Milk - until what age?

[Cantgetbehindtheradiator]

How long did you regularly (as in at least once twice daily) give your DC milk as a drink?

Thanks for the replies! That's really good to have a range of what's 'normal'.

DD is 3 and rarely drinks the milk these days. Was wondering whether to try and push it or just leave it out. DS is almost 5 and enjoys the nighttime routine of warm milk still, which then stirs DD to want some (no show without punch) but not actually drink it 🙄I'd say 3x out of 4 it's going to waste. She enjoys cheese, yogurt, cereal, porridge etc so calcium is going in in other ways!

My 20 yo still choose milk in McDonald’s sometimes. They’ve always had it as an option when offered a drink.

I think drinking milk is very much a love it or hate it. So as long as they’re having cheese/yoghurts/cereal I don’t think it matters too much. I hate the taste so only buy skimmed anyway.

Mine are 9 & 13 and still have a glass of milk sometimes, my youngest likes a warm milk before bed!
I guess I didn't offer it as a regular drink after about 2 though, just if they wanted it

Eldest only has it on cereal and in hot chocolate as they don't like it (teenager) middlest has at least a glass of milk a day (ten) and youngest has at least a glass of soya milk a day (eight) - they can't drink lactose.
I have milk as a drink regularly (almost 40)

My DS drank so much milk until he was an adult! Even now with grown DC I'm always running out of milk but mine is in tea!

We get through at least 16 pints of milk a week. My kids 9 & 12 still have milk with all meals and at bed time. They only like water and milk with the odd hot chocolate. The eldest chooses water more often when eating out, it with lunch. They don't like any fruit juice/squash/fizzy drinks.

My DS is 21 and I’m looking at him sitting with a large glass of milk!

I often have a glass of milk when I come from work.

It’s a better option than pop.

😂 that's true! Haven't heard it called pop for years!

I also enjoy a glass of milk. Drank gallons of the stuff whilst pregnant.

My kids (5 and 3) are still having a cup of milk in the morning and before bed here. My youngest doesn't really drink hers anymore but still wants it because big brother is having some. Feeling very wasteful so was wondering whether to continue with it. I don't think either would actively asked for milk unless prompted. They're very much a 'I'll take what I'm given' kind of a crew.

My 5 year old and 2 year old have milk with breakfast and dinner. Water any other time.

But it's because they like it, it's not an age thing. If they asked for water instead then that would be fine.

The way you’ve worded the question makes it seem like you think milk has to stop at some point. Me and my kids regularly drink a glass of milk.

My 4 year old still has a bedtime bottle (12oz!) and a morning bottle (6oz) she’s autistic and it’s the only way to get her to drink some days

I mean my 9 year old still loves having chocolate milk every day so has that for breakfast quite a lot!!! And my 5 year old loves having strawberry milk before going to bed. But none of my children, even my teenagers, actually like plain milk.

Bottles dropped by 10 months because she had no interest in it. Milk in a cup started around 1.5 and is only sporadic when asked for. It’s not used as a replacement meal.

My Dd has never had a cup of milk, she went straight from breastmilk to water.

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it though! whatever works for your family.

Mine are 6 & 11 and still have milk as a drink on occasion, but on a regular basis, both had a cup of milk before bed until probably about 4-5.

My children (7 and 9) are only allowed milk or water to drink on a normal day. Juice and fizzy drinks at parties and special occasions.

They choose milk almost always, so several glasses a day. Full fat.

I guess at some point they'd be getting their own drinks so the active 'giving' it to them would stop...

Same.

My kids had hot milk in a mug after dinner and bath until they were into their teens. I felt that a bit of extra calcium is a good thing while they're building their bones. Also warm milk helps you sleep.

Good point! That’s another level of annoyance though as my 7YO can very much manage getting her own drinks but telling us she’s finished the milk is apparently too big of an ask…

Probably 7 for eldest and 4 for youngest (stopped at same time). Once they started sleeping in a bit later I found they couldn’t eat a decent breakfast straight after a drink of milk. When they woke earlier there was naturally a bit of a gap. I stopped the milk at night to help stop them wetting the bed.

My son is 8 and still has milk before bed. He likes it & doesn't eat any other dairy so I will keep encouraging it.

Just give her a splash of milk and say she can have more when she's finished if you are worried about wasting so much milk. Or put her glass back in the fridge and give it to her again later.

He's 8 and still has a cup of milk with breakfast & dinner 🤷🏻‍♀️ he loves milk

All three of mine drank a glass of milk well into their teens. I'm not really sure when they stopped, I just became aware one day that we didn't have to buy as much milk anymore.

My eldest (23yo) still gets through quite a bit of milk in a day, as he uses it for protein shakes. But he'd rarely have it as a drink on it's own anymore