Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Original poster

Dd in bigger clothes than her age. Does it really matter?

200 replies

Karleeb30 · 05/10/2021 17:23

Dd is 6. She's 122-123cm tall and weighs just over 4 Stone. She is in mainly 7-8 clothes and some 8-9 yet she still has some clothes in 6-7 that fit. Depends on the fit and style. It's mainly because she does have a little tummy so does need things a little roomier plus 6-7 is usually way too short on her!! She's had a massive growth spurt since the first lockdown . Went from clothes being too long to now too short.

Mil works in a clothes shop that sell kids clothes (won't say where). She's asked if Dd needs anything, I told her she needs 7-8 or maybe 8-9 and she seemed disgusted implying that my daughter was huge or something!

I know some of the cute clothes Stop in 5-6 or 6-7 so she will have to look in the older girls section... but does it really matter?

we all know that kids are not all built the same! Sizing for an average sized kid of their age. Dd is quite tall so anything smaller than 7-8 is just too short and often a little tight around the waist. To think all 6 year olds would fit into one generic size is madness.

Plus it really depends on the shop. Some shops come Up crazily small and some bigger. H&M is my go to atm. Dd wears their 6-8 or 7-8 years clothes and fit perfectly!

She definitely has my body shape and tall like me!

She doesn't necessarily look big compared to her peers, maybe a little but not massively bigger.

OP posts:

TheUndeadLovelinessOfDemons · 06/10/2021 14:12

@Karleeb30

For anyone wondering how big my daughter is. Here is a recent photo! I don't think she's by any means massive just maybe a little bigger than average! I was a big kid, it sucked. Dd has a very healthy diet. She is active as she can be without pain. She is always in the garden playing. There isn't really much else I can do.

She's been on the high percentile lines for weight since a baby

She looks perfectly in proportion. My aunt keeps making comments like this about DS 14, in front of him too. I feel so bad having to tell him not to listen to her. He's on the 75th for height and weight, so in proportion.

INeedNewShoes · 06/10/2021 14:22

I'd just keep an eye on things quietly.

I was very tall for my age and wearing clothes in the same size as my sister who is 2 years older. I was the tallest girl in my year at school.

Then I started puberty early and ballooned and went from being tall and fairly skinny to being quite overweight, despite not eating more than I had as a younger child.

Looking back, I definitely was overeating (even though mostly good, home-cooked meals) and eating too much sugar and it's not surprising that I eventually became overweight even though I looked very healthy until around 10/11. I do wonder if me being so much taller than everyone else was one of the first signs that I was eating quite a bit more than I needed.

UnbeatenMum · 06/10/2021 14:23

My DDs were always on the 50th centile for height and weight and I tended to size up by the time they were 4 or 5. I remember buying all age 5 school uniform for DD1 when she started age 4y1m apart from trousers which she had in age 4. So I think clothes just don't come with that much growing room.

mancarose · 06/10/2021 14:23

My 4 year old is in 6-7 and her cousin who's a year younger is in the same size hahaha, I don't think size in children has much correlation with health. And the view that it does is very old fashioned

MeadowHay · 06/10/2021 14:37

I was really tall as a child so typically in much larger aged clothing otherwise everything would be too short. I was also thin so I remember having to wear a lot of belts and drawstring bottoms haha. Obviously all kids are different and will be in different sizes.

Goldenbear · 06/10/2021 14:54

DD always fits the right aged clothes but she is very much a short girl in the class even though she is height wise average across the UK averages. Equally, she is 25 percentile for weight and still only fits comfortably in her age bracket clothes so even though she is quite slight the clothes are not massive on her at all. The girls in her class who are taller are also very thin so I don't think it is this obese/height scenario that is spoke about loads in here. Equally, everyone is different and I think it is quite unkind to preach about these differences as a problem or that 50 percentile is the Golde prize for stats for a child. My 14 year old DS hates being "skinny" as there is pressure to be bigger in the arms etc at his age. I can't help think these ridiculous ideas of perfection are endorsed by this public commentary on children's weight!

LakieLady · 06/10/2021 15:17

Selling kids' clothes by age rather than size is mad imo.

My DGD was 6 at the end of July and is in 8-9 clothes. She's the second tallest and second youngest in her class. She seems to bolt upwards like a runner bean and then fill out a bit.

I wonder why they don't grow in both directions at once?

LalalalalalaLand123 · 06/10/2021 15:21

Your MiL sounds like a right bitch.

Of course it's not a problem! My dd at 7 is tall for her age,so are some of her friends, she wears clothes 2-3 years above her age - who cares! Kids grow at different rates.

I'm worried about this nasty MiL!

Bobsyer · 06/10/2021 15:46

I don’t understand why you’re asking if you’re ok with her weight and so are your daughter’s doctors?

I mean personally, I think that most kids clothes are cut very generously so a child always wearing clothing 2-3 sizes bigger would indicate they were getting to be overweight.

But again, if you’re not bothered then why are you asking?

saraclara · 06/10/2021 20:06

I've just seen the photo. Your mum has no reason to question you about her. Next time she has a check up or goes to the doctors for any reason, ask them to confirm that she's in normal range, and use their answer to shut your mum up..

randomsabreuse · 06/10/2021 20:15

Kids are different sizes. Even with the same genetics. My 6 yo wears 6-7 for the length, can't wear skirts because they'd be ridiculous mini skirts before they stayed up (has an Extra Long school skirt from M&S in age 3-4) and has a narrower chest than her 2 year old brother. Said brother also has thicker wrists (measured DD for a parkrun wristband and had to measure DS too) and broad shoulders. Both only have tummies after a big meal... DS is in 2-3 mostly but some favourites have kept going despite being too short.

Boys' stuff is definitely broader cut, but it can be a struggle to get stuff that fits a really narrow built girl (pinafores are a godsend!!!)

Bouledeneige · 06/10/2021 20:41

My DD was like this and pretty solidly built as a child. When she shot up in a growth spurt from around 10 she completely slimmed out.

ThisMustBeMyDream · 06/10/2021 20:45

Just to show you that I don't think you can look at a child and say "they're okay" size wise.
This is my aforementioned 12th centile DS, 50th centile DS and 99th centile DSD. For reference the BMI chart doesn't change above 99th centile. So you could be absolutely huge and it would still show 99th.

ThisMustBeMyDream · 06/10/2021 20:46

Grrr. Pic didn't work.

Dd in bigger clothes than her age. Does it really matter?

TheGrumpyGoat · 06/10/2021 21:11

@ThisMustBeMyDream

Grrr. Pic didn't work.

That picture clearly shows a very slim older DS, an average sized middle DS and an overweight DSD, so I’m not sure what point you’re making? You can tell by looking, in their case.

ThisMustBeMyDream · 06/10/2021 21:42

I don't think most people see it, you and I might. But the general population just don't. They see obese/99th centile as looking like Bruce Bogtrotter or something. Obese children are more subtle...

INeedNewShoes · 06/10/2021 22:13

@ThisMustBeMyDream

I don't think it's wise to be posting photos of your DSD in this context (or any actually context) on MN.

anxiouscrazymum · 06/10/2021 22:24

My dc is 4 and in age 7-8 clothing due to height! It is what it is!

ThisMustBeMyDream · 06/10/2021 22:26

She isn't identifiable. Hth .

TheGrumpyGoat · 06/10/2021 22:37

@ThisMustBeMyDream

I don't think most people see it, you and I might. But the general population just don't. They see obese/99th centile as looking like Bruce Bogtrotter or something. Obese children are more subtle...

Maybe. I think she’s quite obviously overweight from that picture.

INeedNewShoes · 06/10/2021 23:04

I’d recognise her if she was my child! Just trying to help.

ThisMustBeMyDream · 06/10/2021 23:07

I very much doubt you would as she isn't even wearing clothes her mother would know. I wouldn't recognise my boys if I didn't know those were their clothes.

Divebar2021 · 06/10/2021 23:21

Eeugh you can’t discuss weight on here. Often children get a bit of a tum before a growth spurt. My DD was 75th centile for weight then went up to 90 when breastfeeding problems were resolved. She was definitely tall and a bit “chubbly” with a tummy and pretty much always wore a bigger size. She’s now 9 and has shot up, flat stomach and you can see her ribs. She’s got very long legs and wears an 11 or 12 depending on the shop. Some things are a little big on the waist. I wouldn’t worry if the diet is good.

gogohm · 06/10/2021 23:22

If she's tall then that's ok, kids come in different heights, if it's because she's overweight then you need to get professional dietary advice, unfortunately we have been so accustomed to seeing overweight people we can forget what a healthy weight looks like

gogohm · 06/10/2021 23:28

Btw my DD's wore 1-2 sizes below their age and one of my DD's still wears age 11-12 at 22! Kids clothes are based on averages, some kids are taller so need to go up a size, some are smaller but no kids should have "tummy's"

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8