When can my child stop drinking whole milk?
When can my child stop drinking whole milk?
Once your child turns 2, it's time to switch to skim or low-fat milk, because he no longer needs that extra fat for brain development. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) currently doesn't specify whether you should move right to skim, or to 2 percent or 1 percent milk first, and doctors have different ideas about what's best, so talk to your pediatrician. The most important thing is to make sure your child drinks skim milk after age 5. --Michelle Crouch
Copyright 2007. Used with permission from the October 2007 issue of Parents magazine. Updated 2009
The answers from our experts are for educational purposes only. Please always refer to your child's pediatrician and mental health expert for more in-depth advice.
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This answer is stupid and based on old science. It assumes that humans require the milk of a completely different species to be healthy, which is blantant propaganda spread by the dairy industy in the 50's, and has been proven false by new research and studies.
Lactose intolerant children and adults, for example, do just fine, even without calcium supplements, since calcium is abundant in leafy veggies, broccoli, and some fruits.
After my son turned 2 I slowly moved him to 2%milk by giving him 1/2 whole milk and half 2%. Then gradually decreasing the whole milk over one week.It was very easy ,no fussing.Now that he has turned 3, I am in the process of changing him to 1%.But they do need whole milk untill they are 2!!!