We're milk drinkers in my house. Perhaps you can say we're milk-washed, you know like brainwashed into loving milk. We do love it. My 3-year-old son and I do. My daughter drinks it, too but not as much as her twin brother. My first words were "more milk" so I've been loving milk for a really, really long time.
I know there are many who are anti-cow's milk. I respect you. Unlike me, you are going to love the results of this latest study. In short, Pediatrics has reported that if you give your kids more than two cups of milk a day you are failing as a parent.
Letting your child drink more than two cups of milk a day is believed to "cut into iron stores" for a lot of kids. Great. Bring on the guilt. The American Academy of Pediatrics has already said that kids from 2 to 6 should have no more than 500 ml of milk a day, which is two cups, to keep them from having an iron deficiency. This study plays into that advice, noting that higher consumption of cow's milk could lead to higher vitamin D levels and lower iron.
I'm writing this as my son is begging, "I want some milky mommy! I want some millllllky!" If I give it to him, it would be his third glass of the day.
I've been watering down his milk because my doctor suggested that too much of it could be the cause of his constipation. So in an effort to wean him off it, I thought watering it down would work, and it has somewhat. But there are days when he just wants a lot of milk. And then there was the other day where he saw me putting water in it and freaked out.
A purist. That's my boy!
Interestingly, kids with darker skin may need more than two cups of milk during the winter months. My son is fair skinned though, so that doesn't apply to us.
So the vitamin D found in milk is great for our kids' bones, but iron aids in the development of their brain and psychomotor development. Too much much could cause a deficiency in that. I'm preparing for the no-milk meltdown my son's about to have because I'm not giving it to him -- that's just not something I want my kid to be deficient in.
I wonder if he'll like goat's milk.
What do you think of this study? Does it worry you? Does your kid drink more than 2 cups of milk a day?
Image via joshwept/Flickr
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Comments 74
We drink almond milk and have noticed a variety of issues disappear since the switch. Humans are the only species which continues to drink milk after infancy. And, we drink it from a completely different animal.
But I couldn't care less what other people decide to give their kids. That's just what works in my house.
Milk isn't an unhealthy food like candy or fries. It has vitamins, protein, calcium, all things that we need. Dairy is good for you, so long as it's not all you eat. Cottage cheese is great for you to eat, and there are many studies that show that people who eat some dairy, such as yogurt, milk, and cheese, are a healthier weight than those who don't. There's nothing wrong with milk. In my house, there are several varieties in the fridge. Whole milk for my husband, 2% for me, and a combination of whole/almond/goat for our daughter. She likes it all, though vanilla almondmilk is the favorite! When I had to stop pumping at around 6 mos, our doctor had me start giving her goat's milk to supplement my frozen supply since she doesn't do well on formula, and she is happy, healthy, and way ahead on milestones.
and here comes all the holier than thou moms with "humans are the only species to drink milk from another species," "dairy is the devil", " raw milk is better for you", "thats's why we only drink hemp/amond/coconut milk", "that's why i still breastfeed my 4 year old" and so on. Everybody is clearly an expert and only their opinions are right.