Finally, Some Child Rearing Advice You Can Actually Use

shutterstock_51402553In case you were wondering, two glasses of milk a day is enough for your developing toddler, says a study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics. Finally, some advice I can use. Health Day News reports:

Drinking two cups of milk a day gives toddlers adequate amounts of vitamin D without lowering their iron levels, according to new research.

Vitamin D and iron are crucial nutrients, especially for toddlers’ growing brains and bodies. In this study, researchers confirmed that there’s a tradeoff between the two when consumption of cow’s milk exceeds two cups a day.

“We found that … around two cups a day is appropriate. For the average child, any more milk than that seems to reduce iron stores,” explained study author Dr. Jonathon Maguire, a pediatrician and scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

Before this study, which was published online Dec. 17 in the journal Pediatrics, milk recommendations haven’t always been clear, Maguire explained.

I don’t know about you, but I was expecting more direction from my pediatrician in regards to child rearing. I mean, how am I supposed to know what the hell I’m doing? But the well visits would come and go, and essentially – nothing. There would be a series of questions of course; Is he sleeping okay? How are his eating habits? Does he point at things? Is he communicating his needs? Frankly, I don’t even know how to answer these questions. I’ve got nothing to compare it to. He’s my first child. Yeah, I guess he’s sleeping okay. And yes, at some point in the day he actually puts down food.

I often ask his pediatrician how much milk my son should be drinking. He’s two, and he still asks for it. He actually giggles when he sees the bottle – he loves it that much. At his last appointment, his pediatrician told me that as long as he’s not exceeding 25 ounces of milk a day – he’s fine. That would be two very large cups though. Clearly, I’m doing something wrong.

I guess I’ll work on toning it down a little. I’m glad to have the information. I like a solid guideline to shoot for. It makes me feel like I’m actually doing something right for a change.

(photo: ifong/ Shutterstock.com)

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