what to do if your child is underweight.

You constantly hear people on the news discussing childhood obesity: the causes, the risks, the ultimate outcomes in adulthood. But what you hear much less of is when your child is underweight.

Like my child.

There is no way just by looking at my 13 month old child that you would think he would be considered "underweight". The doctor mentioned that his skin, eyes, and overall health are fantastic, and that he is growing fine, and was ahead developmentally. Actually, his exact words were, "His eyes are sparkling, his skin is robust".. (True story).

But he is not at a weight desirable for his age.

Neither was August at this age. August was born 5lbs 7oz, and was a smaller child around the age of one. He is still smaller, but is in the 100% percentile on his height (who would've thought, considering the height of his father??). And at Eden's 5 year checkup, the doctor took one look at her growth chart from the past five years, then looked at her and said, "Yep. She's just going to be tall and skinny".

My kids are little. But, Brandon and I are "smaller framed" people, so the children's family history will account for part of the smallness. Also the fact that Titus is crawling like crazy and cruising furniture, trying to walk. That will burn the calories, too.

If you are worried about your child's weight, here's what the doctor suggested for us:

Fatty foods: cheese, peanut butter, scrambled eggs. Basically those "kid foods" that most of us try to avoid as adults.
Dairy: Up the milk, yogurt, ice cream. Yes, ICE CREAM. So, when you see me at the Sugar Shack spoon feeding my 13 month old baby ice cream, now you know why. Doctor's orders ;)

Notice what he did NOT suggest were junk foods, like french fries, fast foods, and hot dogs. We do occasionally eat out, but for the most part I cook at home every night. Eden is a slightly picky when it comes to eating, but the boys are not at all. They will eat anything put in front of them.

So, if you are trying to add fattier foods to your child's diet, those are the ones we are doing right now. We serve fruits and veggies at every meal just as I have their entire lives. Titus is a huge fan of carrots.


Have you dealt with your child's weight, either overweight or underweight? What are your experiences with adding/taking out foods from your child's diet? 

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