8kg clothed....at 2 years - BIG DEAL!

[Levanna]

I'm well aware that DD is extremely light for her age. She's been under a paediatritian and dietitian, but there is absolutely nothing wrong, and she's been discharged from them for some time.
Why on earth do people feel the need to comment, relentlessly about her weight?!
i.e.
"Ooh, she's skinny."
"Isn't she tiny."
"Look at that girl, she's so dainty."

These were comments received throughout a 10 minute trip to the park today, these, and more.
I got over my concern about DD's weight a while back, but I'm really starting to worry about the effect all these comments are having/going to have on DD. It breaks my heart when she looks down at her body in consternation, not quite knowing what these people are going on about, but knowing they are refering to her.
Has anyone got tips on how to help DD be comfortable under such scrutinisation, or how to buffer the blows in some way?

[toddlerbob]

Levanna, I don't really know what you can do about complete strangers in the park, but you have my sympathy. Ds has eczema and so we get the "doesn't your mum take care of you?" type comments a lot. I just ignore them and say something positive about how much I love him (to him, they can go hang). I tend to talk to him (he's only 15 months old, but he'll understand my tone of voice at least) about how all people are different, but that's a good thing.

I read ds a book called Elmer's friends. It's about how all the animals have something unique, stripes, a loud roar etc. The last page says "Elmer's friends are all different, but they all love Elmer". I think that's a really nice message.

[Levanna]

Hi, thanks . That book sounds like a good reinforcement. I'm sorry to hear you have similar with your DS....people just don't seem to think!

[chloeb2002]

Hi levanna, My DD went through a really 'lanky' time and stopped eating, hence weight loos! However at 19 months she is now in the 80th centile for height and the 60th for weigh so still lanky but quite solid with it, however i get funny look when she doesnt launch into sentences yrt. Most people asume that she is at least 24 months and some put her at 2 1/2! I guess that as your DD is light she is alos not overly tall? I figure that with the increase in obesity in children i refuse to feed my DD junk to get her in the right weight as height so fruit and savoury bickies rule in our house! I have sympathy with how judgemental people are, and i just go with the flow. If as in my case people think she is to able to communivate well enough for her assumed age then thats their problem. I make as little as deal of it as i can, ignore them or be direct and ask them why they feel they need to judge! Ive dont that once or twice when people are really insensitive! :0 It soon makes them reconsider their opinions! and as one lecturer said to us lat week, opinions are like a*se holes we all have em but no one wants to see them!

[Levanna]

Thanks chloe, I love the a*se hole quip, in fact I think I might try that one next time . My DD is at around the 75th centile height wise, that's why her low weight is so obvious, plus, it's a bugger to find anything long enough that isn't 3 times too wide for her . In fact it's actually impossble! I've just spent the last half hour taking in more clothes well meaning relatives have bought for her. Her feet are also average length, but extremely slim, so that's another bug bear!
Thank you for your replies .

[prettycandles]

We got a lovely book called something like 'All Kinds of Bodies' through a book club, though it's probably available through Amazon or Bol. It's about how we all have all sorts of different shapes and features, and has lots of unusual flaps and dials.

I have difficulty finding trousers for my slender boy, the best fit tends to come from the cheaper shops, like Matalan for example.

[Piffleoffagus]

Sympathise totally, my dd isn't walking yet or her slenderness would be so more apparent. 7.45 kgs at 19 mths.
I was 32 kgs when I started secondary school, my ds now is 40kgs aged 10!!!
I was always called stand her sieways mark her absent, legs dangling like bits of cotton, decent wind would snap her in half
All bollox, I ate my won bodyweight in food, just greta metabolism...
Lets see what they are all saying when she is 17 and slim as a reed....

[twiglett]

message withdrawn

[batgirl]

Lots of Sympathy Levanna - my DD is very "slender" and I can remember all those comments from when she was younger. however, she is now 9 and we these days we are more likely to get "isn't she lucky" " isn't she slim" etc. If you know she's healthy, grit your teeth and hang in there - it does change!

Buying clothes (esp trousers) doesn't get easier tho

[Levanna]

Thanks for your encouragement, and good book recomendations too .
I just get the feeling sometimes that people tend to forget that children have feelings! It strikes me as some weird throwback to when it was deemed acceptable to bang on about children as if they were invisible .
Funny that you mentioned matalan, prettycandles, I found a summer outfit (size 9-12 months!) to fit DD there, today .