Centiles ds is overweight any advice?

[Babycarrot]

Ds is three.
I checked his bmi centiles a few weeks ago and he is on the 92nd bmi centile according to the nhs.
This makes him overweight.
I am horrified as I honestly did not see it.
Both dp and I are a healthy weight. No weight problems In the family.
I am genuinely disgusted I have let my ds down so badly and am trying to remedy this with more exercise - family walks on weekends. Trying to get to the park as much as possible.

Ds is a good eater and will eat veg etc but just seems to be constantly hungry and asking for things.

I have thrown out all of the biscuits in the house. So that dp and I are making changes as a family to help. I’m determined to do whatever it takes to turn this around.

He is cared for by grandparents several times a week and I know that they are still giving him sugary biscuits and juice etc which I have spoke to them about, but they have said that he doesn’t look overweight compared to other children his age. They have said they will stop but I’m not really sure what he is having there.

Since we made the changes, I have measured him again and he has just stayed the same, so I’m a bit disheartened.
Can anyone advise me on how to help cut the amount he is eating down and get him back into the healthy range?

Now I am also dreading next month. December. The month of every one who wants to shovel sugar into your child has a free pass to do so as it’s christmas.
I have said I don’t want chocolate/sweets as presents for him, this has been dismissed already.
I feel like I am being made out to be cruel mummy.

I just don’t know what to do for the best as I don’t want him set up for a life time of weight related problems. It does feel as though we are fighting a losing battle at this time of year with less opportunities for outdoor play and sugar thrown at us from every angle.
I despair!

Thanks some really helpful advice on here.
Good ideas about protein.
We have cut out much of the sugar but I know since cutting it down it’s at least one sugary snack with grandparents per day, which has been reduced from what it was before. It would be something like a pack of chocolate buttons or a cake, not just a couple of jellies. And this is 4-5 times per week. And drinks are always juice there.
He was a big baby born but always followed along above the 75th centile after losing some of his birth weight.
Then I stopped doing the weighing thing for a while as wriggling three year olds don’t like to comply.

I take on board some of the advice re protein snacks and will be implementing this.
I think grandparents just seem to want to show love with sweets and chocolate, but it’s not really the best think long term

I think you need to have a word with his grandparents. A packet of chocolate buttons/cake 4-5 times a week seems really excessive. Plus obviously whatever else they/you give him - out for ice cream, a cafe, treats at friends house, birthday parties, etc etc.

It’s not a particularly good habit to get into having this much sweet stuff but especially if his weight is a concern.

The juice is bad too, particularly for his teeth, it should only really be given at meals but for a 3 year old I would just give water and juice as an occasional thing if out for a meal/at parties, etc. Can you ask them not to buy it or if they have it for themselves to hide it and tell DS they’ve ran out or whatever. If it was a once a week thing I would just leave it but 4/5 times a week drinking only juice all day will probably affect his teeth (and his weight).

Are his grandparents stuck for ideas of what to give him? Can you provide some snacks for them? Or are they maybe struggling a bit with him? I know a couple of people who mind their toddler grandchildren and end up offering lots of treats/snacks to try and distract them/stop them playing up,etc. Just wondering if it could be the case that it’s ‘easy’ for them to give him chocolate when he’s a bit bored/acting up rather than take him out/set up an activity for him.

It’s really good you’ve recognised this when he’s this age as lots of parents don’t. Hopefully you can get his grandparents on board.

My 8yr old is on the 10th and 4yr old is on the 12th. I still limit grandparents giving chocolate, juice and biscuits for their teeth.

Yes little I think you are right.
It also means if we watch a film or do something special on a Saturday dp and I are now reluctant to have a treat such as ice cream or sweets or popcorn and juice as we know that he’s already exceeded an acceptable allowance of sweet stuff through the week. It does seem a bit unfair that we get all the munching on carrot sticks and he can’t associate any nice edible treats with mummy and daddy.
When he is asking them for more treats they are also saying mummy said, no so I have to be the bad guy!

This is all happening after nursery when they collect him some days.
He could have more nursery hours than what he is currently using so I have offered this, thinking the same as you perhaps they are using sweets when trying to manage him pushing boundaries. but they are insistent that they want to continue caring for him.
I don’t want to spoil the relationship and bond they have.
But I think I may have to go down the doctor/dentist says route.

I know exactly what you mean about it spoiling it for you to be able to have any treats with him as the grandparents have given him more than he should be having already.

It’s going to be hard for them for a while him asking for sweets/more if they’ve always allowed this so they will have far more of a battle than if he’d never known this.

I think treats in grandparents are fine if he visited them once a week/once every couple of weeks but if he’s there 4/5 times a week it’s completely different. I’m guessing you wouldn’t give him 5 packets of chocolate buttons a week? So they shouldn’t be either.

Whist it’s lovely that they enjoy having him, only you can decide if this is what you want for him. If nursery was giving him a chocolate bar everyday he was there, I assume you would look for alternative childcare.

I think the ‘mummy said no’ tells you they clearly think you are being ridiculous and aren’t on board at all with it.

Oh and don’t feel you have to say the doctor/dentist says, he’s your son you can decide if you feel what they are giving him is excessive. You don’t need an excuse to decide what he’s given, especially if you don’t rely on them for childcare.