My DS11 is growing wider but not taller....

[marcyinPA]

I'm kind of worried about him. He's short for his age, but the doctors have never been concerned because he has a normal growth pattern...He has a stocky built (thick in the thighs, behind)

He used to wear a slim, but in the past two years, has filled out and wears regular pants.

My dilemma is that he is getting heavier (84 lbs) but not taller. His pants are getting tight in the waist and thighs, but I can't go up a size because they will be too long.

We eat pretty healthy (I limit, but I don't forbid junk), but I will admit that he hasn't been as active since it got cold out. He did start basketball tonight, which will run until March.

I kind of remember my oldest getting a little chunky in 6th grade too, and then he had a growth spurt and got taller.

I'm trying not to make a big deal about it, but I do worry about him.

Anyone else go through this with their pre-teen son?

 

[debster812]

DS is 13, and is 5'1", and 92 pounds. I do notice that when he's getting ready for a growth spurt, he usually gets a little thicker, and then he'll stretch out.

He plays soccer year round, and is pretty active, so we don't worry too much about it. I bet once your DS gets in the swing with basketball, he'll level off again.

 

[worm761]

DS did the same thing here. He got up to 103 pounds then hit a growth spurt. He grew a couple inches and dropped down to 83 pounds!

 

[kellyg403]

All of my boys did this around 11/12. My youngest, I was starting to feel a bit concerned toward 13..but in one summer between 13 and 14 he grew 5 INCHES...!!!!

Funny thing is his brother (older) did the same and only grew a couple inches, and is lamenting daily that his YOUNGER brother is taller, but still nowhere near as skinny as he is. He probably went from 120 to 105 soaking wet. Its in his genes though..he eats like a horse. The day I met his dad he was 5'9 and lucky if was 115 lbs...I could easily have carried him away!!!

Think its totally normal for puberty stricken boys to gain some weight and then even out.


Kelly

 

[AprilRenee]

My brother did this. He was downright pudgy from about 12-15 yrs. Then around 16/17 he shot up like a rocket and he now wears size small everything. He had some older (late teens/early twenties) friends who encouraged him to work out with them and now he's got tons of muscles but is slim as can be.

 

[NHdisneylover]

My 11 year old just went through this. In September and October, for the first time EVER he was not super skinny. We had to let the adjustable waists out on all of his pants, and he was starting to have little fat rolls on his stomach. About three weeks ago he suddenly shot up 2 inches in two weeks, and went from little skinny kid chest to something that one could almost call buff--it was absolutely startling when he came out in a swimsuit the other day. DH an I both could not get over how much his body had completely changed in the month and a half since we had last seen him in a swimsuit.
The chubby waist is gone now--and all the pants have been readjusted to skinny

 

[Mermaid02]

I think it's pretty common for boys to "chunk up" before puberty and they start their growing! As long as you guys are eating well, he's not eating a lot of junk and gets some exercise- I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Christine]

I see this happen with a lot of boys at this age. There are a good bit of them that start looking chunky at around 11, 12, and 13 and you think "oh no". Then they hit their growth spurt around 14 and it reverses.

I think it's good that you are concerned and keeping a watchful eye on it because, as we know, some don't come out of it for whatever reason. But since your other son got grew, it is likely this will happen too and there won't be a weight concern.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

11 is still too young for boys to sprout up. Don't worry.

 

[mhsjax]

I have 2 boys. DS 13 was chunky form 4th grade until middle of 6th grade, then he grew like crazy. Now he has a Jan birthday so he was 12 when he started to grow. He is now almost 14 and is still growing upward.
Everyday he comes out and looks down at me and his dad and laughs. We are both short, my dad was tall. Anyway, he is now thin and I can buy pants for him that fit and literally 3 weeks later they are too big and he eats anything that isn't tied down.

DS10 has always been tiny in weight and height. Took him to the Dr not too long ago for a sports injury, she looked at him and said, don't let anyone tell you that you are chubby, you are packing on the weight and getting ready to go vertical. This was after I told her that he was eating healthy and playing soccer 2 times a week plus games. He has grown a little, but still pudgy around the middle. I am just monitoring what he eats, making sure he eats healthy and no too much junk.

 

[momof5boys]

Marcy so far all 4 of my older boys have done this! My 11th grader wore slims and had to wear a belt! Then around 12-13 he got chunky. He was a slow grower but finally got as tall as me 5'8"! It took forever but now he is skinny again and wears those skinny jeans!
My 14yo gained 20lbs this year alone, he is on meds(for anxiety) but his doc did check his blood to make sure everything was normal(it was) this morning I noticed that he too looked alittle taller standing next to his older brother! I still think my 14yo will be one of the tallest but since all my boys seem to be slow growers it looks like I will have to wait a few years to find out!
Anyone remember the short, stocky boys in high school and when you go back for your reunion they are all suddenly taller and thin?! I could name several in my class!
As my son's neuro/developemental ped said "you DO Not want to go crazy about a teenagers weight!" He told me to keep an eye on it but not make comments on it.

 

[scrapquitler]

It's fairly normal for kids to get chunkier first, then grow taller and thin out. My kids have always done this (Both my DD and DS)

 

[golfgal]

I could always tell when the kids were getting ready for a big growth spurt because they would get a little rounder in the middle. I think it is very common.

 

[mjkacmom]

My ds12 used to wear slims. Then, starting around 2nd grade, he would grow 4 inches a year, 10 pounds a year. By the time he was your ds's age, he was 5'1", 120 (he's always been tall). His belly was soft, and he had to wear husky pants! He was bothered by it, so he just watched what he ate (no more 4 slices of pizza ), and he was always physically active anyway (4 teams per season - he just ended up with mom's crappy metabolism, unlike his super skinny siblings, who can eat anything). He's now about 5'3", 115, and finally a normal BMI, instead of "at risk." I felt so sorry for him, the summer he insisted on wearing a swim shirt all summer (he was getting those man-****s). He loves The Biggest Loser.

 

[minkydog]

Christian did this too. Of all my kids, he is the one with the Mediterraean build--solid & broad. Looking back at his earlly middle school pics, he was a little chunky. But once he hit his first growth spurt he lengthened out and lost all the baby fat. Now he's 15, 5'9" and 118-lbs--lean and mean(well, not reallly, He's a sweetheart!)

Just keep an eye on it. Basketball ought to help out. Make sure you don't keep junk in the house. My rule is you can have all the junk food you want--as long as you're willing to walk down the Publix to get it(2 miles)

 

[punkin]

My kids always filled out before shooting up. I think that's normal.

 

[marcyinPA]

Thank you everyone! I feel better!

I think the pounds show on him more because he is only 54" tall. He's the shortest kid in his class...but soooo cute!!

I am trying not to say too much about it in front of him, but I will admit that I did the "inward sigh" when I saw how tight his jeans were the other day. I told him we needed to eat healthier and get out and get more exercise. Less couch, more outdoors.

 

[Momvic5]

My older son did the same thing.....he has always been tall, but he was very thin until we had his tonsils removed at 7yrs old. Immediately, he gained 20lbs, and then his weight just seemed to steadily go up. When he was 11-12yrs old, I want to say that he weighed about 120lbs. Then he started growing taller at about age 13, and now at age 14, he is 5'11" and 152lbs. He is solid muscle. It is amazing how their bodies grow and change from a little boy to a young man in what seems like a short period of time. I have pictures of him around the house when he was younger and heavier, and he hates them. I love them though....he was my little boy. Now, my 9 yr old son is beginning to put on weight. He has always been very tall and thin, but within the last year, he has been growing around the waist. He doesn't seem to be gaining weight as quickly as my older son did, but he is gaining. I did worry about my older son when he was younger, but after seeing his transformation, I am not worried about my younger son at all. My dd11, on the otherhand, is tall but still very thin. She hasn't had the same growth pattern as my sons...Maybe when puberty hits.....

 

[Colleen27]

My son put on quite a bit of weight at 10-11, enough that we were concerned about it because he wasn't a thin kid to begin with. Then he hit a growth spurt, picked up about 4" seemingly overnight, and was right back to being solid but not overweight. He's active and has a pretty good diet, and he's very motivated to stay in shape because he plays football and baseball. It just seems to be his growth pattern to get a bit chubby before he shoots up.

 

[SpecialK]

Couldn't you go up a pants size and hem the pants? I had to go that route with my youngest when the same thing happened. Better than wearing uncomfortable pants.