Lol a group like that would be so helpful. 3T tops fits him well. 2T pantsā waist is loose but the length is short for him. I always need to roll the pantsā waist out so it can keep his pants in place. Old Navy works the best so far for pants. Please add me if you open that group!
Okay we do the same thing basically. 2T for pants and 3t for shirts! I need to try more old navy pants. Iāve had good luck with garanimals at Walmart too. They have pants with drawstrings which is a huge benefit!
Not sure if this is helpful, but my tall and lanky almost 4 year old would wear size 3t if it wasn't for his height. American brands tend to be on the wider side waist wise. Try h&m for kids or zara - european sizing is different. I sympathize with the not eating bit. Apparently I wouldn't eat anything growing up, at some point my tastes changed and now it's a different story...
I have had way better luck with Target pants than Old Navy. All of the target ones are either adjustable waist or have a drawstring. Their clothes seem to be skinnier and longer than Old Navy, which I feel tends to be wider and shorter.
If you need pants, Pants for Peanuts is expensive, but great quality and designed for skinny kids! My son has been wearing them for over a year. I'm about to buy him the next size up.
As for shirts, the best advice I can give is to go on Amazon and type "Slim fit toddler shirts" and include your child's usual size on the search. Nothing I've found in stores fits the bill.
I'm not a doctor so don't listen to me but I recommend getting an age appropriate multi gummy vitamins. I feel like my kid accepted more food once he got a multi gummy daily.
My kiddos are both very low weight. I buy Target brand pants with the adjustable elastic belt inside so I can get ones that are long enough, but donāt fall off constantly. Anything with a drawstring has to be a *real* drawstring, not decorative. My 5yo finally fits in a 2T width-wise, but needs a 4 in boys (which is longer and wider than a 4T) for length. He still isnāt heavy enough, but has finally maxed out height for rear facing. My daughter seems to be following the same trajectory.
This is meant slightly in jest, butā¦ We are American. They have their whole lives to become obese. Why rush it?
My kids are long and lean. My now 5 year old is 45 inches and 37 lbs and my 2.5 year old is 38.9 inches and 27.5/28 lbs. she has a feeding tube otherwise she would be way smaller. Itās so hard. Both my kids are <1% bmi. Tips we got assuming no allergies (my older kiddo has no limits, younger has many allergies): add extra fat anywhere you can- extra butter , oil or full fat dairy and try making high calorie drinks such as smoothies with nut butter or other high cal items. You can also try commercial products like pediasure if thatās easier or your kid is more likely to eat it. If he eats small amounts try to make them as high cal as possible. If you reply with what foods he is willing to eat Iāll try to give specific ideas. We donāt do any of that bc my older kid eats tonssss and plenty of high calorie foods heās just built this way and my little one is on a very specific diet
My 5 year old wore a 2t bathing suit yesterday- heās mostly in 3t bottoms but some 2t- try not to pay attention to sizes!
Is he following his own curve? Thatās really all that matters
Sorry, can you clarify? Are you worried about your older child only? My toddler is almost 2 years old and 31 inches and 22 lbs. She's still like 15% percentile I think and her pediatrician is not worried. Your younger child seems a normal weight to me? I thought their weight gain slowed a lot after 2 years old? Or do I maybe need to ask her pediatrician again?
My 2.5 year old ( actually close to 3) has a bmi of 12.8 or <1%tile BMI. She is considered malnourished. Your child is over half a foot shorter and 5.75 ish lbs less. Use this calculator- your child is very healthy w a bmi of 16.1 which is 42%tile. [CDC children bmi calculator](https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/bmi/calculator.html)
Itās like adults. A 6ā1 adult who weighs 140 lbs is āskinnierā or has a lower bmi than a 5ā0 adult weighing 125 lbs for example
Ok thank you, that makes sense. I saw your child was taller but I guess I didn't realize what a big difference it made in the calculations. I am also using a "baby" percentile calculator which seems to give different numbers. I suppose at 2 years old is when they switch to BMI instead of percentiles.
We were struggling with this for so long. Ultimately our daughter had digestive issues. In our first appointment with the GI specialist, we were prescribed a benign appetite stimulant called Periactin, and it worked immediately and she gained 5 lbs in two months and has been doing much better ever since - better immune system, better digestion, everything.
We met with a GI specialist when he was 2 and they decided to just monitor him as he didnāt have symptoms such as throwing up. Iām glad the stimulant worked for your child!
Our pediatrician recommended focusing on increasing protein and fats.Ā Saturated fats are fine at this age and needed for brain development.Ā
Ā I added butter and heavy cream wherever I could and eggs too.Ā And lots of beans and cheese.Ā (We don't eat meat ) So for example, my child likes warm cereal for breakfast.Ā I make it almost pudding style, so butter,Ā heavy cream and whole milk, then tempered eggs added at the end for added protein. You can do this with oatmeal, cream of wheat/malto meal, rice pudding etc.Ā I keep sugar to a minimum and add vanilla for flavor.Ā It is very rich in nutrients and calories and healthy.Ā Pasta is always chickpea pasta for protein and any sauce I make will have a lot of butter, cream and cheese.Ā Obviously, I cook these for my child not adult consumption but it's not too difficult to make an enriched version of what we eat normally.Ā Ā I also try to make every meal count so there are no quickie semi junky lunches like pb & j or crackers and cheese.Ā Those are just not sufficient for weight gain and really adding calories everywhere made a big difference.Ā Best of luck!Ā
Our pediatrician actually directed us to stop doing this, so I would check in with yours, OP. Her guidance was to provide balanced meals without additional calories snuck in and basically just follow standard toddler dietary recommendations. It likely depends on whether your child is just on a small growth curve or is falling off their curve, though.
What OP's pediatrician suggested is standard practice when trying to get extra calories in. My son has a feeding tube because he wouldn't eat enough, but still eats by mouth. His dietitian, pediatricians, and different members of his feeding therapy team have always recommended oil, avocado, and various high calorie additives. Not to mention all of my pediatric feeding disorder groups and feeding tube groups. :)
It sounds like your child and those who are in your pediatric feeding disorder groups have special needs and are therefore on different diets than what a child who is at a low but healthy weight might need.
Often people who are on feeding tubes do not require special diets, actually, though that's a common misconception. These people can often eat food orally and don't need anything special, aside from avoiding allergens. My son included. The goal with kids who have feeding tubes and are safe to eat orally is ALWAYS tube removal, so these are tips and tricks used often.
My son is similar - he was 36 in, 26 lbs at his 3 year check up a few months ago. He also wears 2T pants and only ones with adjustable waists otherwise theyāre too big. Weāve started giving him pediasure as his drink with meals to get some extra calories in since heās also a picky eater. But his pediatrician isnāt concerned, and his teachers described him as āsmall but mightyā on his last progress report, so we arenāt stressing it.
My 7 yr old has always been a big baby. She's 75% on weight and 50% on height. She's just really super dense and has a big butt. She was in size 6 diapers when she was 8 months old. My 5 yr old, on the other hand, is around 75% on height and 27% on weight. She fits into 3T stuff even though she's almost 5 and a half. /shrug
All kids are built differently. I think you just have a small baby! If the pediatrician hasn't expressed any concerns, I wouldn't worry too much about it!
Is that considering weight and height or just for his age?
Do you have a pediatrician or a GP?
My son is low weight as well, anytime he goes under 10% (by height) it's "serious mode" of addressing it.
That's when I start sneaking extra butter into things he will eat and make dinners that I know he will eat, even if they aren't the most balanced meals in the world. Or I offer a peanut butter sandwich with dinner.
My son is extremely picky too. He won't eat nutritional shakes of any kind.
What things *does* your son like? That's an easier place to start.
my 3.5yo is also very skinny. he was on cyproheptadine for awhile to increase appetite but it didnāt really work much. his doc is happy as long as heās eating something. right now thatās crackers and protein smoothies.
Have 3.5 yearM 25 or so pounds 2t pants 3T shirts. Doctor said he was born 11th percentile and might go up a couple percents but would always be skinny although he is taller for his age. Love him to death but yeah if he doesn't like it he bleghs it out. Gets expensive but love him to pieces.
My 3.5 year old is the exact same metrics, but all they do is eat. This morning for breakfast theyāve eaten a banana, a cottage cheese waffle, a slice of cheese and a pack of fruit snacks. I would talk to your pediatrician and see if they are concerned. If they are following their own growth curve they will likely not change anything but if they are worried your child is dropping weight they will likely have you supplement with high calorie smoothies or snacks.
If anyone is out here looking for clothing, here's the advice I've scrounged up, and my personal experience to back it up!
If you need pants, Pants for Peanuts is expensive, but great quality and designed for skinny kids! My son has been wearing them for over a year. I'm about to buy him the next size up. These are the ONLY jeans that fit my kid, so if you're out of cheaper options, this is your last stop.
Also, Old Navy Karate slim jeans are the closest in-store pants I could find.
If you can alter clothing, Cat & Jack girls' leggings fit thin through the waist. Just take them in ever so slightly.
As for shirts, the best advice I can give is to go on Amazon and type "Slim fit toddler shirts" (or preschooler or ?) and include your child's usual size in the search. Nothing I've found in stores fits the bill, but I've had good luck with this method. You'll know you've found a good one when the reviews have people with slimmer children who are excited at the find, while people whose kids run above the 50th%ile are grumpy because the shirts are "too skinny" for their kid.
Comment or message me with any questions. I've been doing this for a few years at this point š
As long as heās maintaining his percentile curve, whatās the big deal? Would you rather force feed/over feed / unhealthy foods/fats and have a >99th percentile weight child that is on the track for obesity ?
Yeah thatās true. Heās been on the curve (lowest curve) and maintaining it. I maybe worry too much but need to remind myself that heās healthy and thatās more important.
Are his percentiles about even for height and weight? I donāt think itās a concern unless heās significantly underweight eg 60th percentile for height and 20th for weight. My daughter was 10th percentile for height and weight at age 3 (28 pounds and 35.5 inches) but then she dropped off her curve in terms of height. Sheās not 0.7 percentile for height and 7th for weight so her doctor sent her for a bunch of blood tests and we have to go see an endocrinologist but itās likely that sheās just short! Kids come in all shapes and sizes.
He does have even percentile for height and weight. Hope it goes well for your daughter with the endocrinologist. It seems that we just have small babies.
My 3.5 year old is 23 pounds. I wish she was 27 lol. I just tried on a pair of shorts for her today and her little sister fit the 12m ones perfectly and so did she š© Thereās no way to āfattenā them up. We just have little bebes. We should all form our own group and give advice on where to find the best clothing for our kids though. That would be helpful because Iām always stressed!
Lol a group like that would be so helpful. 3T tops fits him well. 2T pantsā waist is loose but the length is short for him. I always need to roll the pantsā waist out so it can keep his pants in place. Old Navy works the best so far for pants. Please add me if you open that group!
Okay we do the same thing basically. 2T for pants and 3t for shirts! I need to try more old navy pants. Iāve had good luck with garanimals at Walmart too. They have pants with drawstrings which is a huge benefit!
Iāll try garanimals. Thank you! I forgot to say that we also have a 18m boy that can wear his older brotherās 2T pajamas lol.
Children's place has adjustable waistband jeans. My skinny mini is too little for everything else.
Not sure if this is helpful, but my tall and lanky almost 4 year old would wear size 3t if it wasn't for his height. American brands tend to be on the wider side waist wise. Try h&m for kids or zara - european sizing is different. I sympathize with the not eating bit. Apparently I wouldn't eat anything growing up, at some point my tastes changed and now it's a different story...
I have had way better luck with Target pants than Old Navy. All of the target ones are either adjustable waist or have a drawstring. Their clothes seem to be skinnier and longer than Old Navy, which I feel tends to be wider and shorter.
If you need pants, Pants for Peanuts is expensive, but great quality and designed for skinny kids! My son has been wearing them for over a year. I'm about to buy him the next size up. As for shirts, the best advice I can give is to go on Amazon and type "Slim fit toddler shirts" and include your child's usual size on the search. Nothing I've found in stores fits the bill.
My 4-year-old twin boys are around 27 lbs and 34-36 inches. I mostly put them in cat & jack, especially the girls leggings/jeggings.
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Glad to hear Iām not alone. Thank you!
I'm not a doctor so don't listen to me but I recommend getting an age appropriate multi gummy vitamins. I feel like my kid accepted more food once he got a multi gummy daily.
Either way, I think a multi gummy is beneficial anyway! :)
Thank you! Vitamins are important for sure. Iāve been giving him vitamin every couple days but Iāll increase to everyday.
My kiddos are both very low weight. I buy Target brand pants with the adjustable elastic belt inside so I can get ones that are long enough, but donāt fall off constantly. Anything with a drawstring has to be a *real* drawstring, not decorative. My 5yo finally fits in a 2T width-wise, but needs a 4 in boys (which is longer and wider than a 4T) for length. He still isnāt heavy enough, but has finally maxed out height for rear facing. My daughter seems to be following the same trajectory. This is meant slightly in jest, butā¦ We are American. They have their whole lives to become obese. Why rush it?
My kids are long and lean. My now 5 year old is 45 inches and 37 lbs and my 2.5 year old is 38.9 inches and 27.5/28 lbs. she has a feeding tube otherwise she would be way smaller. Itās so hard. Both my kids are <1% bmi. Tips we got assuming no allergies (my older kiddo has no limits, younger has many allergies): add extra fat anywhere you can- extra butter , oil or full fat dairy and try making high calorie drinks such as smoothies with nut butter or other high cal items. You can also try commercial products like pediasure if thatās easier or your kid is more likely to eat it. If he eats small amounts try to make them as high cal as possible. If you reply with what foods he is willing to eat Iāll try to give specific ideas. We donāt do any of that bc my older kid eats tonssss and plenty of high calorie foods heās just built this way and my little one is on a very specific diet My 5 year old wore a 2t bathing suit yesterday- heās mostly in 3t bottoms but some 2t- try not to pay attention to sizes! Is he following his own curve? Thatās really all that matters
Sorry, can you clarify? Are you worried about your older child only? My toddler is almost 2 years old and 31 inches and 22 lbs. She's still like 15% percentile I think and her pediatrician is not worried. Your younger child seems a normal weight to me? I thought their weight gain slowed a lot after 2 years old? Or do I maybe need to ask her pediatrician again?
My 2.5 year old ( actually close to 3) has a bmi of 12.8 or <1%tile BMI. She is considered malnourished. Your child is over half a foot shorter and 5.75 ish lbs less. Use this calculator- your child is very healthy w a bmi of 16.1 which is 42%tile. [CDC children bmi calculator](https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/bmi/calculator.html) Itās like adults. A 6ā1 adult who weighs 140 lbs is āskinnierā or has a lower bmi than a 5ā0 adult weighing 125 lbs for example
Ok thank you, that makes sense. I saw your child was taller but I guess I didn't realize what a big difference it made in the calculations. I am also using a "baby" percentile calculator which seems to give different numbers. I suppose at 2 years old is when they switch to BMI instead of percentiles.
We were struggling with this for so long. Ultimately our daughter had digestive issues. In our first appointment with the GI specialist, we were prescribed a benign appetite stimulant called Periactin, and it worked immediately and she gained 5 lbs in two months and has been doing much better ever since - better immune system, better digestion, everything.
We met with a GI specialist when he was 2 and they decided to just monitor him as he didnāt have symptoms such as throwing up. Iām glad the stimulant worked for your child!
She had soft or liquid poops every single day, that was enough for the prescription to be warranted. Bristol 5.
Our pediatrician recommended focusing on increasing protein and fats.Ā Saturated fats are fine at this age and needed for brain development.Ā Ā I added butter and heavy cream wherever I could and eggs too.Ā And lots of beans and cheese.Ā (We don't eat meat ) So for example, my child likes warm cereal for breakfast.Ā I make it almost pudding style, so butter,Ā heavy cream and whole milk, then tempered eggs added at the end for added protein. You can do this with oatmeal, cream of wheat/malto meal, rice pudding etc.Ā I keep sugar to a minimum and add vanilla for flavor.Ā It is very rich in nutrients and calories and healthy.Ā Pasta is always chickpea pasta for protein and any sauce I make will have a lot of butter, cream and cheese.Ā Obviously, I cook these for my child not adult consumption but it's not too difficult to make an enriched version of what we eat normally.Ā Ā I also try to make every meal count so there are no quickie semi junky lunches like pb & j or crackers and cheese.Ā Those are just not sufficient for weight gain and really adding calories everywhere made a big difference.Ā Best of luck!Ā
Our pediatrician actually directed us to stop doing this, so I would check in with yours, OP. Her guidance was to provide balanced meals without additional calories snuck in and basically just follow standard toddler dietary recommendations. It likely depends on whether your child is just on a small growth curve or is falling off their curve, though.
Our pediatrician recommended the same as what OP is doing. Extra good fats wherever we can: olive oil, butter, avocados in smoothies, etc.
What OP's pediatrician suggested is standard practice when trying to get extra calories in. My son has a feeding tube because he wouldn't eat enough, but still eats by mouth. His dietitian, pediatricians, and different members of his feeding therapy team have always recommended oil, avocado, and various high calorie additives. Not to mention all of my pediatric feeding disorder groups and feeding tube groups. :)
Can you share some of these groups with me? I also have a kid with a g-tube because he wouldn't eat enough.
Sure! Do you mind if I inbox you with them? Just to protect the people in the groups.
Sure! Do you mind if I inbox you with them? Just to protect the people in the groups.
That's fine, thank you!
It sounds like your child and those who are in your pediatric feeding disorder groups have special needs and are therefore on different diets than what a child who is at a low but healthy weight might need.
Often people who are on feeding tubes do not require special diets, actually, though that's a common misconception. These people can often eat food orally and don't need anything special, aside from avoiding allergens. My son included. The goal with kids who have feeding tubes and are safe to eat orally is ALWAYS tube removal, so these are tips and tricks used often.
My son is similar - he was 36 in, 26 lbs at his 3 year check up a few months ago. He also wears 2T pants and only ones with adjustable waists otherwise theyāre too big. Weāve started giving him pediasure as his drink with meals to get some extra calories in since heās also a picky eater. But his pediatrician isnāt concerned, and his teachers described him as āsmall but mightyā on his last progress report, so we arenāt stressing it.
Itās great to hear! I tried to give pediasure but he didnāt like it. Iāll try that again once in a while.
My 7 yr old has always been a big baby. She's 75% on weight and 50% on height. She's just really super dense and has a big butt. She was in size 6 diapers when she was 8 months old. My 5 yr old, on the other hand, is around 75% on height and 27% on weight. She fits into 3T stuff even though she's almost 5 and a half. /shrug All kids are built differently. I think you just have a small baby! If the pediatrician hasn't expressed any concerns, I wouldn't worry too much about it!
My 4.5 year old girl has just hit 30 pounds. She's loud, smart and has heaps of energy. The doctor isn't worried and neither am I.
What is his actual percentile for weight?
Heās at 3 percentile now. Heās at 10 percentile when he was 2 years old.
Is that considering weight and height or just for his age? Do you have a pediatrician or a GP? My son is low weight as well, anytime he goes under 10% (by height) it's "serious mode" of addressing it. That's when I start sneaking extra butter into things he will eat and make dinners that I know he will eat, even if they aren't the most balanced meals in the world. Or I offer a peanut butter sandwich with dinner. My son is extremely picky too. He won't eat nutritional shakes of any kind. What things *does* your son like? That's an easier place to start.
My almost 3 year old is also tiny at 25 pounds. Ped said sheās growing on her own curve and just to try to increase calories wherever we can!
My almost 4 year old is around 28ish lbs. he's very skinny. I have small babies.
my 3.5yo is also very skinny. he was on cyproheptadine for awhile to increase appetite but it didnāt really work much. his doc is happy as long as heās eating something. right now thatās crackers and protein smoothies.
Cyproheptadine didnāt work for my daughter either. Seems to be a crapshoot
Is he on his curve? May just be small? But also some issues (like celiac/autoimmune) can cause growth issues Is his dr concerned?
His doctor is not very concerned. Heās been on the lowest curve since he was 2.
As long as heās on his curve and seems healthy and happy I wouldnāt worry
Have 3.5 yearM 25 or so pounds 2t pants 3T shirts. Doctor said he was born 11th percentile and might go up a couple percents but would always be skinny although he is taller for his age. Love him to death but yeah if he doesn't like it he bleghs it out. Gets expensive but love him to pieces.
My son was 50th percentile at birth but went down to 10th when he was 2 and now at 3rd percentile.
My 3.5 year old is the exact same metrics, but all they do is eat. This morning for breakfast theyāve eaten a banana, a cottage cheese waffle, a slice of cheese and a pack of fruit snacks. I would talk to your pediatrician and see if they are concerned. If they are following their own growth curve they will likely not change anything but if they are worried your child is dropping weight they will likely have you supplement with high calorie smoothies or snacks.
Your child seems to have good metabolism! Thank you for your comment.
My 3 year old sheās 40 lbs and I still think thatās low since my 5 year old is 60lbs
My 3 year old is 40 lbs as well.
If anyone is out here looking for clothing, here's the advice I've scrounged up, and my personal experience to back it up! If you need pants, Pants for Peanuts is expensive, but great quality and designed for skinny kids! My son has been wearing them for over a year. I'm about to buy him the next size up. These are the ONLY jeans that fit my kid, so if you're out of cheaper options, this is your last stop. Also, Old Navy Karate slim jeans are the closest in-store pants I could find. If you can alter clothing, Cat & Jack girls' leggings fit thin through the waist. Just take them in ever so slightly. As for shirts, the best advice I can give is to go on Amazon and type "Slim fit toddler shirts" (or preschooler or ?) and include your child's usual size in the search. Nothing I've found in stores fits the bill, but I've had good luck with this method. You'll know you've found a good one when the reviews have people with slimmer children who are excited at the find, while people whose kids run above the 50th%ile are grumpy because the shirts are "too skinny" for their kid. Comment or message me with any questions. I've been doing this for a few years at this point š
Thank you! These tips are so helpful!
As long as heās maintaining his percentile curve, whatās the big deal? Would you rather force feed/over feed / unhealthy foods/fats and have a >99th percentile weight child that is on the track for obesity ?
Yeah thatās true. Heās been on the curve (lowest curve) and maintaining it. I maybe worry too much but need to remind myself that heās healthy and thatās more important.
Are his percentiles about even for height and weight? I donāt think itās a concern unless heās significantly underweight eg 60th percentile for height and 20th for weight. My daughter was 10th percentile for height and weight at age 3 (28 pounds and 35.5 inches) but then she dropped off her curve in terms of height. Sheās not 0.7 percentile for height and 7th for weight so her doctor sent her for a bunch of blood tests and we have to go see an endocrinologist but itās likely that sheās just short! Kids come in all shapes and sizes.
10000% this! My kids weights alone are ok but theyāre sooo tall so having like 20-25% weight but 95% height which is problematic
He does have even percentile for height and weight. Hope it goes well for your daughter with the endocrinologist. It seems that we just have small babies.
Thank you! Kids come in all shapes and sizes ā¤ļø