3 Yr Old Will Not Drink Milk

My daughter was allergic to both milk and citrus fruit so she never developed a taste for milk or juice. She drinks water most of the time. He doctor suggested she take a tums with calcium every day, which she does.

http://www.nof.org/eventsandprograms/WOD/calciumandvitami...

This is in PDF format but should help you

My 4 year old refuses to drink it, as well. Drives me crazy! My pediatrician has told us the same as many of the posts...get calcium fortified juices and make sure she takes a multivitamin every day. Good luck!

There are plenty of other sources for vitD and calcium--the major reason for consuming dairy products. I just read a great cookbook that has ways of "sneaking" stuff past your kids and my picky eaters are now enjoying things like spinach and butternut squash! Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. I found it at the library and I know there were at least 2 others like it. Good luck.

My father-in-law who is a dr. and very strict vegetarian told me we are not cows therefore people are not suppose to be drinking milk from cows, that is why so many people have trouble digesting it. I do not like milk, never have. Spinach, I know is a good one, I put it raw in all salads and sneak it in all sorts of places. Asparagus, brussel sprouts, garlic, green beans. I have heard molasses but don't really know this for sure. for vitamin D, open the curtains let in as much light as possible and get outside! Beef has vitamin D and so does tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel(sp). I understnad though that sunlight is best for vitamin d and can help fight winter blues also.

I wouldn't worry too much about not drinking milk. My kids love it, but I also worry because it can cause problems later down the road (it is made for cows, after all). With that said, if your child eats other dairy products that will help with the calcium and vit D. You can also get a lot of calcium in things like Spinach, believe it or not, as well as potatoes! I would do a little online search of calcium rich foods and incorporate those into the diet. If your kids don't like spinach, you can cook a bunch of it (about 3 cups raw) and then puree it with a cup of blueberries and this can be added to meatloaf, brownies, all kinds of stuff. (Get The Sneaky Chef, it's a great resource!)And while I know the importance of sunscreen, the sun is really the best source of Vit D and you don't need alot of it unless you have a darker complexion. So, a few minutes outside with a little sun on their faces can help with that. I'm sure there are foods with Vit D but I don't know if any off the top if my head. Good luck and I wouldn't worry too much! They're probably getting more calcium than you think. And talk to the ped about what the recommended daily amount is for them. Hope this helps!

The majority of humans in the world do not consume the milk of other mammals and in fact Asian people who do not consume milk products in their traditional diet have much lower incidence of osteoporosis than Westerners who do--and Asian people who have adopted a more Western diet now have similiar rates of disease! It is of course important to eat a healthy diet with a variety of vegetables (green leafy ones are high in calcium), fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, small amounts of chicken and other meats. Organic foods are not only better for the planet and our health because of the lack of toxins but they are also higher in minerals. If she likes yogurt or kefir those are better forms of dairy as they are fermented and thus easier to digest. many people who hate to drink milk find that they are allergic to it--so our bodies naturally reject what is bad! Make sure that your kids and you get plenty of sunlight when possible without sunscreen(in the summer obviously not when the sun is highest in sky)and supplement in the winter as vit D is low in most of us in these northerns states and D is necessary for absorption of calcium.Don't allow your skin to burn of course but check out Dr Mercola's web site for plenty of studies and references of the importance of getting sun on your skin! If you are still worried about calcium there are some good milk drink substitutes such as rice milk and almond milk which are fortified with calcium and vit D.Try different brands as some of them taste quite different until you find one she likes.

You've had some great responses so far. I just wanted to add that Yogurt is also a good substitute. I buy Calcium + Vitamin D Fortified Orange Juice for my kids also. And they both love yogurt.

I'm with Lynn on this one. Cows' milk isn't natural to the human body!

Your daughter might just be on to something here. I've learned that milk isn't really good for us. I stopped eating all dairy products 11 months ago, and it has changed my life for the better beyond my wildest dreams. My doctor (an Integrative M.D.) explained that dairy contributes to (and sometimes causes) chronic pain. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1990, and I've had migraines all my life (up to 2 times a week). Since quitting dairy consumption, I haven't had a problem with pain of any kind.

It's funny, because when I was little, I hated milk. I did like cheese, but didn't eat it that often, since my mom was acutely aware of the dangers of a high fat diet. Once I was on my own and able to eat cheese and creamy things, my pain issues became unmanageable. I have no choice but to believe it's the dairy that contributed to the problem.

Calcium is available through all kinds of other sources ~ nuts, fruits, vegetables. There's really no need to rely on dairy products for milk. there are also some wonderful children's vitamins available.

Hey D.,
My daughter was never a real milk drinker either compared to her brother who I swear I should invest in a cow!! He eats, drinks everything dairy. My daughter hardly does yogurt, won't touch cold cheese & i haven't given her vitamin D milk in forever & she just turned two. I invested in a vitamin for her (along with my son just figured in case they were missing out on something) and I discovered that at dinner if i give her a 'cool' straw she'll drink it immediately... it's like really awesome to drink out of a straw no matter what the drink is!! So finally I have gotten her to drink milk at dinner time with a straw being supervised! It's just a glass, but in the morning too she will have a bowl of cereal and I'll 'pretend' to put sugar on it which again makes it all the more intresting to eat! Your lil' girl may be more hip to the fake outs, but my 2 year old doesn't know any better yet..lol! Good luck!

M.

We are the only species that weans to another species' milk...it's actually kinda weird and gross when you think about it. I LOVE milk, but I try not to think about what it really is! lol
Don't worry about it. As long as she's getting dairy products like cheese and yogurt, she should be fine with a multivitamin. There are vegans all over the world who don't eat any dairy and live healthy lives.
You can always try easing in to it with soy/almond/rice milk and then introduce milk again by mixing them.

My 12 yr old son hasn't liked milk since he's been about 5. I make sure that I have the orange juice for kids with calcium and vitamin D in the house for him to drink.

Fish liver oils, fatty saltwater fish, dairy products and eggs all contain Vitamin D. It is also found in butter ( I would NEVER use margarine anyway) cod liver oil (this will help ANY constipation issues she might have, too) dandelion greens, egg yolks, halibut, liver, oatmeal, salmon, sweet potatoes, tuna and vegetable oils. As you probably already know, Vitamin D is also formed by the body in response to sunlight on the skin. Try to get a little sun every day.......even 10-15 minutes can make a difference.

There are also several herbs that contain Vitamin D. Since she is so young, you might want to get a colloidal (liquid) vitamin supplement. Many of those contain some herbs. Check out Natrol's liquid vitamins for kids. It contains alfalfa which is an herb that contains Vitamin D.

My son drinks rice milk. It comes as regular or vanilla flavored. It has vitamins a and d and is loaded w/calcium.

maybe she is allergic to it.have it checked out.K.

It might just be a phase and maybe it's a bit of a power struggle? I'd suggest yogurt, pudding (treat) and of course cheese as you have already identified. If she won't drink milk, then I would offer her water...you don't want her to become a juice addict. Just my thoughts! Good luck!

You could always try giving her rice milk... that is what I give my younger son now (he is 13 months) because he doesn't like cows milk. Also my older son drank rice milk for almost a year before he really enjoyed drinking cow's milk. I know that their pediatrician is okay with it, but I would still check with your pediatrician just in case. Good luck!

My kids are not huge milk drinkers, and my youngest (now 2 y/o) never really drinks it. I asked their ped. what her thoughts were and if milk was necessary for anything other than Calcium, and she said that was the main reason for drinking it.
Well,we do try to keep a balanced diet, but with the eating habits and nutrien-t-lacking soil that our food grows in, I know that my kids can't possibly get all that they need through good food (even milk has studies showing that the calcium in it is not absorbed well in our bodies -- and whatever Dr. said to take Tums needs to do some more research on that b/c that is a gimmick that Tums puts out...that form of calcium isn't readily absorbed, either!) However, my kids have a shake that provides them with their calcium, and all of the other nutrients, including Omega 3's, that is completely scientifically balanced and proven to be about 98% absorbed within 20 minutes to their bloodstreams. They take this every day and are very healthy, active kids who rarely get a cold. If you want more info, message me.
I really wouldn't worry about milk, though, after all, the other moms are right: our kids are not calves ;0)

There's nothing magical about cow's milk and it's not that important. In fact, there are many reasons to NOT drink it. I don't understand the American obsession with it or how it got elevated to a 'health food' when it's clearly not. The majority of people around the world do not drink milk. All the nutrients in cow's milk can be found in other, healthier, food like vegetables - especially green leafy ones.

Consider this: We are the only species on the planet who drinks the milk of another animal. Isn't that weird? In my opinion, milk isn't necessary for anyone. I do eat dairy, because I like it, and as a vegetarian, it provides protein. My 4 year old asks for soy milk rather than cow's milk. It is fortified with vitamins, as is rice milk. You could put your child on a good multivitamin and research which vegetables and other foods contain calcium, vit. D, etc... Just Google! Also keep in mind that vit. D is stored by the body, so if your child gets adequate sunlight the rest of the year, she will be fine with the reduced light of the Winter months. Just 15 minutes about 3 times a week of sunlight without sunscreen is plenty. So anyway, no, you don't need to worry about your child not drinking milk. Just provide balanced meals from all the food groups, and choose a variety of different colored fruits and veggies.

My daughter won't drink milk either. I just make sure she gets calcium in other forms: cheese, ice cream, fortified juices etc

My pediatrician once told me that my kids could also drink orange juice with calcium. The only time I ever had issues with my kids not drinking milk was when I first gave them sippy cups exclusively. I just kept offering it to them when they wanted a drink, and eventually they were thirsty enough they drank it.

Your child might be allergic, so don't make her drink it. I have milk allergies and they were not discovered until many years of pain and digestive problems. You could try rice or almond milk, as a replacement. Then look into supplements. Go to www.marketamerica.com/W. and look at the children's vitamins "might-i-mins". It is a liquid and children love the taste. If you look into it, there are many nutritionist who even recommend eliminating cow's milk from most peoples diets. Hope this helps!