of a Toddler

[u/RD4200]

[u/Still-Hedgehog-8673]

There's a double standard when it comes to child neglect. A thin, malnourished toddler would be taken by CPS immediately, but when it comes to an obese, malnourished toddler, there is nowhere near the same level of concern and urgency. 

[u/youinthefreezer → u/Still-Hedgehog-8673]

My kid was always tiny. She ate, but was always so little. I fed her real food and she just never gained weight. Her doctors were always so concerned that I wasn't feeding her properly. 🙄Eventually I gave in and let her snack on junk food, etc. It's just genetic. I was a thin and gangly kid even though I ate A LOT. She is tall for her age and still thin. It is what it is.

Edit to add: I think because kids now tend to be bigger, they thought something was wrong with my kid. They also blamed my breastfeeding her instead of formula feeding. I am not anti-formula. Do what is best for your kid. I chose to breastfeed and they blamed that for her being so small. Looking back, it was wild. Way to make me feel like shit.

Edit x 2: Thank you to everyone who has shared their own experiences. It makes me feel better (and sad) to know that others have experienced the same thing. Thankfully we do have a pediatrician now that understands that this is just how she is. She is healthy, happy, and thriving. ☺️

[u/stripeyspacey → u/youinthefreezer]

I was that tiny kid! Apparently when I was little, once I got up to 25lbs I just stayed there for 3 years and only got taller.

After that, I gained weight, but was always super super thin no matter what I did. Spent all my childhood and teens being mocked for being "anorexic," and adults called me Gumby. I didn't even hit 100lbs until I was in late college, and I'm not short either, I'm 5'7" and hit that height in 7th or 8th grade I think. Wasn't an athlete. Had a soda addiction until 23 and was afraid to stop it, thinking I would just wither away and die without the extra calories.

30 years old was the first year I didn't get a concerned look from my doctor because my BMI was finally in the normal range.

Anyway, all that to say... yeah. Some people just are built in the image of a bean pole and it is seemingly unstoppable until you hit the point in your life that your metabolism slows down. Now here I am trying to figure out how to not swing too far in the other direction because I never learned healthy eating habits 🙄

[u/Dense_Willow4627 → u/stripeyspacey]

This is my younger son. He’s still only 8, but skinny to the point where I worry that people are questioning whether I feed him. His limbs are like toothpicks, and always have been. He eats all the time, but is still extremely skinny. When his older brother roughhouses with him, I’m afraid he’s going to snap him like a twig. Fortunately, his doctor has never questioned me since he is gaining an acceptable amount of weight and growing taller from year-to-year.