Hellobee Boards

So my DD is not quite 4 but a couple of things to keep in mind: weight fluctuates throughout the day (DD has a 2 lb range depending on time of day, when she ate, when she went to the bathroom, etc.), and the average weight gain in a year is not always well spaced out. I know DD will not gain anything for months, then jump a couple of pounds, and then not gain again for awhile. She also tends to gain weight right before a growth in height. Also different scales can give different readings.

Not to say your concerns aren't valid, just some things to remember. But I think all you can do at this age is continue to eat a healthy diet and keep her active - and it sounds like you are doing great with those things!

I’d also like to chime in that if she is eating (mostly) healthy and being active, I wouldn’t obsess. Also FWIW, my scale and the scale at our dr office are WILDLY different!

I’ve noticed that my 5.5 year old DD definitely grows in spurts, so a 4 pound gain wouldn’t worry me at all. She will literally be the same weight for like a year and then suddenly gain 3-4 pounds and go up a clothing size. You sound like you’re doing a great job of giving healthy food options and keeping her active. I wouldn’t worry about it at all.

@Mrs. Carrot: Do you know her percentages? I just posted on the other thread about this topic, but I have a 5 and a 3 year old girl who have always been served the same foods, and my 5 year old has always been on the thinner side while me 3 year old has always been on the chubbier side. For example, at my 5 year old's last appointment, she was something like 50% for height and 40% for weight--perfectly normal. My 3 year old was something like 60% for height and 70% for weight--and she's always been like that since she was 4 months old--weighs more in percentiles than she is tall.

As I posted in the other thread, since I have 2 girls with the same parents and same food choices (I pack lunches and snacks, they get no school food at all), it's interesting to see how biology and genetics play into it.

My husband is tall and lean and was the skinny kid growing up. His parents were always concerned about if he was eating enough. While I was never overweight (until recently, after having 2 kids, haha!), I was also never skinny at all---pretty solid. Hovering around 140-145 lbs at 5'7 from 8th grade until my 30's.

My parents were not overweight at all, but my siblings are really split. And my nieces and nephews are really split. I have a sibling who is morbidly obese and one of her adult kids is morbidly obese. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I have a siblings who runs marathons with her husband and her children are extremely fit. In my family's case, there is a genetic component (even the fit sibling isn't particularly "thin" in build, but there's not an ounce of fat on her and she's had 2 kids), but there is also definitely a family environment component. My overweight siblings orders out most meals for the whole family. She and her husband are very picky eaters and only like carb-heavy foods (lasagna, cheesy version of casseroles, etc) and they both have desk jobs and are pretty inactive (I'm not judging them, I feel like I fit the same criteria unfortunately--I try to eat slightly healthier but I haven't exercised in months). My "thin" sister exercises daily and has for the past 20 years. So does her husband. So do their kids. It's kind of a family requirement. They all go to the gym together, they all take runs together, they sign up for half marathons together (kids are 13 and 17). And they've always been active. At family holidays, they literally get us all to do a family exercise because it's part of their daily routine. They have splurge days for sure, but they cook most meals at home and most meals are healthy. The kids are involved in cooking.

So when I see my own kiddos with their own biological makeup--I have some of the same concerns you have. My 5 year old is like my husband--she will forget to eat if we don't tell her it's time to eat. I could put an entire bucket of halloween candy by her bed, and she would probably never touch it. My 3 year old is the opposite--if there's a carb or treat in the house she will hunt it out and beg for it. We don't do any type of daily dessert at all, but my 3 year old has been known to climb up the shelves of our pantry to reach my baking chocolate chips (that I put in pumpkin muffins) or to reach for my fiber bars (with all their added sugar). Like if we go to a birthday party, my 5 year old takes 1 bite of cake then runs to play. My 3 year old finishes her cake and then will ask for another!

So I'm not sure how to approach this dynamic either other than to just keep making sure we have healthy options in the house and the encourage physical activity daily as much as we can (this is an area I need to improve in, for sure) It's less about weight and more about physical health for me, but it's a tough line to walk.

@Anagram: I commented on the other thread first and now saw this but my kids are exactly like this! With the candy and cake and all of it