At what age do children no longer need milk? DD is 10.

[Mumma]

I have not drank milk since I gave up the bottle... hate the stuff. I have no baseline to compare when it is normal to stop providing milk.

MIL insists on giving two hot chocolates a day to 10 year old... (options low cal stuff) She feels she needs calcium.

At what age would you expect children to stop drinking daily milk?

:)

If the kid needs calcium there are healthier sources than Options!
But, all over the world there are cultures where milk is not consumed after weaning, most of Africa and Asia for example.

I think milk is generally good for most of us - children and adults. All that calcium and then there's the protein.
I mean, I hate the stuff myself, just to drink, but will make sure I have it on ceral, in custard or rice pudding, etc.
I'd have thought 2 x hot chocolates a day would be a lot of unnecessary sugar though - can she not drink it some other way (see suggestions above), or, dare I say, as a glass of milk ?
My adult ds loves a glass of milk - go through tonnes of the stuff.

My DD is 8 and still enjoys milk as a drink. I hated the stuff from about 3 or 4! There are plenty foods which contain calcium e.g.. almonds, pulses, lentils along with other dairy products. Options hot choc is fine now and again but not twice a day.

My nearly 13 year old DShas milk in the morning and before he goes to bed. SO does my nearly 50 year old husband! My 9 year old DD won’t touch the stuff!

She’s 10. She can choose herself whether to drink milk or not.

Well, 2 x Options Hot Chocolates aren't the same as 2 x glasses of milk, for starters. So it's a mad excuse from your MIL.

Milk at 10 is fine. No milk at 10 is fine.

Multiple hot chocolates a day wouldn't be encouraged by me.

I don't think it's necessary after the age a child would naturally wean from breastmilk. I would continue to offer milk of some kind until the child was at least 4. Is it a problem if your 10 year old has milk at your MILs house but not at home?

They don't need dairy milk ever. As long as they're getting their full complement of Vitamins A, D (poss E?) and calcium somewhere then that is the main thing.

She doesn't need it at all. She can have it if she wants it. Two hot chocolates a day is silly though.

I still drink a mug of milk each day, more in hot weather as I wont drink tea then. Im 46 next month.

if DC likes drinking milk then that's a good thing surely? Options is shite though.

It's my DS main drink and he's 13! He doesn't like squash or fizzy drinks, has some water through the day but probably drinks around a pint a day.

That's very different from two options hot chocs though! Do they even have milk in them? I thought you just topped them up with hot water?

It harmless if she likes it. Most people can no longer digest it once they become adult, but if she can digest it and wants it, no problem

Any age. My DD gave up milk at one and start to drink it again about 2. As long as they are getting enough calcium it is fine. I can’t imagine there is much calcium in low cal chocolate stuff as it is made with water.

DD has soya milk btw.

As long as they get calcium...
www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/calcium/

Why shouldn't your dc carry on drinking milk if they like it? (Not two hot chocs every day, though...) My 10 and 13yo still like it, and I'm happy for them to drink it as it's nutritional value + hydration.

At 10 she can decide whether she wants milk or not can’t she?
My 4 year old hates milk. 3 year old maybe asks for a cup one a week or so. They have plenty of calcium from other sources.

A reasonable link here about kids calcium needs and how they can be met

kidshealth.org/en/parents/calcium.html

There’s no need for any human to have milk after weaning age, especially the milk of another animal. There are plenty of other sources of calcium and protein.

We all drink milk in this house - aged 52-18🥛🥛🥛

Sorry maybe I wasn't clear. It's fine for her to drink milk if she wants to of course... but MIL has this deep rooted belief that she had to have it for her bones and if she doesn't then something awful will happen.

She makes the options with milk... none of that watery stuff in her house haha

So what I wanted to know really was does she NEED it physically. If she wants it she can drink what she wants but if she doesn't want it I won't force it on her unless there are obvious health reasons

No, of course she doesn't need milk.
Options is shite though. Give her real hot chocolate if she has to have it.

This study found that children who consumed a lot of protein also tended to be overweight (due to fat, not muscle) and that this effect was strongest in those who consumed animal-based protein.

It's quite a large study so I'm inclined to think it may have a point.

I beg your pardon, it's in toddlers only, not children in general. Still of interest though!

6 months