Once you’ve weaned your baby from the bottle, you want him to start drinking milk for the nutrition that it provides. Unfortunately, this isn’t always as easy as it sounds, especially if he’s used to drinking juice from the cup. Cow’s milk has a different taste and consistency than breast milk or formula, so many children take a while to develop a liking for it. With a bit of persistence, your little one will be drinking milk like a champ.
Step 1
Take her to the store to let her choose a special cup. This will be the milk cup that you only use for drinking milk. It should have her favorite colors or characters to encourage a positive connection with the cup.
Step 2
Mix breast milk or formula with the cow’s milk. Start out with a low percentage of the cow’s milk so that he mostly tastes the drink that he’s familiar with. For example, you may want to start with a 3-to-1 ratio.
Step 3
Increase the amount of cow’s milk gradually until she is only drinking cow’s milk. Eventually, she will develop a taste for the cow’s milk.
Step 4
Use vitamin-fortified flavor enhancers. Drinking chocolate or strawberry flavored milk is better than drinking no milk at all, even though it does add sugar. Look for versions that have vitamins in addition to the flavor.
Warnings
- The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital stresses that the milk you give your child should be whole milk, not reduced fat. Children need the extra fat for growth.
- Your child should only have two to three glasses of milk a day. If he drinks more than this there may not be enough room in his stomach for other foods.
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