In the last few weeks, my older daughter experienced a growth spurt unlike any I have seen with her before. She turned 6 in January, and has had her normal growth spurts up until now, but they were always as follows. Gets a little chubby, shoots up a half inch or more or a shoe size practically overnight and is skinny like a bean pole again. A bean pole with ankles or a tummy showing. This time was different, she got chubby then got wider. Like mommy do a double take wider. And she just looks older, like she went from cute little cuddly 5 year old to if you didn’t know me you’d think I was 8 all in the course of a few weeks.
Since I’m no pediatrician, I turned to my favorite source of info, Dr. Google. Come to find out this is completely normal and called adiposity rebound, which is “the second rise in body mass index between 6 and 7 years old.” So the timing is spot on. What I also found was that there are numerous studies that link early adiposity rebound, as in earlier than 6 to 7 years old, with obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life. I think she’s fine, being that this didn’t come to happen until she was past 6 and she’s been slim since she turned 1, but I still worry. She was a chubby baby and I’ve fought with my weight my whole life, as have most of the women on both sides of the family, but I’m not going to project that on her.
So now that I know what caused that crazy growth spurt, I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing. Mostly healthy foods, fresh air and activity as the weather permits and bigger pants, no more slims for this little lady. Next on my list, finding a store with kids jeans on sale.