Is your child turning away from milk? Does he find excuses to skip his morning or evening milk time? This becomes quite a common scenario as your child is introduced to other food items. It’s quite strange to see how many kids start disliking milk after a certain age.

Certainly forcing them to drink milk is not a solution but then giving up on milk is also not an ideal decision to take. Milk is an essential part of their everyday diet and they must have it daily without fail. Milk is the primary source of calcium and many other vital nutrients which aid in your child’s body growth and development. If milk isn’t taken in the needed quantity, your child is likely to face some health issues, especially the ones related to bones. Growth of the bones will get hampered resulting into weaker bones.

Low bone density can lead to osteoporosis later in life. In fact, research says that 25% of children who keep away from milk are prone to bone fractures before 8 years of age, most of which are caused by small trips or falls.

Thus you see that making your child drink milk on a daily basis is very important. But the question is how to do that without forcing them. Well, the following tips will help you out with this and let you encourage your child to drink milk.

1. Is taste causing the trouble?    
Now that your child is getting to experiment with various other foods, there are chances that the taste of milk isn’t pleasing him anymore. If it’s because of the taste that your child isn’t drinking milk, try the following:

• Change the flavour: If flavor is the root cause, just change it. You can add different flavours to your child’s milk such as cocoa powder, strawberry syrup, honey, vanilla essence or go for different health drinks such as horlicks, bournvita etc. You can experiment with the flavor or give the one he likes the most. 
   
• Prepare milkshake: This is one great and healthy choice of making your child drink his daily glass of milk. Make a healthy glass of milkshake, blending milk with any fruit like banana. It won’t just be tasty but full of vitamins and minerals obtained from fruits as used. Once in a week, you can even switch to chocolate milkshake.
   
• Dunk in the biscuit: As said, taste can be the prominent factor causing your child to turn away from milk. If flavoured milk isn’t an option for your child, try serving him milk with some biscuits or cookies which can be dunked in the milk. But keep the biscuit quantity little less. 
   
• Choose milk cereals: Another way of making your child drink milk is to add it to some whole-grain breakfast cereals. Oatmeal is one ideal choice to make.
  
  2. Is he following your path?

Kids learn what they see elders in the family doing. If milk isn’t a part of your diet, it’s quite likely for your child also to stay away from it. This is how you will have to sort this problem out:

• Develop milk drinking habit: You will have to show him the right path so first you will need to develop the habit of drinking milk daily. When he sees you sipping in the healthy drink, he is sure to follow.
   
• Avoid bringing home carbonated or sugary drinks: Try to avoid bringing sweetened drinks home as much as possible. Kids can get tempted to drink them and you might be forced to prevent them thus leading into a power battle. Once in a while it’s okay, but don’t let it turn into a regular habit.
  
  3. Is he bored of his sippy cups?

• Get some attractive cups: Colours attract everyone and kids are no exception. Buy for them some attractive cups with some cool colour combination or design of their favourite cartoon character.
   
• Involve him while preparing milk: Another best thing to do would be getting your child to help you out while preparing his milk. When he feels involved, he is sure to enjoy.
  
   

Milk is very important part of your child’s diet and it should become his habit naturally. Never force him to drink milk, just make sure that he is given it the way he likes. Make milk a healthy choice for everyone in the family so that your child can learn the right thing!