18 month old won't drink cows' milk - does it really matter?

[vitomum]

Ds who is 18 months has 5-6 oz of formula before bed. he has cows' milk in porridge every morning and probably eats a bit of cheese or a yogurt most days. he get offered cups of cows' milk daily at home and nursery but won't drink it. i'm not really sure how to approach this. Keeping him on formula indefinitely doesn't seem much of a solution but will he still get enough dairy / calcium if that bottle goes? ideas gratefully received.

You can mix formula with cow's milk, and gradually reduce the amount of formula?

He's probably fine for calcium, anyway.

I started mixing 1 oz cows milk with formula and gradually increased ratio every few days till was all cows milk.

oooh - cunning! i had not thought of that. will def give that one a try. cheers!

my dd stopped drinking milk 2mths ago she's 17mths...anyway she will have it in cereal and thankfully she eat's a little cheese and loves yoghurt. Apparently this is normal, according to my nan who has around 80 great/grandchildren. A few people have suggested soya milk..havn't tried it yet. All i'm saying is that it is not the end of the world when they stop drinking milk, as I have found out myself.

I never drank milk as a child as i hated the taste of it - well after being weaned and i am fine! As long as they are getting calcium from cheese, yoghurt, green veg etc. and drinking enough liquid eg. water then it is fine.

You could also try semi-skimmed milk from age of 2 (don't think it is recommended under 2 as lack of calories in it)

Soya milk tastes gross... IMO
it states on the box that its suitable for a main drink from 2 years..

thanks. good to know taht he will be getting enough just from cheese, yogurt etc. without having to actually be drinking milk.

Mz DS1 stopped drinking cows milk around 18mths and I just did a straight shift to Soy milk. I am in Oz and there is nothing on the carton here refering to 2yo. I don't get the long life stuff, but the fresh stuff, organic when it is available. It has as much calcium if not more than cows milk. He eats Soy yoghurt as well, which besides having no dairy, also doesn't have as much sugar.

Soy milk was an acquired taste for me, as I am lactose intolerant, but now cows milk tastes absolutely foul to me.

I think soy milk tastes nice too. I had to drink it whilst bfing ds, and now I find I can't abide milk at all.