What happened to your BIG Toddlers?

[mathmarm]

Jr. has always been a "tubby" guy. He was 22lbs (9.9kg) when he was 5 months old. Since then, this boy has grown into a 34lb weighing, size 3T wearing tank at 20 months old and stands 32.5 inches! If I had to describe Jr. physically in one word: "chunky" would be my first choice. (Well, adorable or wonderful would be my first choice but what mother doesn't think that of her little one?)

 

Hubby took him to his last 2 check ups because of scheduling and he says that the nurse didn't mention his size and Hubby--being Hubby--did not ask the doctor about Jrs. size.

 

Was your child a BIG toddler? Was it okay in the end? Do they slim down/grow into all of that extra weight--around what age? Should we change what we are doing?

[kentuckymom]

My son was high in the weight and height percentiles as an infant and toddler. It's so long ago I don't remember precisely, but I think he started slowing down and slimming down sometime around 3 years old. He's still a bulky guy but it's all muscle (he's a dancer). Comparing him to his classmates, his height seems to be right in the middle at the age of 10. If your son is eating healthy food and not sitting in front of a screen all day I wouldn't worry in the least. Maybe he'll always be big for his age, but big doesn't have to mean fat and unhealthy.

[Tap]

Ds20 was out of an infant car seat at 4mths old and weighed over 20lbs.  He was a rock until late toddler years, then slimmed down in elementary school.  All through middle school he never dipped below 90th percentile for height, but his weight did slowly slide to the thin side.  As a teen, he was definitely very slim and will continue to be as an adult.  

 

DD8 on the other hand, was a chunk.  She had so many rolls as a baby that her chin, literally, touched her chest when she walked.  She has never slimmed down.  She is 130lbs as an 8yo and is easily a head taller than her similar age friends at 53inches. She is on a medication that can cause weight gain, but honestly, she has never been an average sized child in any sense of the word. 

[gingersmom]

At one week old someone asked me how many months he was. Umm, 7 days. :)

 

My son was born looking like a linebacker and not much has changed.

 

He's just a very big boned, tall 15 year old with size 13 feet.

[mathmarm]

I don't want to project food-issues onto my toddler, I don't want to over think it, but I also don't want to set him up for being an obese kindergartener and adolescent either. My family is lanky, lean, thin and short. Hubbies family is a mixed bag but they have a lot of tall OR broad people, but not many who are tall AND broad.

 

Jr. was exclusively breast fed for about a year. Now he nurses but also eats solid foods such as raw/frozen fruits, raw/steamed/grilled veggies, stewed/grilled/baked meat, rice, potatoes, oats and grits and cheese. He eats (toddler portions) 4-8 times a day and would gladly eat more if we would offer or let him. He has very regular digestion, isn't the least bit constipated. He drinks soup/broth almost every day and has never had fruit juice. He will drink about 1 cup of water a day, but not always and he still nurses as much as he can get.

 

 

My mom insists that we need to watch his weight--not to feed him so much. My MIL (who watches Jr. while Hubby and I work) insists on never restricting a toddlers food, but to control what his options are.

 

Thus far we have followed MILs advice because it fits best with how we live--we don't eat commercial snack food, so its not like he's sipping coke and munching on cheesy puffs all day, but he is eating all day--things like stir-fried veggies, a fruit smoothie, dipping broccoli and lettuce in ranch, he's eating pita and hummus, eating hot cereals and steamed meats and gravy because this boy loves gravy.

 

Honestly, if I pushed it, I think that MIL would compromise her ideals and feed Jr. as I request, but I don't want to make a big deal out of my toddlers weight.

MIL is an excellent cook and my boy has his daddies pallet--he knows that he likes good food and he knows that he likes to eat. I swear that none of his care takers are giving him him junky snacks, nor do we feed him commercial baby or snack food, but there is just no getting around the fact that my 20month old is wearing 3T size clothing.

 

Despite being a happy tubby-bubbly (fat?) boy, he is a really happy, very independent and highly physical child. He is very physical--he runs, climbs, jumps, rides, swims and scurries all over the place, all day, every day. When he is not eating or sleeping, he is a ball of energy--he is everywhere, on everything, in everything or under something pretty much all.of.the.time. He is rarely sick. He doesn't watch much TV at all--his grandpa likes some shows and they watch those shows together but it isn't a daily thing for him. He spends most of his time in the playroom or in the backyard with grandparents and cousins.

[Corraleno]

My son was a chubby baby and weighed around 28 pounds at 12 months (we called him Bubba). He was a pretty chunky toddler, too, although I don't remember specific weights/ages. By around 4 he was still quite tall for his age but not as chunky, although he still had super chubby cheeks! I'd say from about 5-10 he was tall but proportionately built — basically he looked like a normal weight child who was 2-3 yrs older than he was. Around 11 or 12 he shot up like a weed, and he's now a 6'6" 175 lb teen who is all muscle, without an ounce of fat on him.

[mamakelly]

My big toddler turned into a 6'4 man. :-D

[AK_Mom4]

I wouldn't worry about it.  Healthy active kid eating healthy food is going to be just fine.

 

DS23 was our little chunk.  Well over 30 pounds at a year.  But then he learned to run and never slowed down for a minute.  He went from being in the upper 90's percentile wise for weight to being a skinny 5 year old.  He is now a shade under 6 foot and weighs about 145 pounds.

[chiguirre]

Same here. My large toddlers are now a 6'1", 160 lb very fit 15 yo and 5'8", 130 lb 12 yo. They're both still growing.

[MaeFlowers]

My ds was huge. As in the Dr would hold up the growth chart and say, "Here is the growth chart (and then pointing out on space) and here is your ds" He was completely off the chart in both height and weight! He ate everything in sight (still does) and I had to start him on baby food around 5 months because he ate more than twice what was normal for his age. Like you, my family is lanky and lean but my dh'a family is all tall and broad. Everyone said he would be built like dh. He's not. He start doing slimming down around 3 or 4 and now he's super slim and average height. Go figure.

[catz]

At 20 months, I would not worry at all. My son was 16 lbs at 4 months and compact with rolls and rolls. At 14, he is 5'6" and 104 lbs and one of his grandmothers is always trying to force feed him. I would feed him clean food and keep him active. Kids change so much over their childhood.

[Peaceful Isle]

He sounds like a cutie! I would love all over that precious boy, and not worry a bit about his weight.

 

My two girls were really pudgy when they were little. My oldest was in size 3/4 at not even two. My friends told me she had a cute Buddha belly, lol.

 

I let both my girls be. One is as skinny as a stick and the other is perfectly normal. There are so many other things in life to worry about. Let him love grandmas food. Sounds like you are doing a great job not giving him junk options. :)

[SKL]

One of mine was a chunk and I did control her diet - subtly of course.  She needed intervention because she had no shut-off valve - she never felt "full."  I served healthy foods on a schedule, and there was no grazing, snacking, demanding food at all hours of the day.  If she wanted more after finishing her meal, I always said "yes," but the options were fresh fruits or veggies (and water to drink).  I also forced the issue of exercise, since she preferred to sit around.  My strategy worked, but I took heat for it.  Some people don't believe a tot ever needs to "diet."  I disagree.  Some tots don't, and some do.

 

Since your son is very active and eats good food, but eats more than most tots, I would probably just increase the ratio of non-fatty, non-sugary foods in his diet for now.  I'd set a daily limit on foods other than fresh fruits / veggies / water.

 

Whenever someone asks a question like the OP, many people chime in to say their kids were chunky and grew up slim.  However, that doesn't mean it's going to happen with every kid.  We all know some kids who have remained obese into their school years, and now it is a problem for them socially, emotionally, and physically.  I think it is smart to take a proactive approach.

[AndyJoy]

My massive "ham hands" toddler was 22 lbs. at 4 months.  He was off the charts for height and weight until age 5.  At 5.5 he is often mistaken for a 7-year-old as he's 58 lbs, 48", and wearing size 8 clothes.  He's bigger than all of his 6-7 year old buddies and was the youngest and biggest on his soccer team.  At his 5-year checkup the dr. mentioned keeping an eye on his weight, but it wasn't really a concern yet.  He is one of those kids who has always been more heavy than others who look like they're exactly the same size.  His weight has been holding steady as he has grown in height and I suspect with his next spurt he's going to lose more of the little-kid chubbiness.  Daddy hit 6 ft. at 13 years old, topped out at 6'3", and was of an appropriate weight.  I'm not worried yet.

[Catherine]

I have three boys and the middle one in particular started off big-almost 10 lbs. at birth, and grew quickly.  He was a chunky toddler, and always very tall for his age, but definitely showed an inclination to grow thinner as he got older.  He's 18 now, 6'2' and quite thin-about 150 pounds I think. 

 

I am sorry to say that despite my efforts his diet is filled with junk. 

[Arctic Bunny]

My youngest had rolls upon rolls at that age! I always doubled his age to get his size (size 24m at 12m, size 3 at 18m). It didn't last for ever, though. At some point he started stretching out, and now (at 8yrs) he wears a size 7/8 with the adjustable waist sucked in, and they're still too short.

[mathnerd]

I had a chubby baby and he grew into a chubby toddler and he stayed that way until he was 3.5 years old. He ate healthy home cooked foods, no juice, no sugar in his diet and drank 2% milk as a toddler. He is hyper active and plays for hours and hours. At 4, he slimmed down dramatically - we had also upped his extra curricular sports at that age. He has stayed slim to average ever since but his height is above 95 percentile. He is a second grader by age, but I was told by a teacher today that he looks like a 5th grader and I shop in the teen department for his clothes even though the teens are a few years away.

[Sara in AZ]

Your son sounds adorable. I have a soft spot in my heart for chunky babies. I wouldn't worry yet, but just keep doing what you are doing to feed him healthy food and teach him good habits.

 

My adorably chunky, exclusively breastfed, baby son (weighed 8 lbs when he was born a month early and 30,lbs at a year) and is currently my height, 5' 1", and weighs probably 160 lbs at 10 years old. Even though we try to make physical activity a priority as a family, he is sedentary by nature. I have tried my best to cook healthy food and model healthy habits, but here we are. My husband is tall, so I'm hoping for a growth spurt soon.

 

Keep an eye on the charts. He's always been off the chart. But there was a point at which his weight began outpacing his height.

[WagsWife]

My oldest DD was over 8lbs at birth, and stayed in the 90-95% at least until they stopped tracking (is that 4/5??). I would not say that she was tubby...but she was solid until about 12 years old. She was bigger than my other two older daughters were at the same ages...by quite a bit. Once she started her cycle, her body totally changed. Now she is tiny compared to everyone else. She is 4' 11, and struggles to stay over 100lbs.

 

The funny thing is that my middle daughter was the smallest (6.4 at birth) and stayed that way until she was around 11-12 (cycle again) and then started bulking up. She went from being this waif like kid (average height, but very slight) to being the sold one. She is very athletic though, so some of it may be muscle, but she is taller and with a bigger build than the others.

[LucyStoner]

My older son was big. He was generally 90th or so percentile for weight and 95th+ for height. He was consistently assumed to be 1+ year older. At 12 months he'd cracked 30 pounds and was close to 33 inches tall. My younger son was almost 6 when he reached the height his older brother was at age 4.

 

After age 4-5 though his growth slowed way down and he added height without adding very much weight. At 5 he was 46 inches and 6 he was 47 inches. He didn't hit 5 feet until very recently and he turns 12 next month. He's far from being the tallest kid his age and he hasn't hit puberty full stop yet. He's very, very skinny.

 

I know it seems like they will just keep of that growth pattern but it usually slows down as they hit school age. I never worried about weight because he had the height to match it. It sounds like your son does too. Encouraging activity and sports as he gets older might help if you feel his weight becomes a concern. But those are things that are helpful on lots of ways regardless of size. I really don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

(I checked out the boys growth chart which is why I had those figures, lol).

[Elfknitter.#]

I would put down a Las Vegas wager that your child is just fine.

[CanadianAlison+3boys]

Another voice chiming in to say that I've had two that were like that and my now six year old has thinned out hugely as he has grown. My 4.5 year old has now passed him in weight and is nearly there for height. He still has some of the baby chub look about him but even he is slimming out as he gets older.

 

In notion to diets for toddlers I have seen no evidence that they are helpful and in some cases they are quite harmful. You've described a healthy balanced diet and a kid who is growing tall as well as big and who is very active which ups his caloric needs. I'd not change anything right now.

 

Also I wanted to mention that if he has been breastfed all along he may have been measured on a chart that is more representative of the growth pattern of formula fed babies. The WHO growth chart is a better representation of the growth pattern of breastfed infants/toddlers. It made a difference for mine as to percentiles etc. :)

[mumto2]

Both of my dc's were always at the 100th percentile as infants but ds was truly huge, his rolls had rolls. They are two years apart but strangers thought they were twins for years because their size was similar. They were heathy looking children wearing normal sized clothing for their childhood.Fast forward to teens, Dd is a curvey but slim 5'5" and ds just keeps growing. Just bought size 30 by 36 jeans for the boy.

[Guest]

Jr. has always been a "tubby" guy. He was 22lbs (9.9kg) when he was 5 months old. Since then, this boy has grown into a 34lb weighing, size 3T wearing tank at 20 months old and stands 32.5 inches! If I had to describe Jr. physically in one word: "chunky" would be my first choice. (Well, adorable or wonderful would be my first choice but what mother doesn't think that of her little one?)

 

Hubby took him to his last 2 check ups because of scheduling and he says that the nurse didn't mention his size and Hubby--being Hubby--did not ask the doctor about Jrs. size.

 

Was your child a BIG toddler? Was it okay in the end? Do they slim down/grow into all of that extra weight--around what age? Should we change what we are doing?

My two oldest kids were big, fat toddlers, especially DS, who is now 15yo. They were both in the top percentiles for weight and upper third for height. It had no correlation with adult body type. My Dd, who is 18, is a very slim willow. She just went to the dr. For pre-college physical and her weight is in the 20th percentile. I think her height is in the 75th. Ds is also trim and well-muscled. I don't know his stats for certain, but if I had to guess I might guess 5' 11", 155 lbs.

 

The kids probably started to have more typical proportions around five years old. In my immediate experience (close friends, nieces/nephews), tubby babies may grow into any type of adult.

 

I would not worry as long as I knew my kids have a healthy diet and physical activity.

[DawnM]

My youngest was a 35 pound 2.5 year old.  He is now 11 and almost 150 pounds.  He is a solid kid and quite muscular, but he SHOULD lose weight.  We don't know what to do really.  He is very active and plays sports, but he does love to eat.  He also loves healthy foods and will choose a salad over ice cream.

 

We are trying to figure out what will help.

 

 

[Carrie12345]

I don't remember specific measurements, but my 5th was the largest of them all in his 2nd year.  He was FTT as an infant, and pumped with elemental formula for a good 9 months or so.  He developed rolls unlike any of my other kids!

 

At 4, he's still larger than any of the others were, but he's solid as a rock, no pudge.  He eats a ton, we keep it mostly healthy (few chips, cakes, etc.) and he's ALWAYS moving.  Big, strong, healthy kid.

[jenn-]

I had a 40lber at 2. He was 42lbs at 3. He just stopped gaining weight and shot up in height. Now at just turned 11, he is the average size of a 13.5 yo boy. Needless to say his height for age is in the 99% and his weight is around the 80%.

 

At this point I'd just make sure he is eating healthy foods unless his size is interfering with developmental milestones. I did know one toddler that was so roley poley that he couldn't walk until he thinned down a bit.

[luuknam]

I know you didn't ask for this, but I wasn't sure you knew you can find these online:

 

Weight-for-height chart for birth-36months:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set2clinical/cj41l069.pdf

 

Weight-for-height chart for 2+yo:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set2clinical/cj41l075.pdf

 

Your son is way above the 97th percentile in either chart (can't tell how much above it since 97th percentile is the highest line). The good news is that these charts, while having been published this century, are based on data from the 60s and 70s, because the CDC didn't want to normalize the obesity epidemic by including more recent data. So, there are probably quite a lot of kids who are well above the 97th percentile line these days. The bad news is that they designed it so that you're overweight starting at the 85th percentile line.

 

C scored at the 85th percentile line a couple of years ago, and the nurse rolled her eyes at the chart, because he's obviously not overweight. His head circumference is in the 99th percentile though, so that adds to his weight (and probably has a bigger impact the younger the kid is). B's weight-for-height dropped from the 98th percentile to the 97th percentile between his last two checkups (the doctor has all the percentiles). He also has a 99th percentile head circumference, but he's clearly chubby, although not as chubby as some kids I see. So, he's slimming down a *little*, but realistically, with the percentage of overweight and obese kids in the US, many obviously don't.

[73349]

My sister probably was around 99th percentile for height and 95th for weight as a toddler and preschooler (and had a rather pushy personality to go with her size!).

 

She is now a tall (proably 5' 10"), healthy adult, and far more athletic than I am--she runs half-marathons--and has become more easygoing and generally awesome.

[Mimm]

My daughter was 50th percentile for height but she was a chubby one as a baby and toddler. There's a noticable difference between her and my oldest in chubbiness back then. Now my oldest, always a slim baby, has a more curvy figure, and my 12 year old wears a size 0 and has been very slim since around 4 years old.

 

My nephew was absolutely huge. His head was 110th percentile (c-section, yay! his mom is tiny and had to have physical therapy for her hips after carrying him). He was a very fat baby, and a huge toddler. He's almost five now and on the tall side, but not amazingly tall, and slim.

[maize]

Most of my kids have been chunky babies and toddlers, even preschoolers. They slim out by the time they are 6-7. My oldest kids are very healthy and athletic, no chub left, the five year old is growing out of the last vestiges of his baby fat. By the way, that kid was 24lbs at his four month checkup. Whoever determined that breast fed babies gain weight more slowly than bottle fed never met my kids.

[vickjul]

DD1 was 19 1/2 pounds at 5 months, but didn't top 20 pounds until 18 months. She became mobile, and she started growing up and out. At her last well child check, she was about 90th percentile for height and 75th for weight. 

DD2 started at 10 lbs. 12 oz. and never slowed down. At 4, she's a solid 50 pounds and 43 inches tall. She wears larger shorts than her sister who is nearly three years older. *I'm* concerned about her size because we have weight issues on both sides of the family. At every well child check, though, (and two different pediatric practices) I've been assured that she is simply a "big" little girl. She eats healthfully and she gets a ton of physical activity. She's big all over, but she's rock solid. She's pretty much stuck to the same off-the-charts growth pattern since birth.

[lllll]

..

[Carrie12345]

I'm terrible at getting pics to resize, so I just slapped them on my inactive blog temporarily, lol.  Just an example.

https://fullhousehomeschool.wordpress.com/2015/05/30/temporary-post-for-wtm/

[Desert Strawberry]

Sagg was about that size. He leveled off at 4. By six, he was skinny. At 12, he's tall and slim. He has always been a healthy and voracious eater. 

 

It sounds like you are feeding him well and plenty, but not too much. Keep doing that.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Eat healthy (toddler healthy, which requires more healthy fats and such), and he will be fine.

 

 

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, do not put a toddler on any diet plan.

 

 

Sounds like he is fine :)

[MinivanMom]

All my kids but one have been chubby toddlers. I mean . . . they were really fat. They weren't tall or solidly built or anything like that; they were fat, with rolls and chubs and chipmunk cheeks. The three older ones all slimmed down between 3 and 6 yrs old. They are all on the small and very slender side now; most people would describe them as being delicately built. The fourth just turned three, so he's still a little chubby guy, and people comment on his weight constantly. I'm not worried at all; I assume he'll follow the same pattern as the other kids.

 

My kids got chubby on breastmilk and eating whole-fat dairy products before 24 months. They weren't eating junk food or overeating or anything like that. I don't know if that matters or not. I think my kids just have a genetic growth pattern they are following (except for that one skinny child - she also tans instead of freckling, so she's just the family outlier).

[redsquirrel]

I'm giving some input from the opposite side of this situation, lol.  My dinky fairy boys are quite average in height and slender, but not super duper skinnny, like they were as toddlers and babies. My kid had pipe cleaner legs when they were 6 and 7.  Both boys were able to wear size 4T for years and years. My older boy, the smaller of the two, was 25 lbs at 2.5 years old.

 

They had toddler friends who were big kids, who literally were twice the weight of my boys. Now that ds1 is 15 they all seem to be evened out. It's sort of amazing. He's on the shorter side and on the thin side but he is 5'7' and growing taller every day. There are a couple of those really big toddlers who are now shorter than my son. I never, ever would have thought that was going to happen.

 

When given the choice between limiting food and creating good choices I say go for good choices.  And limit 'crunchy carbs' like goldfish crackers, veggie booty.  Keep an eye on fruit!  I am not demonizing fruit, but for a kid who has family that limits sugar for good reason, fruit is like a gateway drug, lol. I now look at fruit as little bags of sugar water. My younger boy, who would tend to chubby if he weren't so active, would eat his weight in fruit if I let him. Raisins, dried apples, and juice are things I have had to stop buying. I needed to break those habits early.

 

If he really is bottomless then go for fiber and protein. That is what I now do with my older boy. He is a ballet dancer and dancers eat like horses. Since he was a baby we have fed him lots of hummus and veggies for dippers, hard boiled eggs, and for fruit, clementines and berries (lots of fiber).  Add in some avocado and he will get full, lol. When my kids were little I had the opposite issue. They both ate very little and I had to make every single bite pack some nutrition. I learned a lot about how to eat from those years. I had to go for protein, healthy fats and fiber.

 

And lots of toddlers don't like television. It's when they turn 8 and older that you really have to start worrying about it. They start playing minecraft etc etc. I am glad that I started my kids with very limited screen time (none before 3) from the very beginning.

 

And keep nursing him! Breast milk is full of healthy fats and, well, everything. I suspect he is going to be a big boy, so he needs as much of that amazing milk to grow his body and brain!

 

:grouphug:  to you.  It really is difficult when our kids aren't typical in some way. People feel free to make horrible comments, we feel judged as parents, we worry at night...it really is hard. I have had complete stranger come up to me and tell my babies were sick and should see a doctor. I am sure you have had your share of judge-y comments or snide remarks.  It must be extra difficult when we are so focused on fat shaming children and judging their parents.

 

It's is overwhelmingly likely that everything is going to be just fine. Just keep doing what you are doing and focus on raising a happy, healthy baby boy! There is nothing wrong with him!

[Pamela H in Texas]

My daughter was:

 

26 pounds at 5m

32 pounds at 12m

47 pounds at 2y

 

And then she was 47 pounds at 5yr.

At 9, 12, 14, she was skinny and "fine" even with early puberty.

 

It wasn't until she was almost 15, with kidney disease, taking steroids, that she started gaining weight.  Genetics and her early weight may or may not have played a part.  I don't know.  

 

But as a child, being a big baby didn't seem to make a difference.

[Happy]

Haven't read other responses.

 

My oldest was a big toddler...he looked like he would grow into a linebacker at 3 years old.....but shortly after his third birthday, he started growing....and growing...and growing. He topped out at 6'9" with size 17 feet. After 3 years old, he was skinny.

[Ravin]

I don't want to project food-issues onto my toddler, I don't want to over think it, but I also don't want to set him up for being an obese kindergartener and adolescent either. My family is lanky, lean, thin and short. Hubbies family is a mixed bag but they have a lot of tall OR broad people, but not many who are tall AND broad.

 

Jr. was exclusively breast fed for about a year. Now he nurses but also eats solid foods such as raw/frozen fruits, raw/steamed/grilled veggies, stewed/grilled/baked meat, rice, potatoes, oats and grits and cheese. He eats (toddler portions) 4-8 times a day and would gladly eat more if we would offer or let him. He has very regular digestion, isn't the least bit constipated. He drinks soup/broth almost every day and has never had fruit juice. He will drink about 1 cup of water a day, but not always and he still nurses as much as he can get.

 

 

My mom insists that we need to watch his weight--not to feed him so much. My MIL (who watches Jr. while Hubby and I work) insists on never restricting a toddlers food, but to control what his options are.

 

Thus far we have followed MILs advice because it fits best with how we live--we don't eat commercial snack food, so its not like he's sipping coke and munching on cheesy puffs all day, but he is eating all day--things like stir-fried veggies, a fruit smoothie, dipping broccoli and lettuce in ranch, he's eating pita and hummus, eating hot cereals and steamed meats and gravy because this boy loves gravy.

 

Honestly, if I pushed it, I think that MIL would compromise her ideals and feed Jr. as I request, but I don't want to make a big deal out of my toddlers weight.

MIL is an excellent cook and my boy has his daddies pallet--he knows that he likes good food and he knows that he likes to eat. I swear that none of his care takers are giving him him junky snacks, nor do we feed him commercial baby or snack food, but there is just no getting around the fact that my 20month old is wearing 3T size clothing.

 

Despite being a happy tubby-bubbly (fat?) boy, he is a really happy, very independent and highly physical child. He is very physical--he runs, climbs, jumps, rides, swims and scurries all over the place, all day, every day. When he is not eating or sleeping, he is a ball of energy--he is everywhere, on everything, in everything or under something pretty much all.of.the.time. He is rarely sick. He doesn't watch much TV at all--his grandpa likes some shows and they watch those shows together but it isn't a daily thing for him. He spends most of his time in the playroom or in the backyard with grandparents and cousins.

He sounds very healthy. So long as his weight and height fall on a predictable curve and aren't drastically different on the percentiles--I'd be concerned if he was in the top quartile for weight and bottom half for height, but it sounds like he's proportionately tall--I'd just not worry.

 

Except about your own back!

[catz]

One of mine was a chunk and I did control her diet - subtly of course.  She needed intervention because she had no shut-off valve - she never felt "full."  I served healthy foods on a schedule, and there was no grazing, snacking, demanding food at all hours of the day.  If she wanted more after finishing her meal, I always said "yes," but the options were fresh fruits or veggies (and water to drink).  I also forced the issue of exercise, since she preferred to sit around.  My strategy worked, but I took heat for it.  Some people don't believe a tot ever needs to "diet."  I disagree.  Some tots don't, and some do.

 

Since your son is very active and eats good food, but eats more than most tots, I would probably just increase the ratio of non-fatty, non-sugary foods in his diet for now.  I'd set a daily limit on foods other than fresh fruits / veggies / water.

 

Whenever someone asks a question like the OP, many people chime in to say their kids were chunky and grew up slim.  However, that doesn't mean it's going to happen with every kid.  We all know some kids who have remained obese into their school years, and now it is a problem for them socially, emotionally, and physically.  I think it is smart to take a proactive approach.

 

Weren't your kids adopted from outside the country?  We have friends that adopted from Guatemala up the street from us.  The mom told us she was told in one of their support groups that some of the babies out of that country try to hoard food since they're kept on such a tight schedule and aren't always fed to satiate hunger.  I do see how a child like that learns to ignore their internal mechanisms and has a desire to eat all the time when it's available.  Her dd is 12 now and STILL has issues with food.  The minute she walks in our house she's asking my dd if she can have a snack and I've found her in our pantry.

 

With a toddler that was primarily breast fed for a year that is on a healthy diet and is active, i really don't think there should be a reason to limit food without a medical problem of some kind.

 

The more I see, the more I think people just have certain body types.  My dd had a dance recital last night.  There are high school girls dancing 15+ hours a week that are rail thin and some that are much more curvy.  I obviously don't follow them home, but they're together all the time and they all seem to eat similarly.  One of my daughter's most active friends (she does a sport like 20+ hours a week) is one of my daughter's stockiest friends.  I personally wish I would have been encouraged to be more comfortable in my own skin as a child. 

 

I have a nephew that was always on the top end of the growth curve.  He is 8 now and 82 lbs and solid rock.  He plays hockey and baseball and is just big for age.   He doesn't look fat at all - he is solid.   My almost 11 year old weighs about the same as him, but she is built like DH.  He's at the top end of the growth chart for weight and height.

 

I think encouraging an active lifestyle and leaning your diet towards clean whole foods works well for most people. 

[ksr5377]

My children have always been between 90th and 95th percentile.  Our Dr's have never cared as long as the height and weight stayed proportionate.  

[Pippen]

Jr. has always been a "tubby" guy. He was 22lbs (9.9kg) when he was 5 months old. Since then, this boy has grown into a 34lb weighing, size 3T wearing tank at 20 months old and stands 32.5 inches! If I had to describe Jr. physically in one word: "chunky" would be my first choice. (Well, adorable or wonderful would be my first choice but what mother doesn't think that of her little one?)

 

Hubby took him to his last 2 check ups because of scheduling and he says that the nurse didn't mention his size and Hubby--being Hubby--did not ask the doctor about Jrs. size.

 

Was your child a BIG toddler? Was it okay in the end? Do they slim down/grow into all of that extra weight--around what age? Should we change what we are doing?

 

I had that infant--over 10 pounds at birth. He was a big toddler (both height and weight) but started evening out with his classmates during late preschool and early elementary. He's a 5'6" thin teen now.

[luuknam]

My children have always been between 90th and 95th percentile.  Our Dr's have never cared as long as the height and weight stayed proportionate.  

 

I agree. That's why I don't care all that much about the weight-for-age charts. They're like, w/e. Height-for-age is relevant (C is short, 5th-10th percentile depending on the year, but staying pretty consistent, B is more like 50th percentile and more or less consistent - a kid whose height-for-age percentile drops over time could be having problems). Weight-for-height is relevant. The OP's kid's weight-for-height is way above the 97th percentile curve on that one (I did not look up the weight-for-age and height-for-age). I'd be a little concerned if I were the OP, and maybe chat with the doc - at least watch that weight-for-height curve to see that it's getting closer to the 97th percentile line over time, and hopefully eventually under that line.

[SKL]

Weren't your kids adopted from outside the country?  We have friends that adopted from Guatemala up the street from us.  The mom told us she was told in one of their support groups that some of the babies out of that country try to hoard food since they're kept on such a tight schedule and aren't always fed to satiate hunger.  I do see how a child like that learns to ignore their internal mechanisms and has a desire to eat all the time when it's available.  Her dd is 12 now and STILL has issues with food.  The minute she walks in our house she's asking my dd if she can have a snack and I've found her in our pantry.

 

Yes, some of the people who attacked or rolled their eyes at me for being concerned about my kid's weight are now asking for weight loss / food issue advice for their primary-school children.  To me it seems harder to deal with at school age than at a younger age.  I believe my tot did not realize any of my decisions were related to her weight.  In fact, I had the same rules for her and her very slim sister - eat the minimum good nutrition first, then if you want more you can have xyz.  The only difference was that Slim never asked for more after finishing the initial portions.  (It was actually an interesting challenge to address their opposite issues at once.)

 

But kids from unusual backgrounds are certainly not the only ones who have lingering weight issues.  One of my siblings did/does.  A lot of the girls in my kids' sports activities are overweight or obese despite being well-cared-for and active.  I know it isn't an issue for every kid, but I do wish parents weren't afraid to at least consider and examine whether they should make some changes.

[SproutMamaK]

My first and middle sons were chunky toddlers, my middle son much more so. Eldest hovered around the 95th percentile, middle son was "in the hundredth percentile" which as recent threads will tell you is not actually a thing, lol.

Eldest now is still big at 11. Almost as tall as I am, wearing a men's size small. Middle son, on the other, is tall but SKINNY. I have to be very careful to make sure the clothes I buy for him can have their waists cinched tight enough.

[mommytobees]

My dd14 was huge as a baby and toddler. At birth, she weighed 10lbs 10oz and was 21" long. By 1, she was 26lbs 3oz. At 2, she was 31lbs ?oz. And, by 3, she weighted 40lbs and was 40" tall. (oddly enough, I happened to have her growth chart print out sitting next to me!)

 

She followed that nice and even growth pattern until she was almost 8 years old. More than once, a corpsman or RN would grab the next age's flyer and growth chart at her annual check-up. LOL, when she was 7, right after we moved to Japan, the corpsman went through the entire "is your child on track" check list before I pointed out to him that he was looking at the 10-year-old chart and hitting 80% of the marks was, in fact, not a problem. She was above the 100th percentile for age weight and height until she was 8.

 

Fast forward, she is now 14 and we're into puberty. Puberty started on "normal" genetic time for our family with menarche starting at 12. She is currently about 5'4" with a size 8 shoe. I think she'll get another inch or maybe 2, but that is normal as I am 5'6". She was hoping for more height as my sister is 5'11", but alas........

 

 

Hope that helps,

Kris

 

[cjzimmer1]

My oldest was an average sized baby at birth who just never stopped eating.  He was 20 pounds by 6 months and 40 pounds by 2.  He was always at 95+% (or not even on the chart) for weight and often for height.  My sister used to tease me and call him "Budda Baby" because his belly was just sooo big.  By the time he was 2 he was out-eating me at every meal (and still does) .  Now he's 17 and 6'2".  He's happy because at 150 pounds he is finally in the "normal" weight range after spending the last 3-4 years in "underweight" category.  There is no fat on the child at all.  And he still eats an obscene amount of food but he barely gains an ounce.

[SeaConquest]

My oldest was 25 lbs. at 6 months. You would have sworn that this kid was going to be a linebacker. He is now 6.5, the 10th percentile for height, and barely over 40 lbs. soaking wet. He's currently a string bean.

 

My youngest is 21 months and over 30 lbs. Everyone says that he is going to be a "big boy." I just shrug.

 

I've decided that I just overfeed my babies to make them happy. It seems to work. :)

 

I worried about food issues as well, when my oldest was little (since I struggle with my weight), but I have let that go.