Help with stopping 3years old milk

[Gabby10]

My 3 (4 in feb) DD is still terrible for milk! She’s a really picky eater and I do think a lot of the reason she doesn’t eat a lot is due to the amount of milk she has!

She has one when she wakes up, at least 1 during the day. 1 or sometimes 2 before bed and then 2 in the night!

I know it’s so much but if I say no she cry’s to the point of being sick.

Does anyone have any advice on how to drop this or is it just a cold turkey situation? I’ve tried the watering it down but she knows and then cries until I change it. I know I’ve caused this myself but I really need help to change this! Thanks x

I had this problem with my two year old but in the night, we were worried about his teeth as hed drink milk after us brushing them, his understanding is quite strong so we made a bit of a big deal about how there'll be no milk at night, just water. Mentioned it through the day to him and made a big deal of taking the bottle out and saying bye bye, and gave him a drink of water instead.

Maybe a version of this where you explain that maybe the tooth fairy said its time to have no milk after teeth are brushed etc. Or move milk to earlier and say you've had your milk after teeth are brushed for bedtime then no milk til morning, maybe make morning milk a big deal. Could break the association with sleep by giving her milk with a wind down story on the sofa after her bath etc.

I'm saying this based on assuming it's cows milk, if it's breastmik can't help, would be trickier to wean from that!

She’s about to turn 4 and is waking up for milk in the night? God my 4 year old is absolutely bonkers for milk but that’s too much. You have to go cold turkey because waking up to drink milk in the night isn’t good for her teeth. You should be enjoying a good night’s sleep, not running about in the night getting her cups of milk.

My son loves a cup of milk with breakfast and with dinner and will often request cups of milk through the day but it doesn’t affect his eating so I don’t mind, but in this situation you just have to take it away. A cup in the morning and a cup before bed (before having her last pee and brushing her teeth) is fine. Waking up for it at 4 years old definitely isn’t. Reclaim your sleep!

@Imisscoffee2021yes it is cows milk. Thank you I’ll 100% be trying that!

@YourethebeerthiefTell me about it! Although sleep wise I do think even with no milk she’d still wake in the night she seems to have taken after me and doesn’t need a lot of sleep.

Its almost like milk is a comfort thing for her.

Her birthday is in a few weeks so I might try to find something I can say around her needing to give it up like some fairy or something and then just having a few bad nights and apologising to next door in advance!

Im hoping once the milk goes she starts eating more as I honestly don’t know how she survives sometimes

How does she drink it? Try and make it boring, so cold not warm, in a boring cup etc
Make it less appealing. She is also old enough to probably explain why she shouldn't have it

She has it warm, I’ve tried cold but again she boots off. I think what makes it worse is that we live with my mum who works 10 hour shifts every day and gets up a 5am as she works nearly an hour away so I feel guilty in the night if I let her cry. My mum has a week off work soon so maybe thats the best time to tackle it!

Same problem 28 years ago. Paediatrician told us we had to be harsh, for her benefit. Took about 2.5 weeks before her appetite for solid food kicked in.
i felt really horrible at the time but she’s a mum herself now and doesn’t remember being 2.

@MrsSkylerWhiteThank you! I honestly am at the point of worrying about her eating that much I’m thinking of taking her to the GP. Maybe I’ll give the no milk a go first. I’ve taken her to the GP about a year ago though and all they said were ‘all kids have different appetites’ 😂

I think unfortunately in this situation just just need to be firm and consistent. Waking in the night every night is undoubtedly leaving her exhausted. It will be hard but cold turkey is probably your best option.

It’s really hard, I know. Do take medical advice rather than internet, but pretty sure it will be the same now as it was then.
In the meantime, a good, age appropriate vitamin supplement probably isn’t a bad idea as you transition.
This too shall pass X