Milk contains vitamins and minerals that are essential in keeping toddlers in tiptop condition. But, during the transition from milk to solid foods, some toddlers stop drinking milk. With the help of these strategies, parents can make toddlers and milk the best of friends once again.

Start Small

Offer small amounts of milk. You can start by giving your toddler 1 glass of milk during lunch and dinner and gradually increase the amount. This way, you avoid overwhelming him when you order him to finish it before he can get something else.

Make It Tastier

Change the taste of milk to make it yummier so your little one develops a liking for it and enjoys having it every day. Buy chocolate or strawberry milk. These are fool-proof. Toddlers love colors and seeing their milk in a different color aside from white will make them excited to try it. Or, you can try mixing his milk with chocolate or strawberry syrup. Using semi-sweet chocolate in place of the syrup also works.

Offer Choices

Try different kinds of milk. You can choose from cow’s milk, goat’s milk, soy milk, skim milk or lactose free. Often times, a change of taste is all it takes to make your toddler drink more milk. But, do make sure that your toddler is not allergic to any of them. Seek your pediatrician’s go signal first before experimenting.

Another effective tip is to serve him dairy products such as curd, custard, cheese, yogurt, low-fat ice cream or pudding.

Make The Delivery Appealing

Make drinking milk a fun activity by giving him his own glass, using a fun straw, a sippy cup with a Superman design or a special container. Remember, toddlers do not pay any attention to boring things so think of ways to present milk in an attractive manner.

Add Milk To Your Toddler’s Foods

A sneaky yet very effective way to ensure your toddler gets his daily milk intake is to get milk into your toddler’s diet. Pour milk over his cereal. Use milk when making dips and creams. Instead of water, add milk when making soup. Cook macaroni and cheese. Or, make a fruit drink with the milk. Simply add slices of apples, bananas, mangoes, strawberries or any fruit and milk to a blender. Mix them well and you have a fruit drink your little one will enjoy.

Make Milk The Only Drink Available

Do not give your toddler an opportunity to choose his beverage by placing juice and soda on the table. If you do not give him options, he has no choice but to drink the milk.

Drink Milk Yourself

Toddlers love mimicking their parents and what better way to encourage your toddler to drink milk than by drinking milk yourself. Drink milk on a regular basis. Drink in front of your toddler. Better yet, drink together, clink your glasses and say “Cheers!”.

There you have it. By following the tips mentioned above, you can get your toddler to drink milk in a blink of an eye.