Drinking milk at daycare

[apples and bananas]

I have 2 new ones that have just started recently. They have both just turned one. Mom's send them with bottles for milk. They are drinking from sippy cups for water, it's just the milk that they send the bottle for.

Neither of these kids really drink from the bottle while they're here. They are great eaters and get plenty of calcium through other foods, but they just aren't big on their bottles here. I thought little ones would use the bottle as a security thing? or for comfort?

So, I'm thinking of just offering them sippy cups from now on. I don't see how it would make a difference in what they're taking in. They don't seem to be drinking much milk here anyways... any suggestions or tips?

[Spixie33]

I say go for it. If the child can drink fine from sippy cups then I always try to transition them away from a bottle bit by bit. Once a child figures out how sippy cups work then there is no need for a bottle and sippy cups are easier to deal with at daycare and better for their teeth IMO
I had a girl start at 11 months who didn't know how to drink from the sippy and only the bottle. she would sit for 30-40 minutes just nursing a bottle and it drove me crazy. I transitioned her within a few weeks to go without the bottle and now I do water in her sippy and one sippy of milk a day.
Good luck

[Sandbox Sally]

Can't you give them milk in sippy cups? I don't understand...

They don't need bottles. I have a mom who sends one if her child is sick (comfort), but otherwise, she uses a sippy when she's here.

I'd tell moms to leave the bottles at home.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Ya - if they are preferring sipper cups as their choice of fluid intake I would offer them milk in the sipper at one of your meal times whichever works best .... I generally offer milk at main meal time and water at snack times unless we are having cereal for morning snack and than I offer milk at that time frame and water with lunch and pm snack.

I too have the majority of my crew choosing water over milk even when offered it and I am not concerned in 'making' them drink milk - they get lots of calcium rich foods and we spend at least two hours a day outside for their Vitamin D intake!

Honestly human beings are the ONLY mammal that consumes the 'breast milk' of other animals ... you have to wonder WHY that is and if it is really 'necessary' to our dietary survival cause in reality we all evolved from areas where 'cows / goats' were not predominately available for milking and therefore 'milk and dairy' was not available to the entire human population and so forth!

[michellesmunchkins]

I prefer my guys come to me already on sippy cups (doesn't happen often though). I transition them asap to a sippy. Much easier and way better on their dental hygiene. If he/she can drink water out of a sippy they can drink milk out of it too. Then drinks become just that, a drink and not a source of comfort like the bottle can quickly become. Not saying that I never give them bottles, but only if absolutely necessary.

[apples and bananas]

thank you for all of your input. I'm just going to switch them tomorrow and see what happens. That's what I would have done for my own kids.

[mom-in-alberta]

Hope it goes over well! I would also switch them over. Just tell mom/dad "Oh, he/she seems to prefer the sippy cups to the bottles, just like the bigger kids." Give them the option of providing the cups, but if not, I would just pour it into your own.

[playfelt]

I would transition them to cups - if they use one for water easy to dump it out and use it for milk too so they get to see that "all" liquids come that way. Many parents continue to send bottles of milk just because it is easier to measure out and transport - especially if bringing formula or homo milk since I provide only 2% in a cup so all bottles to be taken as bottles must be sent or any milk other than 2% must be sent even if I serve it in a cup.

[Momof4]

My youngest daycare children right now are 16 & 17 months and they have both been on sippy cups with no bottles at daycare for 3-4 months already. I wean little ones off soothers and bottles with the parents co-operation shortly after age 1. Many children like their night time bottles but if they will settle for naptime without it, they have their milk with their lunch.