To understand the factors that influence maternal decision making around serving beverages to children with dinner. Baseline data from 622 multi-ethnic (64% Caucasian, 6.8% African American, 7.4% Hispanic, and 14.1% Other) mothers of children participating in a large intervention study was examined to assess the relationship between serving milk with dinner and parental knowledge and behaviors related to bone health. Mothers completed and returned a mailed survey about osteoporosis while children reported beverages offered to them at meals during a separate, interviewer-administered survey. Mother's age was significantly correlated to knowledge of calcium-rich foods (r=.231, p=.00), behaviors (r=.136, p=.00) and risk factors (r=.131, p=.00) related to osteoporosis, and education level (r=.185, p=.00). Mothers serving milk with dinner had a significantly higher osteoporosis knowledge score (4.51 vs. 4.15, p=0.00). Knowledge of osteoporosis significantly predicted the odds of whether milk was served with dinner (B = .382, p =.00) while controlling for mother's age and education, child's age and gender, and knowledge of other factors related to bone health (R2= .074). Serving milk with dinner may be one way to increase total dairy, and ultimately, calcium consumption in children. In an effort to help children meet the recommend intake for calcium, parental education and modeling positive behaviors may be two strategies to implement with parents to help children meet calcium recommendations through milk consumption. (This analysis was funded by the National Dairy Council®. The intervention study was funded by NICHD R01-HD037752.)