Confession time: my oldest daughter hasn’t had milk since she gave up her bottles at 18 months old. As a result, making sure she gets enough calcium and protein have been a challenge for us – one I much rather would have solved with a simple glass of milk every day. While we’ve made it work, it isn’t something I wanted for my 15-month-old.
After our experience with Abbie not drinking milk all of toddlerhood, I wanted to make sure I did things a little differently this time around – and so far, so good! Ella loves having her milk every day and I know she’s getting the nutrients she needs from it. So what did I do differently this time?
I introduced different cups earlier. With Abbie, I waited until right before I wanted to take away the bottles to get her to drink milk out of a cup. She was NOT having it and only wanted milk from a bottle. With Ella, I started trying milk in cups right around when we were switching to milk, and I think that made a big difference! She definitely has a preference for certain cups over others, but she drinks from the cup no problem!
I chose the best milk I could for her. My daycare provider always uses organic milk for my girls, and it really got me thinking about what the best milk was for Ella. One of our favorites is the new Horizon Organic Grassfed Milk. It tastes amazing and I love that I’m giving Ella milk that I feel great about. I’ve used many of Horizon Organic‘s products in the past and know that I can trust their quality and that I can pick up their products at Walmart for a great price. In fact, you can head here for $1 off! I usually pick up the whole milk version for her, but sometimes grab the 2% for myself as well!
I kept consistency. As an infant, Ella had breast milk and later formula before her naps and bed. When switching to milk, we kept the same schedule, so it was something she was completely used to and the transition went smoothly. I do also offer milk at meals to get her used to it, but the consistency was so important in getting her to drink milk!
So that’s how we’re tackling getting Ella to keep drinking milk! I’m hopeful everything we’ve done will keep her drinking milk throughout toddlerhood, and I hope these tips help you too!
Don’t forget to head —> here <— to grab your offer for $1 off Horizon Organic Grassfed milk and pin the picture below to save this for later!
