Weight Gain for Toddler

http://www.todaysparent.com/kids/preschool/is-my-child-gr...

Every child has a different growth pattern. And toddlers are suppose to 'slim down' as they grow. They lose the baby fat and begin to grow taller.

I have two daughters. The two year old is short and only weighs around 21 lbs. The three year old is tall and weighs around 31. They both eat a lot some days and not much on others.

Your pediatrician says your daughter is healthy. Be happy about this, and don't worry about it.

All kids go through periods where they eat like crazy for a short time. And then they stop eating, and it feels like they haven't eaten more than 2 bites at a meal for three months. And then they eat like crazy for a week again. And then stop eating again. Totally normal. As long as your child is generally healthy (and yours obviously is), then she'll eat when she's hungry.

Don't force it on her - forcing a child to over-ride her natural hunger impulse is the choice that is NOT healthy.

I have a three -year -old who weighs 25 lbs . Your kid isn't even on the low end of growth charts. They also slim out and loose baby fat at this age. Stop over thinking it. You have nothing to be worried about. And if it makes you feel any better, most people feel like their toddlers exist on air. This is totally normal. My oldest didn't start eating any noteworthy quantity of food until recently and she is 6.5. and right around 50th percentile on weight/ height. Seriously, at restaurants I don't know why we even order two kids meals ever, they could split a kids meal and still have leftovers.

Sounds fine to me. Your pediatrician says she is healthy. Leave it at that. Toddlers notoriously are not big eaters. If you start to emphasize food, you will create problems! My granddaughter is just about two and is weighs 23 lbs.

The Pediatrician said she is fine.
A child, does NOT have to eat, like an adult. And kids do not eat, like adults.
Kids, SHOULD eat, according to their body's cues. Hungry. Full. Eat when hungry. Stop when full.
THAT is what our Pediatrician said. Per my son. My son is also a "grazer." NOT the type that eats FULL plates of food at a time. He eats, according to his body's cues. The Pediatrician said he is eating, WELL.
My son, is tall and lanky. Just perfect. And per the Pediatrician.

All children, go through, natural changes in how much they eat. Even adults do. AND, just because someone eats, it does NOT mean, they have to gain weight, RIGHT then. A child, goes through, MANY growth phases. Their body shape now, is NOT the same, as an adult. Some are lanky. Some are not. Some are chubby. Some are not.
Children do not have to be, chunky or beefy or huge to be "healthy."
Do not just go by physical shape or size of a child.
Your Pediatrician said your daughter is fine. And that was just in February.

My Husband is tall and big.
I am not.
My kids have their own... height and size. Biologically. And they are both, just fine and healthy.

IF your child is being fed healthily, and not junk, then that is healthy.
It does not go according to a child's "size."

Your daughter is only 2.
Would you rather have her eat and eat and eat and get fat or unhealthy?
Overeating... itself, is unhealthy.
No matter what size a child or adult may be.

And, a big child, is NOT necessarily, more healthy, than a petite child or short child.

My kids are tall. Lanky.
One eats a ton. She is STILL lanky.
My other kid does not eat as much as her. But he is TALL and lanky and taller/bigger than some other kids in his class.
Eating amounts, per person, will not make them any smaller or bigger than the other.
But, if a person OVER eats, then that is not good, either way.

Why... do you want your daughter to just and only, gain weight, and why do you think she has to keep eating more?
That is not right.
The Pediatrician told you, in February, she is fine.

If the doc says she is fine, she is fine.
For toddlers, you'll be lucky if you get one whole meal out of her in a day. That's just how it is.

Just make sure you have healthy food on hand for her and that's what you give her for meals, and she'll be just fine.
My son ranked in the 5th percentile up until his 5th birthday. Suddenly he caught up to the 50th, seemingly overnight.

Don't worry about it, honestly.

I go through this with my DD. She is turning 4 this money and is very tall for her age. She is also very slim, and only weighs 31 lbs... And has only gained 2 lbs in the past year, despite getting taller.

However, she is extremely active and healthy. She eats well sometimes, and other times she says she is full after just a few bites. (And that is without snacking much at all between meals.)

I did ask her pedi about it, and he reassured me that she was fine. :) I have to watch myself not to try to make her eat more, because he last thing I want is for her to learn to ignore her body's cues. It's hard though, to feel like your kid isn't getting enough. She won't let herself starve though. ;)

"Back in balance." You don't give any example of her being UNbalanced in the first place - jut because her father is tall and you're heavy doesn't mean she ought to weigh 40 lbs as a 2 year old. My almost 4 year old weighs around 35 pounds. She's skinny. Your 2 year old weighs around 25 pounds. She's skinny. Children won't starve themselves - some days toddlers are ravenous, and some days they eat nothing but sunshine. ;)

She's fine. Give her a peanut butter sandwich, if it'll make you feel better. :) Good luck!

Your daughter is at an age where she's going to start growing rapidly, and she will lose the "baby fat" that she had as an infant. That is normal and fine. As long as you're feeding her balanced meals (veggies, protein, fat), and she has lots of energy, don't worry about it! Kids will be the size they're meant to be, and it's totally normal for her to be hungry at some times, and not at other times. Kids will not starve themselves; do not try to make her eat if she isn't hungry. Trust your pediatrician's diagnosis that your daughter is fine - that is the pediatrician's job, and they would tell you if your child needed to gain weight!

If the DR did not say anything .. do not worry.

My 2 yr old is 24 lbs. .Yep, she is tiny, but she is on her own perfect curve for her.

If she is is not over loading anything, she is likely in proper nutrion. I firmly belive that kids will eat what thier body craves/needs. If they will not eat X, try Y..

If there was a problem the ped would let you know. Just keep offering her healthy food and she'll eat what she wants. A lot of time you do better with many snacks (like carrot sticks, raisins, or apple slices) instead of a sit down meal. They are busy little ones and sometimes just can't sit still while the world passes them by. lol

As a former FT teacher and a parenting instructor, I 'd like to say that this is a normal stage of development for toddlers--to be picky.

A toddler is walking, discovering, being curious, learning to talk, learning vocabulary, parallel playing with other kids, testing limits to see which parent is the wishy-washy one...Eating is usually not a priority on a toddler's daily agenda.

Some kids eat their way through toddlerhood, but, most don't !

A child will never starve. As a parenting educator/speaker, I can tell you that your tension will play into your daughter's behavior. Serve good, nutritious foods...but, do not hover over her to eat. She will. The doctor says she is not underweight--so you are doing a fine job...except for the worrying !

My story: I was an obese child for 3 full, long yrs. I would "silently" worry if my kids ate and ate. I was bullied so badly...

There is probably an underlying reason why u are worrying even though the dr said not to.

Toddlers do not eat a lot. Their tummies are only the size of their fists.
An adult portioned out plate is too much for a little one! Also, they get into food jags, too. One of my kids ate steamed broccoli florets for a yr straight and then, never touched them again for 2 yrs!