When to stop giving milk ??

[melsy]

DD is 18mths now and has never liked milk that much , she eats very well and has half a cup of cows milk at brekky and then half cup b4 bed. Sometimes she barely drinks either, othertimes a whole cup some mornings. Im working on how to increase her calcium with other foods other than dairy , like broccoli(not her fave unless moooshed with peas!!), need to research my nutrients again!!

I know this is time of big change in development and behaviour , just interested in what others do? I know its all quite indivdual with their little ways.

Just wondered when mums with toddlers either gave up milk totally or just phased one cup out ???

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Problem is she calls water milk too , so not to sure what she wants !!!!

Spose just have to see how it goes.

Think the measuring or checking of qantities comes from my mad mad PND days of OCD behaviour with writng her feeding routine down to minutae of detail !!

I think its fine to give it up if she is having lots of other dairy or calcium sources. I give my 21 month old half a cup morning and evening and when he demands it (ie I see him pulling it out from the fridge!). My hv said after one this was fine and my Penelope Leach book said so too! Something about there not being anything special about milk as long as they are good eaters otherwise. Although a friend went cold turkey on her sons milk at 20 months as that was all he seemed to want and now his appetite is much better.

I'd keep offering it melsy as long as possible, as it is the easiest way to get the calcium they need. (But a small (30g) piece of cheese and a couple of yoghurts will provide plenty of calcium for a child for a day.)

Dried apricots, broccoli, oranges, bread, fortified cereals etc. do contain calcium, but it's not in a form so easily absorbed by the body: so it is important to keep up intake of dairy products if poss.

DS2 drinks milk at school, but won't touch it at home

my 3 year old didn't want her bedtime milk from about 2 onwards.

although she will have 2/3 helpings of cheese and 3/4 small yoghurts a day - loves greens as well so i'm not pushing her and feel very lucky!!!