How to Transition My Toddler From Warm Milk to Cold Milk

Once a child celebrates her first birthday, it’s time to begin serving her whole milk, advises the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP recommends whole milk for toddlers between 1 and 2 years of age to ensure that they get sufficient dietary fats for brain and nervous system development. If your toddler has been drinking warm breast milk or formula, she may not appreciate cold milk 2. Help your little one get used to this new beverage with gentle encouragement.

Fill your child’s sippy cup with cold, whole milk. Serve the milk to her to see if she will accept it.

Warm the cold milk just enough to take the edge off the chill if your child won’t drink the cold milk. Fill a small pan with water and heat it on the stovetop until it simmers. Remove the pan from the heat after it simmers.

Place the sippy cup into the pan of hot water and leave it there for about five minutes to warm it slightly.

Serve the slightly warmed milk to your toddler.

Offer your child cold milk every time to encourage her to accept it. Each time your child won’t accept the cold milk, heat it a little less to get her accustomed to cooler milk.

Tips

A young child does not need more than 16 to 24 ounces of milk per day, advised Karen Sokal-Gutierrez, pediatrician with the Fisher-Price website. Offering more milk than this to your child may encourage her to eat less solid food and fill up on milk.

After a week of warming milk slightly for your toddler, you may wish to draw the line and stop warming it. Eventually, your baby will make the adjustment and accept the cold milk.

Don’t give up – even if your child seems stubborn about transitioning from warm milk to cold milk. Keep working at it and encouraging her positively.

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