Appropriate Age for child to count calories?

Im_NotPerfect

I struggle with a similar situation with my son. He'll be 6 in June, is 4'1" and weighs 80 lbs. He's ALWAYS been a big kid (literally from the day we brought him home from the hospital he has gained weigh steadily). Every time I bring it up to his DR, he's not concerned. He's active and we make sure he keeps active. I've been trying to make sure his snacks and portion sizes are limited and healthy. I've been making sure he gets outside whenever possible, etc.

I say do NOT count calories. Make it about healthy choices and keep him active. Congratulate him when he makes healthy choices and make sure that when he goes to his Grandma's, he realizes that he doesn't NEED to eat that much. I also had to put the kabash on that with my MIL.

Falling2Grace

I think all of us have our bad days and we need room for that (though very rarely!) and i think we all need to have the knowledge to make healthy food choices, but i dont see how being with his grandma a few weeks out of the year is going to make him pack on the pounds, even if he is eating cookies and pizza. (or whatever)

Evelyn_Gorfram

Um, I count 11 weeks and change between now and July 1. Your son would have to lose nearly 1lb/week to make that, which is what's considered safe for *adults*. I wouldn't want a kid trying it without close supervision from a doctor and a nutrtionist.

Maybe you could go talk to the coaches or teachers in charge of the football program and ask them whether there might be a way to let your son be included in the younger group. Most teachers & coaches are impressed by that sort of demonstration of parental support, and they often have the discretion to bend the rules alittle for a kid they have a good reason to have faith in.

If your son has only just turned 12 in the last six weeks, you can make the point that he's a "young 12." Also, his height is in about the 50th percentile for 12 years old, & slightly below that if he's been 12 for more than a couple of months.

(I totally get where your son is coming from. My brother was 6' tall and around 200 lb by the time he was 14. He looked like he could have squashed a 4'11", 125 lb kid like a bug - my brother wouldn't ever have done it, but he sure looked like he could.)

While you're talking to the coaches/teachers, ask what you and your son could do to start getting him into shape for football. (This will probably impress them, and) then you can take their recommendations, leaving aside any that are impractical or otherwise unsuitable, and put together a 'pre-football conditioning program" for your son. That might have a better psychological cast to it than a "weight-loss" program as such.

I wish both you and your son good luck in this.

Dudagarcia

I would seek out a registered dietician and get her advise on this.

cramernh

I think all of us have our bad days and we need room for that (though very rarely!) and i think we all need to have the knowledge to make healthy food choices, but i dont see how being with his grandma a few weeks out of the year is going to make him pack on the pounds, even if he is eating cookies and pizza. (or whatever)

It doesnt matter .. this is not Grandma's son, this is her grandson. If OP tells her mother "I do not want this type of food served to my child", her mother needs to respect that 150%.

OP - please... as I indicated in my original reply - seek the advise of the child's Pediatrician to find a Registered Dietician that works with kids... or, if you are strapped for money, you can easily talk with your local health department. They are a great resource of information that can help you out appropriately....

carolyns19

A few thoughts:

I work in a public school-- there is nothing going on there that your son is missing out on, trust me.

Really this is all in your hands:
-Feed him healthy, nutritious things.
-Teach him about portions-- kids are often shocked to find out their stomach is the size of their fist.
-Buy him a pedometer, set family challenges to reach a certain number on it
-Make going for walks and doing exercise part of homeschooling (think about joining a local indoor pool, and doing swimming
-Send him to grandma's with different food
((educate him on reading ingredient lists-- if you can't pronounce it, should it be in your body??)) Maybe HE can refuse grandma's junk!

DON'T count calories. That is not the sort of way you want you son looking at food. You want him to recognize it as fuel! Many grocery stores have dieticians (at least they do in Iowa City, IA), and they will meet with your son, walk him around the store, etc.

There are probably other homeschoolers that are looking for a way to teach nutrition-- contact your local homeschool moms/dads.

There are most likely books for children that are aimed at explaining nutrition.

Lastly, engage him in cooking classes. Kids will ALWAYS try what they prepare. I have students that won't touch veggies, but we went on a field trip to the grocery store and made veggie pizza (where they didn't have an option to add pepperoni and HAD to have veggies on every slice)-- they SCARFED it down.

Falling2Grace

I think all of us have our bad days and we need room for that (though very rarely!) and i think we all need to have the knowledge to make healthy food choices, but i dont see how being with his grandma a few weeks out of the year is going to make him pack on the pounds, even if he is eating cookies and pizza. (or whatever)

It doesnt matter .. this is not Grandma's son, this is her grandson. If OP tells her mother "I do not want this type of food served to my child", her mother needs to respect that 150%.

.

i totally agree! she does need to respect that fully....but the OP needs to tell her mother her expectations, no?
...on top of that, 12 yr olds do have some level of self control...

peace_pigeon

So much great advice! Disordered eating is becoming so common at younger ages in kids and is becoming more common amongst boys as well as girls. I agree that focusing on calories can be really dangerous at this age. What I do with my daughter is try to focus on activity- having her play outside with friends as much as possible- ride her bike, scooter, play with the dog (good for the dog too, lol), go for walks with me, hike, anything to get moving, as long as it is PLAY and fun and not a chore. I do talk about what is healthy food and why too much sugar and flour/processed junk is bad. At 11 she is already feeling pressured to be uber thin, and it scares me to death. I guess the more that we can teach balance, healthy habits and positive self image, the better we can protect them from all of the crazy pressure out there and help them avoid the pitfalls of being unhealthy in either extreme.