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AIBU?

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Original poster

school nurse letter

495 replies

devonshiredumpling · 14/02/2015 18:42

got a letter this morning rom the schoolnurse service to say that after being weighed my dd has been catergorised as severely overweight. we also got a leaflet saying that her diet could be better (she has at least seven portion of friut and veg) we also need to increase her activity level but since moving to the country we cannot get her out of the garden and off her bike ,she is tall for her age at 122.8 cm and she weighs 29.9kg but you cannot see any fat on her she is five .any help would be good aibu to feel peeved about this (she is five and half)

OP posts:
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6
Mamus · 14/02/2015 21:54

I had one of those last year as DS2 was on the 98th centile for weight. Given that he was also on the 98th centile for height AND we were already working with a psychologist (at our instigation, too, they were useless when we asked for help and I had to be extremely persistent to get any) to address his severely restricted diet I filed it in the recycling along with the rest of the junk mail.

EdSheeran · 14/02/2015 21:55

"Results from 2012 show that around 28% of children aged 2 to 15 were classed as either overweight or obese."

This is why we need to "interfere" because 'family life' is killing the younger generation.

Callooh · 14/02/2015 22:05

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Janethegirl · 14/02/2015 22:19

I always took my Dcs to the GP do weight checks as appropriate, never permitted any health checks by the school.
Schools should not be allowed to interfere with relationships between people/ pupils and GPs.

Pooka · 14/02/2015 22:23

Ds1 is 9 and weighs 29.9 kilos. He is 137cm tall.

Ds2 is 5 and a quarter. He weighs 16kilos and is 113cm tall. I think he is underweight. School nurse visiting after half term so will wait for the letter, but have also seen GP and am trying to adapt his diet so he will put on weight. He is a natural grazer though and has never eaten much in a sitting. So since he's started school it's been tricky to work out ways to get enough food in him. He's otherwise healthy though.

fattymcfatfat · 14/02/2015 22:24

I got the letyer for my ds. he is far from slim and has always been big but input him on a diet. unfortunately due to health problems his dad took over a lot of day to day routine and cooking and dishing up was part of that! myself and ds ended up bigger than we would like. ds runs about like crazy and will never be skinny but he can be healthy (bmi top end of normal but he never gets better than that). it does need to be taken seriously. I hate my body now but cant so much about it as im pregnant. ds is losing the weight (again) I wont have him growing up to be unhealthy.

fattymcfatfat · 14/02/2015 22:26

ive also now been told he may have a hearing problem. ...yeah he does, its called being six and having selective hearing! he can he me perfectly if im offering him new toys!

CaptainHolt · 14/02/2015 22:34

I have never heard of anyone going to the GP to weigh their kid. That's just not what GPs are for.

SuburbanRhonda · 14/02/2015 22:36

jane, as you will have noticed when you got the letter, height and weight checks in school are carried out on behalf of the NHS. The reason they are done in school is for practical reasons - the children are all in one place so the measurements can be done quickly and easily. Results are not shared with the school.

So there is no "interfering in relationship between people / pupils and GPs". It the same organisation weighing your DC in school as in your GP surgery.

Janethegirl · 14/02/2015 22:39

I refused all health checks by the school as I confide red them to be utterly useless. All my Dcs health checks were carried out by the GP.

SuburbanRhonda · 14/02/2015 22:40

captain, I think it's limited to parents who subscribe to conspiracy theories about schools wanted to do something evil with height and weight data.

Janethegirl · 14/02/2015 22:41

School should not be involved with any health checks IMO. It is up to parents to decide if health checks are necessary.

SuburbanRhonda · 14/02/2015 22:41

jane, please read my post just above yours.

UncleT · 14/02/2015 22:41

Oh Lord.... If I hear 'but he's always running around though' or similar one more time after hearing about overeating I'll scream. Exercise is of course important, but with weight it's far more about what goes into your mouth. THAT is where the major change stems from.

treaclesoda · 14/02/2015 22:42

Sorry but I'm another who thinks that does sound heavy. At the end of P1, when she was almost 6 years old, my dd had her school nurse check and despite being one of the tallest in the class she weighed 17kg. They told me she was underweight, but she wasn't skinny with bones sticking out, she was just athletic looking. So, whilst it's the opposite end of the spectrum, I do understand that it's difficult to judge objectively. And hard to hear from someone else that you're wrong.

SuburbanRhonda · 14/02/2015 22:42

jane, height and weight checks are carried out in schools by the NHS.

Janethegirl · 14/02/2015 22:44

No, I totally rejected any health checks on my Dcs as it was not essential with the total approval of my GP.

QueenofLouisiana · 14/02/2015 22:46

My DS is a couple of kg heavier but is 147cm tall and nearly 10. I'd look at your red book scale and see where those measurements put her, is it following the regular growth pattern, in which case life style changes may be needed, or is it wildly out- in which case get her checked by a GP just to make sure?

At that age she may still have a 'toddler tummy' if her core muscles haven't developed an older child posture but she shouldn't have any spare fat on her tummy. Most children at that age are becoming quite "pointy"- bony knees, chins and elbows!

You know she is getting lots of fruit/ veg but how much is fruit? Really it needs to be more veg than fruit as fruit still has sugar in. Also have a look at portion sizes- DS eats less than me even when training for highly competitive sports events.

Janethegirl · 14/02/2015 22:46

rhonda I think it is entirely up to the parent to choose if health checks are carried out at school. I refused all permissions for any health checks on my Dcs.

SuburbanRhonda · 14/02/2015 22:48

jane, do you make a habit of not reading other people's posts?

The organisation carrying out the checks in school is the same organisation that is approving your refusal of them.

So the NHS weighing your children in school is somehow different from the NHS weighing your children in the GP surgery in what way exactly?

QueenofLouisiana · 14/02/2015 22:49

Oh and as a yr6 teacher I can promise you we don't ever know what the results of the checks are unless parents tell us.

We are strictly out of the way when they are done and don't get any lists.

Just making this point in case anyone wondered!

minionmadess · 14/02/2015 22:49

Jane

GP's work on behalf of the NHS, the checks in school are carried out on behalf of the NHS... same thing really. They used the same methods for measuring and same tools for interpretation.

SuburbanRhonda · 14/02/2015 22:50

minion, she's not listening.

Janethegirl · 14/02/2015 22:52

No I never permitted my dc to have any health checks carried out in school. School is for education, doctors surgery are for health checks. Totally separate in my opinion.

fattymcfatfat · 14/02/2015 22:53

uncleT if you read my post ive said he runs around alot but have not said he has always eaten the perfect amount etc. I know my ds has overeaten plenty of times which is why.he is now on very strict portions.
I have even told school not to let him have seconds. he doesnt get given sweets all the time either. and he has home cooked meals every night so not processed crap. I think the op needs to take this seriously and do something about this now otherwise her dd is going to be affected by this.