Shit, my kids are nearly overweight.

[Rainallnight]

2 and 4. Thought four year old was looking bigger after lockdown so got the tape measure and the scales out, ran it all through a NHS calculator and she is only just within ‘healthy’ weight.

I never thought I would be that person.

Need to nip it in the bud right now.

Don’t know why I’m posting, really. Just wanted to offload as can’t tell friends.

She’ll have no idea. I just won’t give her so many biscuits.

how much exercise fo they do?

at that age they need at least one hour a day, preferably outside. running around getting breathless and sweaty. ideally more.

parks/playgrounds are open, look up lidosor swimming lake/beach in your area.

DS seemed to gain in lockdown too, he might have had s growth spurt but I made the change from blue milk to green milk.
Do the kids have a clue about the difference?

@Rainallnight I'm sure you'll do great and of course no harm in just having a few less biscuits. Just try and be aware if any tension is being created around food.
Also I have now read the whole thread and wanted to say how sorry I am for the awful time you've had and for your losses.

Sometimes, I never could tell but when my younger siblings always noticed by taste when my mum switched from blue to green, even as young as 5

OP, sounds like you're handling it great and very sensitively. Also so sorry for your loss

@Bananabread8

They definitely do!

I'm a size 6 in Tesco but a 16 in H&M!

It sounds like you’ve had a really tough time and have spotted their weight creeping up early. It’s so much better to make small changes now, before the increased snacking is ingrained.
It’s really sad how many children are growing up overweight, but I totally get why many parents don’t see it / think the school measurements don’t apply to them - because they are a similar size to their classmates and clothes sizes are so much bigger than when we were young.

Also your dress size can absolutely vary loads between shops. Supermarket clothes are massive, I’m comfy in a size 8 whereas Zara / H&M need at least a 12. (5ft 9, 60kg)

Sometimes even variation in the same shop, I've got H&M tops from size 10 to 16

*@Crunchymum *

What I don't get is all the tape measuring and weighing.

My daughter demands to be measured to see if she's tall enough for certain theme park rides yet.

And she stands on the scales sometimes when cleaning her teeth as she likes seeing the numbers flash up.

So please don't assume people who know the height and weight of their children are making demands of them. I'm able to know height/weight without even asking.

@pinkbalconyrailing Wow, playgrounds, thanks, I must look into those.

Why are people saying don’t let them know about changing the diet? It’s important that they know!

My 5 year old and I both got a bit of a belly over lockdown so I said to her “Right, no more snack for both of us, we’re getting fat. We need to make healthier food choices.”

Not telling them is how you end up with fat kids in denial who are then too sensitive to be told by doctors that they are damaging their health. I come from a country where it is very socially unacceptable to be fat and people will tell you outright if you are gaining weight.

Sorry about your losses that's really sad OP

@Bananabread8 Have you never been to H&M? I have been in the changing room with a size 8 t shirt that I could fit another person in with me it was so baggy, then not be able to get a size 14 dress over my boobs. I don't think I was hallucinating the sizes nor did I manage to put on three stone in thirty seconds, their sizes are just insane! And that's within the same shop, you can definitely see why other shops vary hugely.

I buy my DD her clothes in h&M as they are a lovely fit on her. She suits skinny jeans and leggings.

But a lot of girls would possibly struggle, even if they were a healthy weight for their height.

Thanks @Helpimfalling and @unstableunicorn 🙂

one of my dc needs to be weighed regularly to adjust medication.
the others then get weighed as well because they want to.

Thought I’d post an update on this.

DD has lost 1.5kg since I posted and is now firmly in the middle of the ‘healthy’ weight range.

I cut down on snacks and treats and have been offering things like apple and carrot sticks if she insists she’s still hungry (after substantial meals!). She does still have some treats, so she’s not deprived!

I’m sure starting school has made a big difference too because she’s very active there all the time.

It has been a struggle at times, because we got into bad habits in lockdown and she’s extremely strong willed so will really kick off if she wants a treat and I’m not giving her one. But this feels like the best thing for her help and I’m pleased it’s paid off.

Wow well done!

Well done OP!

(My lockdown lbs have gone back to where they were at the start. It's amazing the difference little things like short bursts of the school run can add up to)

Well done op. A refreshing read from the usual posts about child weighing overweight at school and the poster insisting they're not overweight.

@PineappleUpsideDownCake

Sooooo you're panicking that your child is a healthy weight?

Oh don't be so silly.

Well done OP. And I hope times are feeling easier for you now too.

@Blackbear19

You mean the clothes sizes that are often completely different from one shop to another and are bigger now than they were years ago?

I know vanity sizing is a thing in women's clothing. Do you think it's happened with kids too?
Might explain why I struggle to get stuff to fit my slender 9 yo. I wouldn't even look at places like M&S or Asda for things like underwear and PJs that don't adjust.

Definitely. DS is long legged and slim hipped but fairly short, so should fit in age appropriate clothes - he doesn't. He is 5 and 44th centile (so bang in the middle of healthy) and age 2-3 fits around the waist. I end up buying age 5 and taking in the waist.

Definitely time to do something about it, before its an issue - prevention is better than cure and all that - DS went up to 80th centile a little while ago, after being on 40th - 50th for seemingly forever. We reduced the snacks and upped the exercise and all was well, no 'diet', just healthy lifestyles.