Our DD is 12 months, and she has only had juice a couple of times, just within the last month. Every time we make sure it is WAY watered down. I agree, I would much rather have her drinking water or milk than juice.

The ped. my kids go to has said that parents have over reacted and are now not giving their children enough juice. She says that because parents are pushing milk that iron levels are droppinf dangerously low. It is better to give a child watered down juice with their meals than it is to give them milk. The calcium in milk will slow or even stop the absorbtion of iron and other nutrients.

And the Vitamin C in orange juice actually increases the absorption of iron so that if you give your child vitamins or drops, it's a good go-along.

Juice is great for kids, watered way down, of course. I don't worry about juice but do worry about the junkfood snacks that are marketed for little ones, the ones with all the additives, colorings, and of course, the sugar.

Our kids are very limited in the sugar they have at home. They think a cookie is a whole-wheat cracker, hee, hee!

Outside of home, however, I loosen up and let them have the treats offered to them, in small quantities, of course. They get sugar-loaded cookies at church nursery and of course the grandparents love to give them cake and icecream! I try to make sure they have a full belly before these visits so that the sugar won't go directly to the blood stream, lol.

Even better than juice is fruit cut up into finger food. They get the nurtients, the water content, and the fiber, plus get to work on their eating skills : ) If a host is offering a rich dessert and wants to include the kids, I often ask if they could have some fruit instead, a banana or something. Works great most of the time.

I think we started our son on watered down juice around a year too. Just enough juice where you can taste it has always been enough. too little and it tastes terrible and DS won't go near it. My son was never too interested in water, but he was always very constipated and needed more fluids-diluted juice has been a staple in his diet for a long time. personally, I wouldn't worry about the sugar. Try your local healthfood store,where they have the minimally processed (but still pasturized) apple juice. trader joes carries it too.

We also started about 1yr. However, DS gets half a sippy cup (they're 10 oz., so about 5oz) of oj in the morning, cut with water, and that's usually it. On rare occasions we'll give him an ounce of gerber juice in water.

I agree that fruit is better.

I would also try to get him to drink water at mealtimes. Milk can interfere with vitamin absorption.