to think this kid is just fat?

[Daddypigsgusset]

Somebody on my Facebook (sorry!) Is currently moaning about the size of kids uniforms.
Her gripe is that for her 11 year old daughter she has had to buy ladies size 18 blouses and skirts. She is putting this down to shops having an unrealistic idea of the size of modern children or some such nonsense. She has a lot of people agreeing with her, full on hunnage included.
Having never met her daughter, I had no idea if she was right or not but found a pic of her on her profile and she is extremely overweight as are both her parents. It's them that have an unrealistic idea of a healthy sized child isn't it, and not m&s?

There are a number of massively overweight children in our town. This is not because their parents are lazy, ignorant, don't care etc. It is mainly because there is so much unemployment that a lot of families can only afford really cheap crap frozen food, generally deep fried. Some families have no member who knows how to cook except oven chips. I have never lived anywhere where it was pretty standard for dd's friends to not like fruit, for instance, but that was certainly the case while she was in primary.

Many families here have no adult with qualifications, or a skill.

Of those few unqualified parents who have jobs, they are working so hard to keep off benefits that they don't have time or energy to cook from scratch. There is one family who generally just go to McD's or KFC for food.

There are families who do not go to the food bank because they'll have to cook whatever they get and they simply don't know how to.

It is not as simple as saying that parents have no excuse to claim ignorance of a healthy diet. Some have no idea, still. Quite a lot find it is beyond their means.

The question as I saw it read as:
Her gripe is that for her 11 year old daughter she has had to buy ladies size 18 blouses and skirts. She is putting this down to shops having an unrealistic idea of the size of modern children or some such nonsense
And then: It's them that have an unrealistic idea of a healthy sized child isn't it, and not m&s?
The point is not the child's weight - it's the parents reaction to her weight.

I don't see this as pointless.

I am answering an AIBU question based v the fact that said parents think their 11yr, sized 18 Dd has been 'outsized' by a very big retailer.
We have loads of threads re child's weight. I don't know if this is a troll, as mentioned earlier, but I'm finding it annoying that excuses are being made for the girl while OP is getting a hard time bringing this up.

This is just my opinion. Rightly or wrongly. I'm not up for arguments - though I do like a good debate.

I honestly don't feel OP was being goady.

People start threads on here for all sorts of reasons, maybe OP needed a couple answers?

M&S uniform is quite generous in sizing. My 5yo DD is in age 3-4 in pinafores and I had to take in the age 2-3 gym skort. DD is not that skinny either!

I really feel for the poor child in the OP.

TBH we usually had the opposite problem. DDs school said that girls' school skirts should reach the knees and certainly not be more than an inch above them. However, to get a skirt that was that long it would be massively too big on the waist. DD is a pretty average build - slim but not stick-insect thin and average height not a beanpole.

But if I had got one as long as the school suggested it would have been so loose fitting it would have ended up round her ankles - hardly the example of modesty the school had in mind!

Maybe they were aiming the uniform at the fuller figure.

But even asking the question on Mumsnet is utterly pointless if op is not going to say anything to her "friend".

Op is simply inviting us to judge her FB friend on her parenting inadequacies. And to what end? Surely this child is not the only overweight 11 year old?

Or do we need yet another thread about the obesity crisis?

Most threads on MN are pointless.... Op can post what she likes within MN guidelines. Those who call troll are the ones breaking the guidelines. Not the op!

This is the 3rd tread I've read today asking if a child is overweight

Unless this girl is way, way out of the norm, her size should be supplied

But she is way out of the norm. An 11 year old should not a size 18.

30 odd years ago at my comp we had particular red shirts for boys, my 14 year old brother couldn't fit into the shirts from the school supplier.
DM had to buy mens shirts in same colour. In fact DM bought most of his uniform in school colours but couldn't buy from the school shop. DB was 6ft tall and well built.. he played rugby! The uniforms weren't available for adult sized kids.
Admittedly the school was sensible about it though and didn't make a fuss as long as colours were similar! and he wore the tie

beer I absolutely agree with you. It's not the girls fault at all. It's most definitely the parent/s here.

Mintyy like I mentioned earlier how do you raise this very sensitive subject with your friend without being ousted? If your DC were overweight/obese and another mom approached you would you not be on the defence?

I think it's good to highlight/post about subjects like this on such a massive forum as there could be mom's on here that maybe never knew this is not right (for their child to be so large) and now they do. And perhaps will try rectify things.

Mumsnet is a forum to learn from and get advice and maybe some of these posts are a good way to start? (Despite the fact that some posters are calling troll)

I'm struggling to see the point of this thread at all.

What it boils down to is - anonymous schoolgirl is overweight.

Well, that was well worth starting a thread about .

I don't think it's a conspiracy, it's just that these stores make massive orders and size 18 school uniform fir an 11 year old in all the different permutations required, cost a lot to scale out to stores where they might only sell ...one .

But if they have An order, the clothing can be made .

incul if child can't fit into uniforms then maybe they do need to lose weight? No preteen should be in this size.

And yes, they should lose v.

beer I absolutely agree with you. It's not the girls fault at all. It's most definitely the parent/s here

Is it though? I mean obviously the parents are largely to blame but, 11 is presumably secondary school age? Is she at secondary school? Could she be spending the bus fare change on crap? What are the school food facilities like? Vending machines? Are kids free to choose things like chips and cheese adult? Do they leave site and spend their lunch money on take aways near by?

It does sound from the post that the mum has no idea and I get that would rub off on the kid who perhaps doesn't have the boundaries and decision making abilities she should but if the parents do try to make healthier food at home and she finding ways to get hold of stuff.

What age would be old enough to start having some responsibility for choices made?

This is a genuine question

Adult???

Daily that should read

Size 18 at age 11 is disgraceful but I suppose a lot of mums are in total denial about the size of their kids. My dds friend wears age 9/10 clothes ( she is 10) but she is severely overweight. Poor girl wears tiny crop tops, denim hot pants, stretched to the limit leggings, the lot. Her mum is not struggling money wise as they go on holiday 3 times a year not including the weekends away plus she just got an iPad Air for her birthday . I can't let my dd eat in the garden as she takes her food! She's a lovely girl but gets picked on and her mother (who is also lovely!) is doing her no favours!