Toddler refusing milk - help!

[oranges8882]

I finally switched my two year old from having a bottle of milk before bed to a cup. He had it once and now refuses to drink it. I really want to stop the bottles as he's over two, but am worried he's not drinking any milk. Should I switch back to bottles?

Does he eat cheese and yoghurt? Or have milk at any other time as a drink or in cereal? If any or all of those he is almost certainly getting plenty of calcium. I wouldn't worry about it. Keep offering but don't make it a big deal.

Calcium chewy supplements are pretty yum.

Or Nesquik - sugar I know but just a tiny bit makes my milk-hater drink milk.

Hot chocolate? Yoghurt? Cheese?

No. He doesn’t need a bottle or even milk. He needs 350mg of calcium from yoghurt, cheese, forfeited cereal and bread.

There are no calcium supplements suitable for under 3s.

Why does he need to drink milk?

@PotteringAlong

Why does he need to drink milk?

This

I’m worried that if he doesn’t drink milk he won’t get enough calcium. He has one bowl of cereal for breakfast OR toast and yoghurt, plus a yoghurt at dinner time and a few bits of cheese for snacks. That doesn’t seem enough?

You need to look at the packets and work out how much calcium he is getting. He needs a minimum of 350mg which is normally 3 portions.

My first hated cows milk and never drank it once I stopped breastfeeding at 10 months. He did have milk in porridge, loved cheese, real butter and some yoghurt but not keen on that either. Nothing wrong with his teeth or bones as an adult. Don't worry, he sounds like he's getting plenty in his food. My next one loved milk and yoghurt, they are all individuals with their own likes and dislikes.

Yeah he'll be fine. Don't sweat it.

@oranges8882

I’m worried that if he doesn’t drink milk he won’t get enough calcium. He has one bowl of cereal for breakfast OR toast and yoghurt, plus a yoghurt at dinner time and a few bits of cheese for snacks. That doesn’t seem enough?

There is calcium in all these things, don’t worry shout it

@oranges8882

I’m worried that if he doesn’t drink milk he won’t get enough calcium. He has one bowl of cereal for breakfast OR toast and yoghurt, plus a yoghurt at dinner time and a few bits of cheese for snacks. That doesn’t seem enough?

Sounds like plenty. Don't worry about it.

Thanks everyone. I’ll have a look at the yoghurts and cheese and try to work out how much he’s getting.

@oranges8882

Thanks everyone. I’ll have a look at the yoghurts and cheese and try to work out how much he’s getting.

Look at everything - white bread has a lot of calcium in it too!

When DD1 was around that age she completely refused milk too, said she just didn't like the taste anymore, so I upped her calcium intake in everything else.

She's 4 now and just recently gone back to enjoying a cup of milk, so it might not be forever in your case too!

Calcium isn’t just dairy, although that’s the most abundant source. It’s in green vegetables, citrus fruits, dried fruits, tinned fish, fortified cereals and bread too.

@AliceW89

Calcium isn’t just dairy, although that’s the most abundant source. It’s in green vegetables, citrus fruits, dried fruits, tinned fish, fortified cereals and bread too.

This!

This article is interesting. Lots of calcium rich foods apart from milk.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-calcium-rich-foods