Advice needed re: diet for 6 year old

thriftyemma

I second the poster who said to plot height and weight changes in your red baby book, or a copy from here https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/child-health/research-projects/uk-who-growth-charts/uk-growth-chart-resources-2-18-years/school-age.

Over a period of time, it can help you see any patterns, such as being consistently underweight, or growth spurts etc. I do this with all my children, once every 3 months.

It helped me identify that my youngest daughter was not gaining weight as she should. After various discussions with the GP, who took me seriously after showing her weight plotted on the chart, we discovered her tonsils were so enlarged they were practically blocking her throat. She was struggling to swallow anything lumpy, and it was putting her off eating. In the process, because they did a full ear nose and throat check, we also found she had 30-40% hearing loss due to glue ear. All resolved with some routine surgery. She's now excelling at school, because she can now hear properly, and gaining weight in line with the WHO charts.

I'm not saying my daughter's case is the same as yours, it sounds like your daughter is eating a varied and healthy diet, and plenty of it. But charting weight changes can be a very effective tool in identifying any problems.

MrsSippi

Thanks again for all the replies. I will dig out her red book and follow the centile charts for a bit to see how she goes with her weight gain.

I suppose, having put it in perspective, she isn't noticeably underweight, she has a healthy and varied diet, she runs around a lot which i guess explains why she doesn't put a lot of weight on even though she eats regularly. And most importantly she is fit and healthy in herself.

pearl123

A couple of pancakes sometimes will fill her up.

pollyanna24

I agree with what others have said.

My 6 year old weighs 3stone and I think she is a little bit skinny, but not enough to do anything about it.

Her sister who is 8 has, in the last year or so, "bulked" out, not quite sure how to explain it, but getting more shapely rather than tiny little child and so I have assumed her little sister will be doing the same soon.

Still, the 6 year old has a lovely flat stomach, wouldn't mind that, haha!

LavenderBee

I'm the same as some of the other posters here, I was an absolute bean pole at that age, in ways I only see now looking back as an adult. I was incredibly active and probably ate about half what your daughter gets now. I filled out fine as a teenager, became overweight in my early twenties and now work hard to stay lean. Sadly it catches up with most of us eventually!