three-year-old refusing milk

[Chrisada]

My three-year-old decided about two weeks ago that he no longer likes milk. He used to drink it all the time. It doesn't matter if I add chocolate syrup or carnation breakfast flavoring. I've even put it in a Sigg so that he can't see it, and he will just spit it out. He is not lactose intolerant. The only time he will drink any is if DH makes him a smoothie, and even then he does not drink enough. The ped. says he really needs to drink it and that yogurt and cheese is not enough. She said to do a reward system, but he will absolutely not budge. I have read about possibly Kefir or mixing yogurt or orange juice into milk? So pretty much the only thing the kid drinks is water bec. I don't keep juice in the house. Suggestions?

[DCJenn]

Try kefir, or as it's known in my house, "yogurt drink." It comes in tons of flavors and strawberry and vanilla seem to be the favorites here. I would also try the opposite of the peds recommendation because the only thing that works w/ my kid is to completely ignore the food issue.
The bigger fuss I make, the more he digs in.

Good luck!

Jenn

PS- you can get whole milk or skim milk kefir. You can also try rice milk, almond milk or soy milk, too.

[Chrisada]

Thanks Jenn! We'll go this afternoon to get his new "yogurt drink."

[Deebs]

I have a couple of friends who have had this issue, but their pediatricians haven't seemed as concerned about it as long as the kids were getting nutrition from some source and were outside enough to get adequate amounts of vitamin D. I wonder what your peds main concern is - vitamin D, calcium? Does he/she have a recommendation for kids who are lactose intolerant? Maybe you could go that route. Personally, I wouldn't set up a reward system for food - I think it's a setup for really poor nutritional habits. We also call Kefir "yogurt juice", and my kids think it is a treat! We do smoothies as well, but more to sneak the fruits into their diet that they don't typically like (DS doesn't like blueberries, DD doesn't like strawberries), and to use up fruit when it's about to turn. Have you tried different varieties of milk (like switch from whole to skim or skim to whole)? They taste much different depending on the fat content, but also have different textures. Good luck!

[Chrisada]

Well we have him on the Poly-vi-sol and he eats a ton of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. He will not touch any kind of milk. It literally happened overnight. We live in MI so I know he is not getting vitamin D outside right now, which is why we give him the Poly-vi-sol. Fingers are crossed that he will try the Kefir. I was also thinking about getting him some calcium fortified orange juice, though I'm not a fan of juice in the house.

[DCJenn]

We've done the kid OJ as well. I send the mini kid juices w/ calcium to school, especially when he's going through his non-eating moments.

JEnn

[Chrisada]

We've done the kid OJ as well. I send the mini kid juices w/ calcium to school, especially when he's going through his non-eating moments.

JEnn

Maybe in addition to the Kefir I could get the juice in individual packages and give him one a day. I just know if I buy a jug of it he will want that all day.

[DCJenn]

If you're really concerned about caloric intake and vitamins/minerals, etc., ENSURE has come out w/ a kids version. Nikolai's food tastes are so bizarre (a person cannot live on blue cheese and liverwurst, despite their insistence to the contrary) so we but those to have on hand for those days. Our friend the peds GI doc gave us samples of what they use in the hospital and he liked them as well. They've got a pretty hefty caloric impact so if you're also watching that part then myave not. My kid is consistently (almost) underweight.

Jenn

[Michele]

Re: three-year-old refusing milk

Hmm. Daegan doesn't drink cows milk. Never has. My ped hasn't said anything about it. I didn't think it was something I should worry about. Huh. Kai is stillnursing some but he gets water for his sippy cup as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Chrisada]

Jenn, he is actually in the 76% for weight and 97% for height. So I guess he is getting enough calories. We tried PediAsure, which he used to like, but he refused. Michelle, the ped. was definitely on the, "you have to get him to drink milk thing." I think I'l just stick with what he's eating now and try and throw in the Kefir and call it a day.

This on top of poor Pierce only being in the 3% for weight and me having to put butter in all his food and trying to force formula on the kid is just too much. My kids and their eating issues. Goodness.

[Malpka]

My kids don't drink cows milk, ans as long I was meeting their calcium and vitamin D needs in other ways, the pediatricians (including my FIL) were never concerned. My son is off the charts for height and 95th for weight, so it is obviously not hurting him any. My girls are 75% types, also no milk.

[Chrisada]

Well the Kefir and orange juice boxes are working. Whoo-hoo!