it really was hard. She cried. I kept offering her milk in her sippy cups (which she would drink water and juice from everyday) but she didn't want it...she threw it on the floor. I tried a variety of things. First, it helped to put some ovulatine (choco drink mix) ...she would try it and drink some. I also got her those softer sippy cups by Nuby (softer nipple then sippy cup) and that's what eventually worked. It took about two weeks. My daycare was very supportive and they really helped me. I realized if they were able to get her through her day, I could too even if she didn't drink the milk for a few days. You could also try putting milk in cereal. I remember feeling ..she will never drink milk again...but she is fine...and now I don't always use those nuby sippy cups anymore. Be strong! Good Luck!

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Y.Y.

answers from New York on

like your son, my daughter brianna would only drink milk from a bottle up until i put her in daycare at 3yrs old this past sept. i had the same concerns but it was a comfort measure for her and i allowed her to only drink milk from the bottle. the day she went to daycare is the day she switched to the sippy cup. don't worry your son cannot drink from a bottle forever. oh by the way my daughter was a preemie 1 lbs 4oz and a very picky eater. best wishes

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J.I.

answers from New York on

hi I.,i have a son now 11 and wen he was small,he didnt like milk eaither,so i let him see me put choc in the cup ,i would only put very lil but as long as he seen it he drank it,today,hes a milk freak,haha,but i cant get him to eat vegies at all,only corn on the cob,try the choc,hope it works,have a good day,J.

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R.S.

answers from New York on

I had the same problem with my daughter.I found the "nuby" cups (at walmart ) with the nipple like top worked .Them as funny as it would sound I started to drink my milk with a sippy cup and she wanted to do the same .
Good Luck!
R.

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P.C.

answers from New York on

I had the same problem. My son liked drinking milk from a cup with the straws. I bought the disposable ones from Duane Reede. He didn't like sippy cups or bottles. It has been a year and he still drinks with the straws.

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S.T.

answers from New York on

I have 2 sons, both who LOVED milk - but in a bottle only. It was their security as opposed to a blanket or favorite animal. With both boys, I would give them their bottle of milk during a quiet time, but not at meals. They each had the bottle until 3. At 3, we tossed the bottle (& diapers). I supplemented the calcium with the OJ, cranberry juice, lots of cheese & yogurts, and the milk in cereal. Luckily, so many foods now are calcium enriched. My youngest is now 6 and he will drink choc. milk only. My oldest (9) still won't drink milk! Even in cereal. So don't worry about it!

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J.R.

answers from New York on

Hi I., I had the same exact problem when my daughter was 2 and sorry to say, she has not drank milk since the day I took her bottle away. She enjoys her yogurt, yogurt drinks and milk and her doctor said that as long as she is getting her dairy from somewhere she will be fine. She takes her vitamin every day, so I don't worry. Speak to your pediatrician and try to get your son his dairy in other forms and give him a multi-vitamin. Good luck.
Jackie

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R.B.

answers from New York on

Hi I., I'm Rhonda. My son Andrew (18 mos) gets speech therapy and he uses a tool that is a bear bottle with a straw. you can find it on www.talktools.net. It looks like a honey bottle.
The milk may be a little hard for him to get from the sippy so it might help to try this bear bottle. It will also help teach Philip how to drink from a straw which is better for him (our speech therapists are anti sippy cups). This bottle has helped a couple of Andrew's friends too.
If you need further info please let me know I'll be glad to help.

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C.B.

answers from New York on

Try making it fun for him and adding some chocolate to it. My daughter is 3 1/2 and just starting to drink milk I was very concerned but the dr told me as long as she is getting in other things(cheese, yogurt, etc) not to worry about it.

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L.C.

answers from New York on

I have the same problem with my daughter. We stopped her cold turkey off the bottle right before her second birthday. Since then she wont drink milk. I asked the dr and she said sometimes they just stop drinking it when they stop the bottle and to make sure they get plenty of dairy in their diet. I started giving her string cheese and yogurt and such. All I can say is if you find a way to get him to drink milk out of his sippy cup let me know!! LOL I have been doing water and non-sugary fruit juices. She prefers water out of her sippy cups which i guess isnt a bad thing. But I cant get her to drink milk either and now she doesnt even want a bottle. I tried to give it to her one day to see if she would take it and she refused saying "sip cup" so I dunno. Just make sure you supplement his lack of milk intake with something similar.

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S.N.

answers from New York on

Try letting him pick out his own special big boy cup to put his milk into. My almost 2 yr. daughter decided to give her bottle up on her own and loved her milk. However, the milk went right along with the bottle-i even tried giving her chocolate milk but that didnt work. Sso now she eats gogarts, drinks yogart drinks and eats lots of cheese. If he really wants the milk, he'll wind up drinking it however it's given to him. Good luck.

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A.M.

answers from New York on

Try the sippy cups with the straws in them. That is what worked for my daughter. Maybe he can pick out his own special cup at the store that is just for milk. Good luck!

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C.B.

answers from New York on

My daughter did the same thing. Our doctor said not to worry as long as she was eating 2-3 servings of dairy a day. She never stopped eating cheese or yogurt or mac and cheese. She also "eats" the milk in cereal. We also started trying a variety of cups. The ones with the straw worked the best at first. We gave her a milk cup at every meal. She would take a few sips. She's 27 months now. She will drink a whole cup of milk... not all the time... but usually once a day.

Don't stress too much. Keep giving other dairy products. Just keep offering the milk cup. Good luck!

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P.M.

answers from New York on

Hi I., I have the same exact thing. My son is 21 months now. When I tried switching from bottle to sippy cup at 14 or 15 months, he just wouldn't drink it at all. He also drinks water from his sippy cup, but milk has no business being in a sippy cup in his mind. I spoke to the pediatrician at that time, and he told me it was OK to give the bottle till 2, because given the choice between milk and cup, milk is the priority. He said after age of 2 they don't need so much milk, so I think as long as he eats cheese, yogurt, and other sources of dairy, milk is no longer necessary after 2. I've been trying to try some different alternatives in order to prepare for taking the bottle away. I don't know the brand, but in Whole Foods they sell these single milk and choc milk packs. They look just like a juice pack with a straw and everything, and has a picture of a cow on it. Anyway, I gave him the choc milk box and he slowly drank the whole thing. So I think as long as you replace the nutrition, it should be OK if he doesn't drink the full 8 oz. I think it's probably better that he gives up the night time bottle anyway, as it'll be one step closer to potty training. Good luck, I'll be going through the same exact thing in 2.5 months.

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S.R.

answers from New York on

My son did the same thing. He will not drink milk from a glass, but he did from a bottle. He's 5, and he's healthy. Don't worry, there are plenty of other good sources for calcium. Some that you may want to think about are fortified breads, bunches are made now fortified american cheeses, cereals, juices, even snacks have calcium added. If your son likes yogurt, there are lots of kid style yogurts out there. Personally, my son hates anything creamy, so he does not eat yogurt. You also have to keep this in perspective, as far as his requirements. According to the USDA, the daily requirment for a healthy child your son's age is about 500 milligrams of calcium a day. A grilled cheese sandwich has about 500 to 600, if you use a calcium fortified bread and calcium fortified american cheese. When you are looking at the packages, when it says 30 percent of the daily requirement, it means that there is 300 milligrams of calcium, because daily requirements are listed for adults, not children. Other veggie sources of calcium are broccoli and spinach. Don't ever feed your child calcium supplements. They can lead to digestive problems and kidney problems. Hope this helps, and hope you can relax.

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