School uniform for overweight 5 year old

[Camelia22]

I am new on here and know this is Mumsnet, but I need urgent advice for my overweight grandson.
He is obese and I cannot get school trousers to fit him (he is nearly 5) . I would like to get elasticated trousers in bigger sizes. Have tried Marks but they do not fit.
Does anyone know what would happen if I cannot get a uniform to fit when he starts school (I would have to send him in, in black joggers), or anywhere that I could get advice now it is the school holidays.
Any help appreciated

Buy a larger size that fit around his weight then turn the legs up to the appropriate length

@Camelia22 I think a PP already mentioned this, but I'll ask also; is there anyone you know who sews, or could you find someone to sew him a few pairs of elastic waisted pants? The problem with buying sizes up is that you run into problems that just shortening the pants will not fix. Someone who is good at sewing could adjust a basic pants pattern to fit your DGS.

Wishing you the very best luck at getting things sorted for your DGS.

Quite right! And the revolting little monsters who are should be sent to school without trousers, or simply kept indoors! 🙄

You've no idea about this families circumstances. Why don't you do something more productive, and have a walk around your local community to check everyone's garden sheds are up to code. Dickhead.

Really? Could you share what you experience and qualifications you have are with regards to this statement please? Other than judgemental as all hell? My son is autistic and has ARFID. Last year he had a bad period after eating something and fearing being sick. He dropped 3 stones in weight due to reducing his food intake to a diet of crumpets and milk once a day. He was far too skinny and it was incredibly worrying. Moving forward 18 months and we’ve slowly built him up to 12 food items and he will only eat cold food. He’s overweight, borderline obese, but you know what? I don’t give a flying F, and neither do the health professionals involved, because him being a bit chunky originally it was saved him during that period. The dietician has zero concerns and has said just let him eat whatever he feels able to, don’t limit. I do naturally portion control but essentially trying to stop him eating foods could cause that situation again. I’m not doing it. I have another friend whose son is also autistic and has ARFID. He only eats Tesco breadsticks and drinks water. That’s it. They wouldn’t do a gastric tube because guess what…he’s overweight. No matter that he’s not getting any vitamins etc and all levels were on their arse. (Won’t drink the water if vitamins added as he can tell even with ‘tasteless’ ones.) Eventually someone with a brain assessed him and asked why on earth he hadn’t had a gastric tube offered years ago?! He now has one and is thriving and yes, he’s lost weight

Just because you think no child should ever be overweight, it doesn’t make it true. If my child wasn’t originally we could have been looking at a very serious situation.

Your statement is ill informed and ignorant. There are many reasons why a child could be overweight, and judging this Grandma for that instead of offering help with the actual thing she needed help with is quite frankly disgusting. Think before you open your mouth or type a response!

Tesco are much better than Asda for larger children. Tesco plus size or m and s are the best ones for plus fit. Matalan also from memory. The problem with adjusting the leg is the leg width needs doing too x good luck op.

I wish I could see just one thread where somebody wasn’t an arsehole to an innocent granny.

Sending love from California, @Camelia22❤️

My son has always been over weight we have bought a brand called zeco they do full elastic sturdy trousers, can also buy through amazon so easy to exchange/ refund if not sure what size to order. My son wore shorts all year round all the way through school as we tried shortening the trousers but didn't always look right with the fit of the leg and he has never be a cold child. If there was snow on the ground he did wear joggers but 2/3 days a year at most, just made sure he had a warm coat gloves and hat and school jumper. It is that warm inside schools he was fine.

I think someone may have already mentioned listers on Amazon. They do a plus size range. I get my son the listers for typical size range, so can’t comment on the plus size, from a sizing perspective. However the lister trousers for average size are of excellent quality. I get the full stretch waist as my son, when he needs to go to the loo needs to go quickly due to a medical condition. However he’s very tall for his age and researching these were best. They’re excellent.

as such, whilst I can’t speak for the plus size range, I can say the quality is very very good. Worth a try and easy returns if not suitable.

Have you tried the m and s plus fit?

It absolutely is not always down to parenting. I don't know why having three ND children makes you seem to think that. Incase you weren't aware all children are different. A lot of MD children have food aversions, so you're telling me that if your child could absolutely not tolerate fruit and/or veg you would force them to eat it regardless?
yes okay you can hide these in foods easily but a lot of children can also recognise these things in foods. So absolutely, being ND can cause children to be overweight.
As a parent yourself I would've thought you'd have a bit more compassion. Especially having an overweight ND child also.

My sons body shape means school trousers are a nightmare on him... we had next plus for his first 2 years in primary but last year and this year just got the elastic waist chino trousers from next and they are so much more comfier and still smart looking (our uniform is navy). The sizing is also mad, my son is 8 and wearing age 12/13 to fit him, we just cut the legs and fold them up and he is the same size as most of the boys his age in school.

What a helpful comment.
I spent every single solitary childhood summer with my grandparents because both my parents and both siblings worked in agriculture.
There wasn’t any “stepping up” or rearranging or moving their calendars around.
It was REAL LIFE. It was income my family needed to live on throughout the next year until the following year.
I’m sure you understand that that this woman’s son - the little boy’s father - would move Heaven and earth to spend more time with his son - don’t you? You must.
My mother spent the rest of her life telling me how terrible she felt that I had to be in the mountains with my grandparents. Her guilt overwhelmed her.
I assured her that my time in the mountains with my grandparents was absolutely wonderful and how fortunate I was to have experienced it.
You should think about the guilt that little boy’s father must feel - instead of scolding his mum.

I hope this link works. A couple of years a go my ds was on medication where he put on a substantial amount of weight. He went from a 6-7 to 10-11 size in 5 months.

We found these trousers very good and also hard wearing. I hope the link works. https://amzn.eu/d/0YM2tyo

Most supermarkets and places like Next and M&S do plus fits, measure his waist and then check the sizes online,
there is also an online store called ‘Sturdy Kids’ which do plus sizes. https://www.sturdykids.co.uk/

No doubt if he’s been eating large portions he will be hungry alot of the time. Make sure he drinks plenty of water and give filling foods that aren’t high in fat and sugar. Check out this NHS site for more advice. Good luck x

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/childrens-weight/advice-for-parents-overweight-children/

I don't have a ND overweight child. I have 3 slim ND children. I have a child who doesn't eat a single fruit or vegetable, they still aren't overweight. We have a trampoline, we go to parks, we play in the garden for extended periods of time. Yes, I agree, it is extremely hard to get a ND child to have a healthy and balanced diet, but that is still absolutely no excuse for them to be overweight. I would take full responsibility if my child was overweight, it would be my fault, I feed them! I have compassion, I just dont accept that a child who is ND is more prone to being overweight. That is not exceptable!

Ugh. I have no idea if he feels guilty.
I’m sure you understand that that this woman’s son - the little boy’s father - would move Heaven and earth to spend more time with his son - don’t you? You must.
You're projecting massively. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't.

And I'm certainly not "scolding" the OP! Just making a point. I hope her son is doing what he can and not leaving it all to her.

Hi. George asda do come up really big and they do a plus size range. You can get big ones that fit then use hemming tape to shorten them. You can make them into shorts for the summer like that, too.
It sounds like a tricky situation with your dil and I hope she gets better soon. Once he starts school hopefully he'll be more active and lose weight. If he's going into reception he'll have free school meals for the next 3 years, maybe they'll help him change his eating habits? You could ask the GP to refer him to a community nutritionist so dil can get advice? Not to be unsympathetic, but the fact is he'd probably be more confident and enjoy life more if he's not obese growing up. I'm sorry, I'm saying that out of care not nastiness. I wish all of you all the best.

They shouldn’t be being force fed… obviously

A friend of mine has two daughters: DD1 very slim and DD2 very overweight. I know they eat the same and DD2 actually loves vegetables and fruit so it's a mystery. They have started to see a specialist in metabolic medecine to see what's going on because her diet does not explain her overweight. Most kids that are overweight do have a poor diet though so easily fixed if parents or as in this case grandparents step up.

Those posters sending unempathetic messages to the op, are imo probably ND themselves.

Anyone else will see this is a gran doing her best for a grandchild who has had a difficult ride.

OP, I hope you find the required school clothes. I’d probs go for shorts at an older age group, they may look like culottes on him, but they’ll fit. For tops, perhaps Amazon? Good luck, and hope your grandchild continues to thrive with you, and with his parents when the time comes.

We have to hide sweets and crisps from my autistic DS15 or he would eat it all. I hide it in a drawer under his bed, he has never looked there because he wouldn't think I would put it in his room. I then give him portionsized crisps (30g) with some meals because I don't want to deny him crisps, I just don't want him to binge until he feels sick.
I know one family that put a lock on their fridge when their child became obese because overeating due to bullying in school. It's not easy but when you're a parent you have to take measures to protect your children, sometimes from themselves.

Uniform Direct do different fit trousers and you can choose waist and length measurements. I used to get them when my son was a bit chunky and now he's really tall and really slim, they're literally the only place I can find trousers long enough with a small enough waist.

Asda George do plus size kids uniform. You would need to order online

There are some godawful bitchy comments here under the guise of concern for health. It is a 5 year old kid with difficult circumstances we are talking about. Just fucking stop.

Im sorry, I didn't read all the posts. My son is also autistic and a very tricky eater. I was worried about his nutrition, more than his weight and got a referral by my GP. It was useful. Its really hard, you're doing an amazing job. All the best x