2 1/2 year old how do I get him to drink milk

[hartmel]

Ds was very sick the entire month of January. Before that he always drank at least one bottle (10 oz) of milk before bed time! But then he got very sick. Cold and stomach flu..

And now he is refusing to drink milk.
Plus for us we weaned him of the bottle!

He drinks a lot of fluids during the day and eats a lot..

But I'm worried that he is not getting enough calcium!

I'm giving him now multivitamin in the morning to boost up his immune system!
Also I give him fruits and vegetables and yoghurt (not everyday)

Milkshake? Non sugar laden juice like Crusha so you can add a teeny splash to the milk and make it exciting and pink. Add a bendy straw for added enthusiasm

Don't make a big deal out of it if it doesn't work, as long as he's eating lots of fruit & veg and eating healthily generally he'll be fine and the chances are he'll go back to drinking it soon enough, especially if he sees you drinking it!

It's all about the sales pitch with children

My husband and me don't drink as we are lactose! So I'm happy that my kids don't have it!

Maybe I will try giving him a bowl cereal/Kellogs in the morning with milk in it.

He has very weak bones. We are seeing a paediatrician every 3-4 month! He wanted us to wean him off the bottle but he should continue drinking milk!

I will try the milkshake! Good idea

Thanks

Are you sure he isn't lactose intolerant?

It may well be that he is still under the weather after his illness and is avoiding food or drinks that make him feel queasy. (I once went off eggs for a year after a stomach flu. I couldn't bear the thought of them.)

Don't need to drink milk but should have 3 portions of dairy per day e.g. yoghurt, cheese, milk in cereal or in foods.

If he had stomach issues he could have become lactose intolerant. If he won't drink milk what about yoghurt or cheese? Also a milk based smoothie so some milk, chopped bannana, strawberries, blue berries that sort if thing whizzed together. DS particularly loves them if made with frozen blueberries as it's almost like an icecream

He got tested for lactose intolerance last year!

He loves ice cream. Tried giving him cheese but he is not a fan of it, only if it melted on pizza Etc

You can get temporary lactose intolerance after a tummy upset so it could be that

Get a straw - milk makes excellent bubbles!!!

But he has to drink half a glass or they spill over -

Milk shakes and smoothed are good

Maybe he's gone off it.

I haven't drunk milk in over 30 yrs.

there are many other sources of calcium. I'd not worry.

Try some rice milk or almond milk that has calcium added. You can add chocolate syrup or strawberry or some other flavour to it.

Make milk ice lollies or blamange, angel delight, milk jelly,

Rice milk not recommended under age 5 due to arsenic levels

You can bake muffins or bread/scones, etc and add powdered milk to the recipe. Most recipes are not affected by the addition.

You could make some chocolate chip muffins (or any other flavour that would be attractive to him) and add powdered milk -- depending on how many he eats, he could get a good deal of calcium.

An interesting educational pamphlet from Pennsylvania State University. Scroll down to page 9 for tips on using powdered milk.

You can add it to scrambled eggs, all muffin, waffle, pancake and bread recipes, mix with peanut butter for sandwiches and toast, add to mashed potatoes on top of milk already added to mash, add to macaroni and cheese, meatballs and meatloaf, milk shakes...

Porridge or ready brek

Mix it in to food
If he's 2.5 he might enjoy pouring a glass himself - give him just the right amount in a small jug/bottle at first as he'll likely tip the lot in til he masters pouring and stopping!
I've heard of temp intolerance too after stomach bugs

I have been giving lots of babychinos to the two toddlers I look after. They insist on being out in the cold but won't drink warm milk to warm up (and I feel guilty with a hot drink when they have water). But a babychino is apparently very different and they love them.
Microwave 30 seconds and froth. Sprinkle of chocolate on top if you want.

Thank you very much for all the great ideas!!!

I gave him cereal with milk in a bowl to eat on his own and he loved it and finished the bowl! (I'm don't like it when my kids eat by themselves and look so dirty that I have to give them a bath afterwards! But I'm not a mother that is cleaning 24/7. )

We are seeing his doctors March 1 and I will ask him what he thinks about it!

Hi, very gently - kids become fussy eaters if they aren't allowed to get messy - there an anxiety attached to eating and a fear of making a mess rather then enjoying the food - please mention this to the doctor

He has always been a great eater. Just when he was sick in January he barely ate!
Now that he is older and understands more I allow him more to eat on his own! But when we have soup or more watery meals I feed him and he finishes of his entire meal