To expect my three-year-old to drink milk from an open cup?

[UpToMyElbowsInDiapers]

DD3 typically drinks ~500mL milk per day, from a beloved sippy cup with a monkey on it. She likes to drink it lying on the sofa when she wakes up in the morning and during afternoon quiet time.

However, she has been biting through the silicone tips of the cup, fiercely. We’ve replaced the tips numerous times, but now that she’s 3+ years old and drinks water very competently from an open cup, we believe she’s old enough to drink milk from a cup too.

8 days ago, I showed her the broken tip of her sippy cup and said “oh no, the cup is broken. Milk will spill out now. I guess we need to say bye-bye to this sippy cup.” She told me I could buy another one (?!!) and I told her I don’t think so, it’s several years old, I’m not sure where to find another, plus she’s a big girl now and can drink her milk from a big girl cup.

No drama, no tears, no arguing... she simply hasn’t drunk milk since.

I’ve offered a couple of times a day, with meals or when she asks for water, but I’m always met with a straightforward no. I’ve offered it with a fun twisty straw, nope.

I’m a bit concerned that she is too young to have given up on milk. I’m giving her yoghurt, sour cream and cheese with some meals to try to keep up the calcium content but I don’t think they are ideal substitutes.

What else can I try? Do I just wait this out? I expected a 3-day transition period, not 8 days and counting! Do I need to bite the bullet and give in to the sippy cup again?

AIBU to expect my 3-year-old to drink milk from a cup?

My daughter refused milk from anything except my boobs. When she quit her bedtime breastfeed at 3.5 years she had no more milk as a drink. They offered it to her at pre-school and in reception but she was the only one who didn't want it (she's tried it lots of times). She has milk on cereal some days and eats cheese and yoghurt so we're not worried.

The three year old I look after has a drink of milk at breakfast, plus milk on cereal, cheese, yoghurt etc. At home she drinks from a normal glass and a sports bottle when we are out and about.

Sippy cups are the worst! Google bottle caries 😬

Another one with a child who started refusing bottles at 14 months and hadn't drunk milk since.

Mine is nearly four and can drink out of an open cup, but will have a water bottle (the Contigo kids ones) mostly because he's still very accident prone/likes drinking upside down. (I choose a water bottle over cup usually too)