Large toddler...how normal is it?

[LiamsMum]

My ds is 28 months old and is a very big boy for his age. Basically I am wondering if anyone else's kids out there fall into a similar category to my son..??! Sometimes I get a little paranoid about it when people comment how big he is.. although my mother seems to comment more than anyone else! Ok, his height is between 98 and 99cm and his weight is around 19.5 kilos (42 lbs) - so that makes him (according to my Christopher Green book) about the weight of a 4 year old and the height of a 3 1/2 year old. He's very solidly built and it's like lifting a sack of cement when you pick him up, although he doesn't look overweight. Is my child a freak?! I do have some rather large male relatives so perhaps this is where the answer lies. Is anyone out there in the same boat with their children? He has a very good appetite too (I guess that goes without saying). Thanks..

[Nutjob]

Hi LiamsMum, My son is big for his age too, he is only just 5 and at the moment is wearing clothes for 6-7 year olds. He has always been in at least the next size up in clothes, and at school is head and shoulders above everyone else. I am not particularly worried about his size, he's just a big lad.

The only thing that is unfortunate is that because he looks so much older than he is, people expect more of him. This was particularly noticable when he was going through the terrible two's and having public tantrums, people would stare at him and give me funny looks and I seemed to be forever saying 'He's only 2!!"

Funnily enough, my dd who is 2yrs 9 months is very small for her age and is still wearing 18-23 month clothes!!! I just seem to have 'extreme' kids!!!

[megg]

My ds is big also. He's 3 (next week) but dresses in clothes 5-6 years. He's 110cm. Again like your's he's very solidly built, like a rugby player. I do have the same problem as Nutjob in that people expect more of him. He's certainly built my muscles up. I'm quite tall though (173cm) and dp is 203cm (? 6ft2in).

[roxie]

liams mum

If you are still keeping in touch with your HV, and he/she doesnt think theres anything wrong, then stop worrying.
My dd started to have large dress sizes from about 4-5 onwards and still does, kids vary and it doesnt mean theres anything wrong with them.

He isnt a freak - lots of kids are like this. Please dont worry

HTH XX

[threeangels]

My neice has always been quite large for her age. Even right after birth. Right now she is 11 yrs old and wears womens clothes size 14-16. She is no way fat just tall. Her mother wears a womens 11 shoe and she is a 11 1/2 or 12. Cant remember which one. Her feet are the most humongest feet I have ever heard of and she iss till growing.

I'm sure eventually shell be custom making her shoes so she can still wear womens.

[Bozza]

Are they American sizes Threeangels?

[threeangels]

Bozza - Yes they are.

[threeangels]

Its so funny because my dd is only 1 yr younger then her and she wears a little size 1 girls shoe. She also wear size 10-12 girls clothing.

[KMG]

Nutjob - snap. I've got a big no 1 and a little no 2.

[KMG]

LiamsMum - gosh,he is big isn't he? What does your health visitor say? Is he at all chubby or flabby anywhere? My son has always been far and away the tallest of his peers, and is quite heavy too, though he is pretty skinny now, and has never looked fat, just seems to be solid. Anyway, I thought I would be writing "don't worry ...", but when I checked his records he was considerably less than your son. (c. 16kg weight and 94 cm height at a similar age). According to the charts I have your ds is off the scale for weight, and right at the top for height, which I would think would be a bit worrying.

[LiamsMum]

KMG, he doesn't look overweight - he's not flabby and there's only a slight chubbiness around his tummy but I've noticed that a lot of toddlers have this. He's tall and very solid, as megg said, like a rugby player. I haven't taken him for a visit to Child Health since he was about 18 months (same as your HV system I guess), but he's scheduled for another visit at 2 1/2. I might give them a call and make an early appointment, just to see what they think. He has a healthy diet, not many sweets at all - just meat & vegetables, fruit, eggs, yoghurt, cereal, that kind of thing. I do give him very watered down juice because he doesn't like drinking water much, but I guess this is quite common too? For a snack I tend to give him rice crackers or fruit. He does have a good appetite but I really try to watch what he eats.. oh boy, it's concerning me a little now!! I'll let you know what the HV thinks anyway.

[LiamsMum]

I've just weighed ds on my own scales and it reads 18 kilos exactly (39.5 lb). There must be a discrepancy somewhere, he weighs in at 19.5 on my mother's scales! Hopefully her scales are wrong .

[megg]

I really wouldn't worry LiamsMum, my ds since being a few months old has been on a scale/centile all of his own. As long as he's in proportion I can't see it matters. My ds has size 11 feet (Euro 29) already which is a bit worrying as they'll end up running out of shoe sizes soon if he keeps growing at this rate. He'll have feet like Ian Thorpe and with a bit of luck be as talented (and gorgeous).

[LiamsMum]

Megg Ian Thorpe...mmmmmmmmm.

Hope the gay rumours aren't true.

[megg]

What rumours noooooo he's lovely and ok he's a bit younger than me well a lot younger than me but I can dream lol

[LiamsMum]

Sorry to break the news... but there are persistent rumours here that he is gay. Just 'cos he's well-spoken and well-dressed and takes a lot of interest in fashion etc etc... I heard him on the radio a few days ago denying that he was gay, so we'll just have to take his word for it.

Guess this isn't a health topic... maybe we should start an Ian Thorpe thread.

[Jaybee]

My ds has always been very large for his age - he has always been stocky and very heavy, he has a tendency to get a bit podgy at times but that usually follows a few weeks later with him being two inches taller - I have always received comments like "he is a big lad isn't he" etc. etc. I cannot now remember how much he weighed at the same age as your ds (I could check) but at just four he was four stone four which is 60 lbs. When he started school he was head and shoulders above everyone else in his class and has always ended up in trouble as quite normal boy behaviour would send his peers flying - I agree with Nutjob that people always expect more of him because he is tall - he is now nine and is mature for his age, I think he is realising the benefits of people thinking he is older than he is - he is also an excellent rugby player, plus the girls love him!!! He is one of the only lads in his class to be as tall as them.
What I am getting at is that I really would not worry, he is healthy, happy, not fat and obviously eats healthily - he is just a big lad and will probably grow to a six foot something adult - personally, I can see nothing wrong with that - try not to show your concern, let him be happy with his size!!

[Bekki]

You have all made me feel a lot better about my sons size. I never seen a child as big as my son, Sam. I had to have him fully toilet trained by 2 because no nappies would fit him. My husband is large and quite fat actually and I worried about Sam becoming fat, but he grows taller and wider despite my healthy eating plan. And I suppose you can't fight genetics. As long as I bring him up with alot of confidence it won't matter either way.