The first food of the child is breast-milk or formula milk, but as a baby is transitioned from it to cow’s milk be it through a bottle, sippy cup, bowl or a glass, many toddlers start detesting the taste of milk. This obviously leaves the mothers worried. Milk is not only the best source of calcium for toddlers, it also provides them with the needed energy as well as the essential vitamins and minerals for healthy growth and development. And growing children aged between 1 and 3 years daily require 500 milligrams of calcium. In addition milk aids in nerve and brain development. It is also essential for developing strong bones and teeth. Tooth and gum decay are commonly seen in individuals who lack calcium and vitamin D.
Unless the child is lactose intolerant, milk is essential. To end your ‘milk time drinking’ struggle, below are a few tips to encourage your kids to down milk for a fuss-free happier life:
Add flavor: This is probably your greatest tool ever! Find what your kid likes – chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, mango, kesar-pista, almond etc. It’s best to alternate them. For instance, he may have chocolate milk in the morning and kesar-pista at night. Something different to look forward to, eh?
Make cereals your path: Young kids enjoy slurping on chocolatey breakfast. Milk added to cereals well absorbs the flavor and lo! The remaining milk becomes yummy. Most kids finish off this milk too. So you may gradually increase the quantity of milk added to cereals
Fruit Smoothies: Kid definitely love this ‘avatar’ of milk. Simply add fresh fruits to milk and make it thicker by including yogurt. Top it up with chocolate curls or sprinkles and you have a hungry kid satiated!
Make it a family choice: Try to have milk as the drink of choice at family meals. Milk, whole grain cereals, and fruits for a family breakfast is a great way to do so.
Catchy drinkware: Attractive sippy cups or thermal color changing mugs – let your kid purchase the one he likes. New things always entice kids to use it more, in this case, its drinking milk, yay!
Image: Livestrong.com