People always went on about teenage boys and food..... only NOW do I get it

[DrNick]

in the last six months suddenly.... I am doing two Tesco orders a week. I just cannot keep up with it. Previous portion sizes look like dolls house sizes.

they never stop!

Alittle whike ago I madd a mistake and somehow managed to book two supermarket delivery orders for the same day ( different suoermarkets). Didn't realise tilI got texts from each on the day saying "your order will be delivered at 8pm tonight".

I needn't have panicked as our 2 teenage ds ate their way through everything, including the 4 loaves of bread and 24 pints of milk. Made me wonder what we normally do - think we do more "top up" shoping during the week than I realised!

DD didn't grow between 14 and around 15 1/2. She's started shooting up again. If she follows her 'line' on the charts in the yellow book (we have red ones now, but ours were yellow until about 5 years ago), she should end up at 5ft11. So she still has another 3 inches to go!!

Her Dad's family are all VERY tall though, DD's auntie is 6ft.

Well, if I go back to the red book, she might possibly grow another inch or two. Which she would be very happy with!

When do girls stop growing - DD is 16 and 5ft 3; when she was 2 the HV said she would be 5ft 11.5........that's a massive difference

My 13yr old DS went to mcdonalds today and had a Big Mac , happy meal and milkshake, 3 hours later he had 3 slices of a massive pizza and then an hour after that came downstairs for toast and cereal, his belly seems to be getting bigger every day !

KatyMac, most girls stop growing by 16 but it has been noticed that growth is delayed in gymnasts and athletes so they are often shorter at 16 but eventually end up at their full adult height a few years later.

I know your dd isn't exactly in those categories but I imagine it is possible as a dancer her body is still following that pattern.

Abstract from Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Interesting - I'd wondered if it was her asthma medication

When I had DD at 16, after years of intensive Judo training, I was 5ft2. Four years later, when I had. DS1, I was 5ft5, which I still am now. So I would agree with the fact that serious athletes / gymnasts don't always stop growing at 16!

But yes, asthma meds can stunt growth, depending on the meds - D s2 doesn't grow at all for 6 months after each course of prednisolone. He does catch up in the summer though (usually on predict in winter as his asthma is worse then).

He isn't where he 'should' be on his growth charts, but as he hasn't needed pred this year (first winter since birth!!), he has been veritably shooting up like a bleedin' weed!

So yes, asthma meds can affect growth - but unlikely with the majority of asthma meds. Mostly montelukaast (sp?) and pred. Most inhalers, even DS2's really string, adult dose ones don't tend to stunt growth.

Oh, Oddboots and Couthy, that's interesting - DD has just "retired" from gymnastics after 8+ years - perhaps she will grow a bit more!

She has had a lot of prednisilone (often 4 weeks plus) & has been on montelucast for years.......

I went to a talk a while ago about boys' development, and the speaker said that the average teenaged boy needs about 4,000 calories a day.

I rue the day I introduced blueberries into DSs' diet. He munched his way through £3.50-worth in one sitting!

I believe eggs are the way forward in the morning, but with protein at every meal.

Someone upthread said that we should just tell our teenagers to stop eating. The last time I made DS wait for food (post school) as I wasn't going to stop for a sandwich, he was doubled up in pain by the time we drew into the drive. (Journey time 40 mins).

I've just gone back to 'toddler catering' but on a giant scale. Never go anywhere without food and drink for DS...!

I get what you say about blueberries. I had to limit to 2 packs weekly.

four thousand?

wrt height
in year ten we got through three ages of school trousers - in about a term
he is now still 15 and 6 foot one.

4000?! So my shopping bill is going to be extortionate by the time DS3 turns 11...he will be 11, DS2 will be 18, and DS1 will be 19...

Urgh! That wasn't well planned, having three DS's in a row!!

And due to DD's SN's, I'll ,ore than likely still have her at home too, she would be 23 when the DS's are those ages...fuuuuuuuuck!

I've got girls...I was one of three girls. This thread astounds me.

I think I'd try filling them up with bread, potatoes and whole milk!

Of course they need to be nourished...but food bills on par with the mortgage would be frightening.

Two young boys now. I am seriously planning to get a job at Aldi in preparation.

Does montekulast restrict growth?
Ds has been on it years and he is short for his age .

A quick goggle scholar search suggests that montelukast doesn't impact growth (although beclomethasone does)

Hmm...DS2 is / has been on beclo too, maybe I got the two confused!!

thanks, ds on beclo as well .
Well he can't do without it so ....