DD1 (almost 3) still has a small cup of warm milk before she cleans her teeth.

When did you stop giving your child any milk at the end of the day?

She still loves it, and she drinks it during storytime with DD2 (who is only 16m and still has a bottle in the evenings).

Is she getting a bit old do you think?

Hello

DD has just turned 4 and we have only just stopped her milk before bed. She had dropped the bottle around 15 months and had been having milk in a straw cup and like your DD loved having her milk while being read a story before bed.

When we went camping just recently we did not take her straw cup with us and had limited milk supplys - we had some UHT for cereal and coffee but told her we did not have enough for night times which she took really well

When we got home the first few nights she cried and we just told her she was a big girl and didnt need milk before bed any more but we would still read the story and have a cuddle.

We also now allow her to have a glass of milk with dinner as previously it was always water with dinner.

Now it is not a problem and she doesnt ask - I might add the toilet breaks in the middle of the night are fewer too and I think this is because her last big drink before bed is now with dinner.

good luck
Anna

about 12mths old they stopped having milk at night, DD isnt a huge fan of milk and DS wont touch milk

Great question! My daughter is 2 years and 8 months and still has a bottle of milk before bed. I would dearly love to get her off it but just can't imagine how to do it. She cracks the most monsterous tanties.
How did you get your little one to have a cup. She is great at drinking out of a cup all day but I guess she is so used to having as part of her bedtime routine. I'm going to have to bite the bullet soon but with a 6 month old son... I just can't bare the effort right now.

I don't think there's any age you need to stop it, provided they brush their teeth afterwards. My sister's in her 30s and my Dad's in his 60s and they both often still has some warm milk before bed!

DD on the other hand lost interest at around 2yrs of age. And I have never been a milk drinker.

amandamaker, have you tried a straw cup, like the Pidgeon Mag Mag? Maybe sucking on a straw instead of the teat would be an acceptable option?

ETA: Hadn't thought about the toileting implications. I'm still in nappy land! Maybe a smaller bit of milk as a token would be ok?

amandamaker, I could put the effort in either until now. DD1 will be 3 in June so we are talking about her bottles "going away" on her birthday. I have bought a different type for DD2 so we can differentiate between the baby having a bottle & DD1 stopping. I hope that makes sense! I don't know that it's going to work, it's going to be tough but it's time now....

Hmmm... I sort of feel this question is like asking how long is a piece of string?

If your DD is having the milk before cleaning teeth, then I can't really see there being any issue with her continuing as long as she feels the need. Fair enough if there are other issues (like the bedwetting mentioned by PP, or if it was in a bottle and could damage teeth) but as long as you are both happy, what is the harm?

I know adults who still need a warm milk before bed to help with a good night's sleep - it is recognised through research that for some people a small protein based snack or drink (cheese and crackers or milk) promotes sleep.

If it is a part of her wind-down and sleep routine I wouldn't mess with a good thing myself

Edited to answer your question - my DD had her last milk before bed just on her 2nd birthday... she had slowly been dropping down and not asking for a few days at a time, and then just didn't ask anymore. This is a bit different as it was breastmilk, but you could go with the child-led weaning concept of don't ask/ offer, don't refuse and see if your DD tells you when she's had enough of her night milk by not asking you anymore? HTH

DS had a drink of milk or milo before bed until about 20 months - and only in a cup. AT 2 1/2 he doesn't have it at all.
He isn't a really big milk drinker but is addicted to yoghurt and cheese. We still offer him a drink after dinner at 5.30 (and he has a drink with dinner of his choice) but we don't offer any further liquids after 6pm. Obviously if he asked we would give him a drink.
He is totally toilet trained and I doubt we would have achieved that at 28 months if he'd been having a full drink just before bed.

I dont see any reason to stop it - would you see a reason to stop having hot chocolate before bed if you really liked it?
My almost 4 year old still drinks milk before bed, from a sippy cup (only so he can lay down in bed with it and not spill it). I have no problem with it at all (apart from the fact that the cups cost me a fortune as they are those semi-disposable ones).

I never really thought it was something that should be stopped DD (turning 4 in July) has a cup of milk during story-time every night. We then brush her teeth and then off to bed. As PPs have said, I don't think it's any different to an adult having a cup of warm milk/milo before bed - which I think a lot of adults do?

Exactly my thoughts! Especially in winter, I LOVE having a hot chocolate before bed. I think let her keep having it if she's enjoying it, it's not doing any harm and she's brushing her teeth afterwards.

I haven't really thought about stopping this. Both my boys still have a drink of milk before bed, it's part of their routine which has carried on since being babies and b/f.

They both brush their teeth afterwards, and DS1 will go to the toilet before bed, but is still in night nappies. Have started to give him less and less, but he still has some.

They love it, and it gives us a nice relaxing time on the lounge before bed, and generally the time they spend with DH when he gets home from work.

OK, thanks everyone.

I guess I was more looking at it from the angle of milk consumption (she has a cup in the morning and often for arvo tea as well when she is at daycare). Her appetite for dinner has dropped over the past few months, but she always has room for her pre-bed milk. I'm not sure how much is too much when it comes to milk and 3 year olds.

I'll just leave things as they are.

You should get a good quality re-useable one, if you are doing this everynight. They now have some good ones on the market without the awful plastic chemicals.

I never really thought of stopping the milk thing, I have decreased it though due to limiting liquid before bed so there aren't any accidents.

I stopped the after dinner milk for two reasons.
1) DD1 was wetting through her night time pull up - bit slow on the night TT here.
2) DD2 was not really eating much dinner but similarly always could fit the cup of milk in!

I moved the milk to afternoon tea and they still have it after breakfast. DD2 is obsessed about having it in her sippy cup which I don't mind. I am trying to convince DD1 who is 5 that sippy cups aren't really necessary at her age for milk