How do I approach the subject of an overweight mindee?

The op is assuming first of all that the child is an unhealthy weight and will remain so and secondly that the parents are leading and involving her in an unhealthy lifestyle.
She has no insight at all in to these two situations other than that the child is a different size from her own child.

There is a great difference between advocating for a child when you know unsafe or undesirable activity is going on and in issuing directives when all you know is nothing but all you assume is legion!

I am relieved to see the op is keeping her own counsel - long may that last!

I think a lot of these replies are jumping the gun. The OP asked what to do, she didn't say she was going to tackle, lecture or preach. Personally, as the client of a CM, I'd be interested to hear any comments she had on the health of my DC. She's a childcare professional and as such has valuable experience and an objective viewpoint. If I disagree then fine, but the matter has at least been addressed. The issue has been raised and I can seek advice from my HV if I wish. No need for offense.

If the parents are overweight then I'm sure they know they are, and they probably know their child is too. I think that if you tackle this subject odds on they will find another CM.

If you give the child exercise and a healthy diet then you are very much helping her and I'm not sure you can achieve any more than this tbh

it is a fact that most parents are overweight and don't take enough exercise, and most kids also don't have enough exercise, but unfortunately pointing this out to people when they already know is not likely to change these behaviours.

Seems a reasonable concern to me, if you have several children the same age and height and one is really much bigger, then chances are that they are overweight, and that's not a good thing. The OP was only posting for advice after all. Some tubby babies grow out of it once they start becoming active (my dd), and some don't, sadly even really quite young children can be obese. It's much easier to adjust lifestyle slightly when children are very small, no diet required apart from a healthier balance. However it's a very emotive area, and I think you'd have to have a very good relationship to broach it. People get upset enough when the school nurses do their weighing and measuring thing, and they are trained health professionals.

poor OP: asked a reasonable question, got some very reasonable answers.....

This is totally anecdotal, but some family friends of ours who are the most naturally rakish, skinny people I know, have baby pictures of themselves in the family home where they are absolutely huge! You would never have known, looking at them as babies and toddlers, that they would be so slim as children and adults, but they are. I understand why you'd be worried, but I do think that toddler weight isn't necessarily indicative of adult weight issues. Having the right philosophy around food is more important IMO, and early dieting is probably not good for creating that, I reckon.

justa, I regard my children's carers (I don't have a childminder any more, but there are childcare workers at afterschool club) as equals and professionals too. Sometimes I ask their advice and I have a lot of respect for them. I would not, however, ask their advice on matters of medical discretion, because that isn't their job. I wouldn't ask a plumber to cut my hair either.

A childminder is a childminder. The child's parents are still her parents.

I find it bizarre quite frankly that there are parents on here who are seemingly angry that a childminder has a duty to look out for a child's overall welfare- and a duty to raise uncomfortable issues with the parents if they crop up.

I put absolute faith in our childminder and she is a very important part of my two DSs' lives. The reason we chose to have a childminder and not have our two boys in nursery is because you get that devotion and attention and one-on-one care and love.

As a parent, we are not always aware of problems which may be glaringly obvious to those outside the family. An objective, caring view seems perfectly reasonable to me.

If the child is just tubby, then don't say anything. If it's clearly down to poor diet, which it seems to be in this casethen there is an issue there and I personally would try to broach the subject of healthy eating.... somehow.

I cant see how the CM wouldnt be acting outside her professional remit by 'diagnosing' a child as overweight, even a dr/HCP would want to see a chart detailing the childs growth comparing it to height etc. before making a diagnosis because at that young an age, a growth spurt can change the picture dramatically. My ds is now 2, if you look at picture from the past year there a clearly 'fat/chubby' and really skinny phases as he would plump out then shoot up.

If the OP had said she was concerned about the childs diet, that she was presented with a packed lunch containing a big mac everyday it would be a different story, but the OP says the mindee weighs more than her own son and wears a size bigger clothes.

well, I think several posters on this thread ARE saying childminders should act beyond their remit.

It's preposterous that a CM is diagnosing this little girl as unhealthily overweight and considering tackling the parents. The child is a baby, the CM is not a health care professional and the baby's weight is her parents' concern.

yy littleducks, CM are obliged to raise concerns with parents where safe to do so (there are times when it is definitely NOT safe to do so partic wrt child protection issues)

No one is saying that a CM should act beyond their professional remit, of course they shouldn't

HSMM my dd is in preschool, im on the committee, they do observe EYFS stuff and have been praised by ofsted, they have qualified teachers who teach although they promote a healthy lifestyle (fruit and milk snacks, dentist visiting to discuss teeth cleaning etc) they would not see fit to judge children on their weight as they are not HCP. If there are health concerns/issues then there is a HV linked to the preschool, who is trained and can deal with it apropriately. And this is older kids, so 2.5 upwards, for a baby its a redicolous judgement to make.

Of course I am concerned about children's health. If a child protection issue such as suspicious bruising occurs I follow the training I have received, obviously.

But this is a very far cry from lecturing parents about their child's weight just because YOU think she is, at 20mo

Your concern with children's health and wellbeing should inform the way in which YOU care for and feed them. And if real CP issue crops up, presumably you will know which procedures to follow in dealing with it.

It is NOT your job to judge whether or not somebody else's baby is overweight, and not your job to "educate" parents. You are overstepping the mark.

Little ducks wrt 'def won't be using a childminder if what HSMM says is true' then I take it you won't be using a nursery or preschool either, they also have to abide by the same regs and legislations

I completely agree with not interfering in the day to day upbringing of children and the way their parents choose to care for them, but I also 100% agree with putting the child first if there is obviously a SERIOUS health risk (which this may or may not be - not having even met the child).

Blimey this has all got rather nasty.

OP, I am not a childminder but my DS goes to a CM 3 days a week.

At this stage I don't think that you need to mention the girls weight to her parents, as like pp have said, many larger children slim down as they get more active. This was certainly the case with ds1, and I'm hoping ds2 will be the same (he's 16kg at 23 months but all in proportion!).

I think that it's lovely that you are concerned, and hope that the child enjoys the healthy food and activites that she does with you. All being well, she will begin to grow into herself soon and you won't have to mention anything to her parents. If you still feel that you want to approach them, you could ask if she's had her 18 month check with the hv, and how it went. Let that lead into a "did they weigh and measure her?" conversation.

AhLaVache - something was 'found' in my home yes, I don't know where it came from but because it's most probably from a child's home, I was told I had to write to everyone as the Early Years advisor was worried that whoever had let it get where it did was probably not careful at home. Long story and don't want to go into it on here but from the training, as HSMM says, we're not allowed to ignore concerns. I also found out from a parent about an incident in THEIR home, social services got involved and apparently took my details. I was told that although it didn't happen here, I have to write exactly what I was told as a record.

I stand by what I said. We can't help what our training tells us and it's US that can get in trouble if something is a problem and we just ignored it. I don't know about the overweight mindee, I'm just generalising about what we're supposed to do if concerned.

My c/m told me very nicely that DD's ears needed cleaning. I didn't mind, was slightly embarassed but glad that someone had pointed it out as it had escaped both my and DH's attention.

Greensleeves - You work within the EYFS and do not feel that you are required to be concerned about children's health! If a child came in with an obviously untreated broken limb, or unexplained bruises, I would most certainly be required to help and it all comes under the health and best interests of the child, not interfering in their parents lives.

I think Excercises In Arse Covering are being confused here with required levels of involvement in your mindees lives.

You are inflating your own sense of importance beyond the laughable if you really think your job is to educate parents

who do you think you are? You're a childminder. Mind the children. That's it.

But looneytune a tablet that you couldnt explain turned up in your house on your kitchen table, that is a bit different

Ofsted wouldnt want you to tell parents medication guidelines if the children werent bringing prescription drugs into your house would they

Anyway i think the op can see that the reaction she would get might not be positive

Greensleeves - can I ask what area you work in with the EYFS. This is not a dig but our own training has made this very clear - I go on the same as HSMM so we're clearly being told the same thing. If we really didn't have to then it would be a lot less stressful for us but we've been told we have to raise concerns. Also, what about the nursery who got in trouble about the naps. Ofsted received a complaint and they were visited. I feel for the nursery but would love to see something written down that makes it clear that what we're being advised is wrong.

We're not trying to be busy bodies (well I certainly am not), but we've been put in a position where we've been told we have to deal with issues of concern.

Yeah but that was based on an incident in YOUR home though wasn't it looneytune?

Not comparable.