From Deborah, Child's Age 8 - 03/15/05 - IP#: 216.126.121.xxx Click here to reply
Hello. I'm new to this site. My daughter is turning 8 next week and is a beautiful, vibrant little girl. she is also a full head taller and considerably heavier than all the other children in her second grade class. She is 'big all over', not just chubby. She is very strong, and is muscular. In addition, she has recently begun pre-pubertal development (pubic hair, breasts beginning). Her self esteem is taking a nose dive and I don't know what to do.We did have her blood work done and the first time, it showed a TSH of 18...very high, apparently. Reference range says 4 is maximum. Other enzymes were all over the map too, apparently. Second and third rounds of blood work however seemed to normalize, and the pediatrician said not to worry, she is just in early puberty. Her enjoyment of life is really going downhill. She has decided she won't participate in a field trip to the swimming pool with her class tomorrow. Too embarassing, she says, with her "yucky hair" and her "fat belly". We tell her in a thousand ways how beautiful she is, and we can't get through. The messages she gets from everywhere else are stronger, I guess. She is also a perfectionist, and compares herself poorly to others at times. How does one put a child on a diet? The pediatrician said she would never want us to do that, although she said our daughter was definitely overweight. Our child is active...2 dance classes a week, gymnastics class, walking to and from school...what else can we do? I think she is lovely, and strong, and powerful. She only wants to look like the petite 7 year old girls in her class. Ideas?Thanks.
Reply from jd, Child's Age 9 - 01/16/06 - IP#: 84.158.83.xxx Hi, Your message was very close to my heart. My 9 year old daughter is also a lot "bigger" than the rest of the girls in her class. She is also the oldest child in the class, this combined with her being new has made this a difficult year. Although she is very popular, she has often mentioned her weight and size in comparison to the other girls in the class. I also think that she is beautiful. She reminds me of myself at that age, kind of an akward stage for me, then I slimmed out as I got taller. I just hate for her self esteem to be low. I noticed that this post was almost a year ago, and I am wondering how you are all doing now? Thanks for posting.
Reply from Shari, Child's Age 9 - 06/20/05 - IP#: 69.137.22.xxx I would take your daughter to an Endocrinologist, If she is getting hair and breast in second grade she will be getting her period around 6 months later. My neice got hers at 8.5 and was to young to handle it. The endocrinologist had blood work and an xray done. Her bone age was of a 12 year old. He put her on shots every month to stop puberty until shes old enough to handle it. They also say if you let them go into early puberty they will not grow much more than 4 feet 10 inches. Good luck. My daughter is seeing an endocrinologist for her weight she is 9 and 114 pounds I was afraid she would go into early puberty cause of her weight.
Reply from Charles, Child's Age 16 - 03/19/05 - IP#: 208.57.95.xxx Beauty in every species comes in all sizes -- horses have thoroughbreds and clydesdales, dogs have greyhounds and St Bernards. Redwoods and palm trees are anotherexample. Why should we expect humankibd to be any different? If she's active and eating sensibly I agree with the doctors: she shouldn't be hounded simply because her hormnes are acting crazy.
Reply from Kate, Child's Age 3 - 03/16/05 - IP#: 68.37.214.xxx Basically, there isnt to much you can do...girls younger and younger are going threw puberty (sorry about spelling). they are going threw it do to many things such as hormones in the foods they eat to genetics. its great she is so active, and tell her to keep it up. do not put her on a diet or restrict her eating in any way, she is still growing. tell she is normal and how much u love her everyday.
