Completely Average

A&R went to the doctor yesterday for their 3 year check up (a month early but I don't want to be in the middle of all of the school physicals for two new patients). After the visit, after I started looking at the stuff they give you, I realized that my two aren't in the upper percentiles for height and the lower percentiles for weight anymore.

Several reasons I know, the shift from the baby growth chart to the big kid growth chart, the difference between laying down to be measured to standing up (and I doubt either stood straight) different scales, different offices, but it makes me a little sad to see them on an average height and weight. I mean, spot on 50% for height and weight.

I'm sure that it's an artifact of the way they're measured, they are much taller than children in their daycare that are months older than them. I'm six feet tall and all leg, and they come up to my hips if not higher. I doubt they only grew 1/2" in the past year.

But it still makes me sad, especially that their weight is creeping up on them, they used to be skinny kids, now they're normal. I want to make sure that they stay on the skinny side because it's a lot easier to never gain excess weight than to actually lose it (just ask my sister!)

But on the positive side, they both got their blood pressure taken and both were very well behaved, followed directions, spoke to the doctor, were quiet when asked to be, answered questions, told her all about the dragons.

Height for both 37"
Weight for A 31.1# and R 31.4#

Couldn't be more similar in size! (Of course Royce has short legs and a long torso, and Alice has long legs and a medium size torso so they look completely different even if the scales say the same thing.)

 

Congrats a good appointment!

I wouldn't give much thought to the percentiles, really. :hug: My oldest DS has consistently been in the 50th percentile for weight since around the age of 2 and he is SKINNY. He can still wear some of his 4T shorts and he's 6 years old. He's nothing but muscle, lean muscle - but he's still in the 50th percentile.

 

Well, I guess normal = healthy. That is good! :good: I wouldn't put too much stock in the growth charts either.

 

Average is a good place to be. If they are getting ready for another grow spurt, they could have just gained the weight they need to grow again. I know how you feel though. My 8 yr old went from the 75% to the 50% this past year for height. I'm still hoping he'll have a spurt soon and get up to where his growth curve used to be. BUT on the other hand, you could have FTT little guys like mine that are completely off the charts small and skinny and not growing too.
Genetics will kick in for your little ones, they are probably in between growth spurts. Don't the charts just drive you crazy! I think they should just throw them out and look at the child. If they are healthy and growing, they are good.
:hug:

 

:yahoo: for a great appointment with a new doc!
I wouldn't put much stock in the charts either, as long as the doc is pleased with their height and especially their weight, I wouldn't worry. They might be a hitting a growth spurt soon :hug:

 

Alice went from >95% to 50% in a year in height, Royce from upper 75-95% to 50%. That's what really bugs me. (Plus I used to work at a pediatric endocrinologist's office and I understand how correct growth charts really are and the importance of staying on your own curve.) I'm going to chalk it up to them not standing straight and figure that this is pre-spurt weight gain and NOT the daycare giving them nothing to drink but juice all day.

 

Are you really concerned about this with your daycare? If so, I'd keep track of their growth at home and bring it up the daycare teachers.

It does sounds like they are getting ready to grow again though.

 

Bex, those are excellent stats!

Personally, I see nothing wrong with being average. Those are just percentiles, they can't predict how a child will look or grow in the coming years. Sure they rank them with other boys and girls of the same age, but some children grow early, while others grow later on. I don't get all worked up over that sort of thing. My girls will turn out how they turn out and that's just fine with me.

 

Exactly what I was going to say. I think that was an awesome appointment. :Clap:

 

This is how I feel too! I think it sounds like they are doing great, both are healthy, happy kids and as far as height & weight go, there is absolutely nothing wrong with average. I, personally, don't think there is anything we can really do to influence height, that is mostly just genetic. Now, of course, weight is a different story but I feel like as long as I am teaching them to eat healthy foods & how to limit the amount of junk in their diet as well as how to stay active, they will be just fine. And so far, that is working, none of my older kids are even close to overweight.

 

Really, I wouldn't worry about it at all. No need to worry about skinny - especially at this age, you know? I know since you worked at a pediatric endo's office, you are probably more aware and concerned about height/weight/growth/etc. and I know that being a special ed teacher I am more sensitive to developmental milestones - but try to remember that all kids grow at different times and what the charts say today is not what they'll say in 3 months from now, even. I think your kids are way too young for you to be too worried about their weight! Sometimes too much knowledge causes us to worry too much (that is said from experience! ) :hug:

 

Congrats on a good appointment!!

I have one above average in everything, one that is exactly in the 50% and one that is hardly on the charts at all. I would take the average over off the charts any day.


eta: because I didn't need to say it twice <_<

 

While there's nothing wrong with average, I know what you mean about being slightly concerned that they went from 90% to 50%. My girls just went from 50% to 25% for height, and that alarmed me a little too. I know 25% is just fine, especially since my husband is only 5'8". Our kids aren't going to be basketball players... but still, I had gotten used to 50% and seeing them drop on the curve was a little weird.

Perhaps measure your kids at home a few times to see if the doctors office measurement was correct. I did this and determined that my girls were probably about 1/4 inch taller than the doctor's measurement, which bumped them up to the 40th percentile. Even a 1/4 or 1/2 inch can make a big difference in percentile - so if you think your kids slouched, remeasure for your own peace of mind!

 

Bex - they've got to be better than average because Abby is a year and 2 mos older and is the same size!

 

brilliant! I need to get a wall chart anyway. . .

 

I kinda get the height thing. I am 5"10 and at our 2 year appt. they said "they'll be around 5"8" - That bothered me for selfish reasons. I want my kids to be tall like me. I don't know why, is it reasonable to worry about something you have little control over (I did the endocrinology thing as a kid and stopped my growth early - but that's a whole other Oprah) - no it's not reasonable. We just want what we want for our kids. I think there's NOTHING wrong with being average!

I used to get a little miffed that they didn't take more care in measuring etc. but it's all turning out fine! They are 5 and able to stand up straight and have more accurate measurements now and that's going to even it all out in the end!

:hug:

 

Your growth was stopped? I'm so sorry. I love being six foot tall (most days) even when my pants don't fit. And yeah, it is partially selfish, I want both of them to be tall.

 

Bex, I think average is great, especially since there is not whole lot you can do since much of it is genetics. I know we live in a really weight conscious society, but unless they are extremely thin or extremely obese, it's probably early to start worrying. Not to say that I haven't done some worrying myself, but I really don't want my kids to end up like my mother, who obsessed about her weight and yo yo dieted for years, only to find herself close to 100lbs overweight.

I don't know, to me those growth charts can be misleading. Lena was 9lbs 3oz at birth, which is 95% on her weight and her height was only 19 inches. The girl was probably born obese for her height LOL! Anyways she's falling on the weight growth curve and is gaining on the height growth curve. I'm not worried because my DH and I are average height and average weight (OK, I'm lying. :laughing: I'm overweight right now, but if I eat right and lose the baby weight, I'll be a pretty average weight.) I think she probably should be falling off on the weight curve. Is that wrong (I'm genuinely asking.)? I just think she was really big because she was born after twins, and my uterus was stretched out from carrying 13lbs of twins.

My boys have been all over the growth curve, and it's amazing what a difference even half an inch or half a pound can make.

Just try not to worry too much :hug: , and if you have a problem with the juice, can you just ask them to offer them water instead? I'd be a little annoyed by juice all day long too.

 

She asks them what they want to drink and lately A&R have been asking for juice instead of milk or water. Which is fine sometimes, I've asked her to water it down and when Royce wants a second cup immediatly afterward, to give him water.

I really think Diane hit the nail on the head. I'm extremely tall, they've always been extremely tall (A has been >95% since 6 months for height, Royce has been in the 85% for height since the same), and to be not just normal, but on the 50% percentile bugs me a lot for completely selfish reasons. OTOH, maybe they'll stay in a size for more than a season! :lol: (I have been buying 4T stuff already).

I think I will remeasure them, I know how to do that, I just need to find some tape and a tape measure.

 

I am just the opposite. Both of my girls are extremely tall (40"), as am I at 5'10", and my DH at 6'4". I worry about them being too tall. I have never particularly enjoyed being tall. ardon: As it is, everyone things they are 3 or 4 based on their height. I don't want unfair expectations placed on them because people automatically assume they are older.

I would definitely remeasure and see what you get. I agree that vast of a drop in percentiles would be concerning to me as well.

We bought the girls growth charts when they were 18 months old and we measure them every month. :good: It's fun to see how much, and how fast they grow!

 

I'm taller than you, I was 44 inches when I was 4. Of course, my husband is shorter than me, he's 5'8". I'm leaning more and more towards this being them slouching and about to hit a growth spurt. (They ate like hobbits yesterday! Two dinners!!)

As for your kids being too tall, generally speaking, they won't stop a girl's growth unless she's expected to be over 6' tall. But in my experience being tall is 95% awesome, 5% suck. Suck is when I can't sit down because there's no leg room, or I have to buy a more expensive car because I can't sit in the seat. Short pants, eh whatever. I can deal. Where I buy pants, they're the same price for regular and tall length, so it's no biggie to me. The darts in shirts though, uggh. But it took me until I was 25 to be okay with my height.

 

That's what I was thinking too, the nurses have been off with my girls measurements before. I know for a fact Amelia is taller than Lily, and a couple of times the nurse has written down the opposite.

Mine are always below average when it comes to everything except height. They're 75 - 80% height, less than 5% in weight. I get comments all the time about how petite they are.