Can I share a little something with you? Parenting a petite child can be incredibly stressful at times.
My first two kids have what I like to call “average” sizes. My eldest is a giant among his peers, towering over them and outweighing most by several pounds. My middle child hovers around the 50th percentile—if you look up the average height and weight for a boy his age, you’ll find it’s almost identical to his actual stats. I’ve never had to worry about their growth; they’ve maintained a steady trajectory for years.
Then comes my third child.
She’s so small that she barely registers on the growth chart. At birth, my daughter weighed just six pounds and measured eighteen inches. Although she has always nursed well and grown steadily, it’s been a slow journey with no significant growth spurts.
When it comes to food, she’s not enthusiastic. She’ll nibble on almost anything, but she only wants a couple of bites. To humor me, she might take a few extra bites. Whether it’s avocado toast, broccoli, Greek yogurt, chicken nuggets, or even an ice cream sundae, it’s all the same to her—she’s indifferent. The one exception? Blueberries. Everything else is just “meh.”
Despite her small size, she actually eats enough—though it requires a lot of planning on my part. Eating is just another task on her daily to-do list that she tends to squeeze in between playing and chasing the dog.
Whenever we venture out, at least one person always comments on her size. She behaves like a one-year-old, but she’s the same size as my older kids were at around seven months. It can be confusing. Is she an exceptionally small toddler or a very advanced infant? (As a side note: please refrain from commenting on anyone’s size, even babies. It’s just rude.)
At her doctor’s check-ups, her size is a topic of conversation, though the doctor isn’t overly concerned about her health yet. Each appointment shows a slight increase in weight, which is encouraging, but we still want her to stay on the chart.
My husband and I have spent countless hours online searching for creative ways to enhance the nutritional value of the foods she does eat. However, we know forcing her at mealtimes won’t help. We can only offer a variety of foods and let her take the lead—this has been our strategy since she began solids.
My worry escalated during her recent 12-month check-up when we found out her iron levels were slightly low. While this is common for breastfed babies, the solution was a challenge. The pediatrician prescribed an iron supplement that smells and tastes like rusty metal. I tried it myself and gagged. No surprise that my little one wanted nothing to do with it.
The nurse suggested hiding it in orange juice or chocolate pudding. We tried both, but my clever child saw right through it. She promptly rejected the pudding and went on a three-day hunger strike, opting only to breastfeed. Even her beloved blueberries ended up on the floor for the dog.
Now, I find myself with a tiny child who needs more iron but is resistant to both the medicine and larger portions of iron-rich foods. How do I convince my one-year-old to eat more or take the drops? She just isn’t interested. This situation is a whole ordeal.
As much as my anxiety urges me to obsess over her size, I remind myself that she is healthy and it’s perfectly okay for her to be small. Growth charts can’t define her health; they only show how she compares to peers. We can manage the iron levels, too—there are other supplements available, and now that I know she needs extra, we can adjust her diet accordingly.
If you’re also parenting a petite child and your doctor has pointed out a change in their growth curve, you might be feeling stressed as well. I want to reassure both of us that as long as our healthcare providers aren’t worried about our child’s immediate health, it’s fine to monitor their growth without becoming overly fixated on it.
In the end, everything will work out. Toddlers are challenging, but they grow. I’ve spoken to many parents of older small kids who assure me that even the tiniest ones eventually grow up. Some become significantly larger, while others remain petite into adulthood, but they all do grow.
Our children may just be small, and that’s perfectly okay. After all, someone has to fill in the lower end of the growth charts. All body types are valid. As long as our kids have enough to eat and show no signs of serious health issues, being tiny is just another trait that adds to their uniqueness.
In the meantime, while I wait for my baby to grow, I’m going to enjoy that her clothes last longer and that she’s easy to carry. She’s not too small—she’s just adorably miniature. And for now, that’s exactly how she’s meant to be.
For more insights on parenting challenges, check out this other blog post.
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Summary:
Parenting a tiny child can be anxiety-inducing, especially when managing their nutritional needs and growth. While it’s essential to monitor their health, it’s equally important to remember that all children grow at their own pace. As long as they’re healthy and eating enough, being petite is just another aspect of their individuality.
Keyphrase: Parenting a tiny child
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