When do you stop giving a child milk?

[Elf]

Dd is 19 months and still has approx 3 x 6ml of milk a day. Don't know if this makes a difference but it is soya milk and has B12, A and D (I think) added. She usually loves it and still eats with a good appetite. I just wondered how long I go on giving it to her and don't have anyone to ask really. What do you folk think? BTW I know she could have a glass of milk everyday for the rest of her life, but I`m talking about the three bottles on purpose, as it were. DYKWIM?!

I think at this age they are supposed to drink a pint of milk a day, but some of that can come from yoghurt, cheese etc.

Elf it she loves it keep giving it to her. It is alot healthier than juice.
My ds is nearly 2 and a half and he drinks about 2-3 pints a day.

Elf, are you talking about not being sure if to stop regular, timed bottle feeding? I say that because you write 'three bottles on purpose'. If you are then I would think that you DD is probably fine to stop these, or at least switch to a cup.

I have a friend who was giving her 3.5yr old DS timed bottle feeds where she actually still warmed the milk. I did think this was ridiculous as she was still running round after him like he was newborn, and having to think about everywhere she went incase she couldn't warm his bottle....She only stopped this because he started nursery and realised that the staff weren't gonna treat him like a baby.

In that respect it might be better to move to cups and if you are timing the feeds to make it a bit casual. Though obviously don't stop giving you DD the milk!

Well Pie, I suppose they are regular but not anal. She has a bottle when she gets up, one after her pm nap and then one before bed. We warm the bottle in a saucepan but it isn't a hassle and if we are out in the day she either misses out or has it at room temperature.

Also, I always get confused by the term 'cup', do you mean a beaker with a spout or an open topped mug affair which means she will spill lots if not closely supervised?! If it's a beaker is the point that she can just grab it when she fancies_it?

Musica thanks for reminding me about the pint a day thing, when does that stop though? And Doormat, blimey! does he eat any food too?!

I fear I sound like a right ignoramous, I promise I`m not! I have to leave my internet cafe now but will return and will appreciate your replies.

I thought they were only supposed to have a pint a day up until the age of 1? After that, thought it was only something like 12oz? My dd is 13 months and that's what I've been aiming at, but am similarly confused as to when to stop - she has beakers rather than bottles, but still at regular times (on waking up, mid-afternoon ish and at bedtime). Have been wanting to cut out the day time bottle so that I don't have to worry about trying to keep it cold all day if I go out, but she enjoys it so much I haven't the heart to stop it.

i gave 1st dd bottles for as long as she wanted them -up till about 3 and a half. I know that in Britain it's frowned upon, but I don't see the problem myself.( I had bf her for 19 months before she had any bottles)

I stopped giving my DS milk during the day from about the age of 12 months ... just because I didn't see much point as he has always been a good eater and had all the nutrients he needed from a well balanced diet ... and he likes cheese and yoghurt etc.
He had a bedtime bottle until two months ago (when he was 3 and 4 months) and now he has a cup of milk before bedtime ...

My DS1 has just turned 4 and still has a cup milk morning and evening......he asks for it so he can have it. He doesn't particulary mind if its warm or cold just as long as the morning milk has some milkshake in it so bang goes any 'goodness' in that cup.
Personally we will carry on until he doesn't want it and if he's anything like me that will be a long time as I still like warm milk and I'll be 30 in June.

Elf,

As far as I can see your daughter can have as much milk as she wants for the rest of her life (if it's cows milk you might want to switch down to semi-skimmed IF she starts to get a bit podgy), and switch her from a bottle to a trainer cup or an open cup whenever she can or wants to handle one.

MY ds is 3.5, has about 2 pints of milk a day, as milk shakes in the morning, and as milk or hot chocolate at night, with refills if that's what he fancies during the day. He uses a glass or open cup if he's sitting at the table, and still has a trainer cup if he has a drink near him while he's playing (cos I got fed-up of mopping up).

Please don't think that there are hard rules for all food type things, go with the flow !!!

I long ago gave up bottles. Beakers are more convenient IMO and offer both milk and water at different times (water with meals usually, milk as a snack). Is there a reason why you are giving soya milk? It's not considered generally as healthy for young children unless your child has a true milk allergy.

I've only just got back to the internet cafe and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who replied. I feel relaxed about it now, it makes sense as the common theme seems to be, just to give her what she wants, easy. Great.

LizC if you read this I wanted to tell you/remind you about the great little bag things you can get with a square sachet thing that you keep in the freezer and just take out when you want to take eg the milk out all day. I´´ve found the thing invaluable.

And Aloha I think we shall have to agree to differ on the relative goodness of cows´ and soya milk! But, did you breastfeed? Can you imagine having to do that to a machine for a different speicies to drink? Sorry, different subject but couldn´´t help it!

thanks again everyone.

I gave up giving ds a bedtime bottle at 2 and a half (because of pressure from family really - must have had an off-day!) and really regret it because he now refuses milk in a beaker and wouldn't go back to a bottle either. He has some on cereal and in cheese but it doesn't add up to a pint.

So what I'm saying in a waffly way is to keep on as long as she wants it.

My two still have a glass of milk in the morning and a glass of milk before they go to bed and they are 9 and 6 - ds will also help himself to a glass of milk from the fridge after he has returned from football training too - they now have semi-skimmed and straight from the fridge but on a winter's evening they still love a cup of warm milk - both mine gave up a bottle around the 12 month mark and just had their milk from a trainer beaker.