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Parenting Challenge (III) - Tiny No More...Now is Small...

One of my long term torturous pain in having a child is to feed my child.  Probably born with a bad reflux problem, food never seems to stay in for long in her stomach.  First, there was an allergy to milk powder so she could only be on soy milk.   Since baby she has been in the 3rd percentile for weight until recently it became better.  Then the reflux issue,so I spent my days of bringing her up cleaning the house many times over when she puked all over the house.    She ate but all would go to waste by the vomiting.  This phenomenon does not stop completely now, it is just reduced.  However, I still thank God that there has been improvement and what I really like to share is that Patience sometimes does pay off.

The worst moment for me was when she completely stopped growing for one year.  It is amazing when a child does not grow for a whole long year!!  There was no weight increase at all with minimal height increase and she became rather scrawny and petite.  When she started school in P1 3 years ago, she was next to the shortest in class.  Her school bag overshadowed her and there was little to see of her from the back, just legs and head.  This pushed the panic button further because some year end children were much taller than she was so I could not even find an excuse for her smallness.   Another horror came when a friend told me at such a size, it was easy to topple easily from the stairs in the school like her child who had fallen mutiple times and returned home with many bruises.  You should have seen the look on my face then....a sign of failure as a mum for me...downcast.

So the force feeding project commenced.   It started innocently with lunchboxes treat and as the days went by, the treat was proven to be a success with her.  Slowly and steadily she was overtaking friends in her class.  By P2, she was promoted to queue in the 5th position when the children were tiled against the wall to check their heights.  The same  FT from P1 made a comment in P2....."Wow, it seemed that you have grown quite a bit...probably the most significant one in the class"

Now in the new year, again they get set against the height ranking exercise and I was so pleased when she informed me she is queuing in the 10th position now.  I suppose this is one statistics from school that I welcome the ranking number to get as big as possible.

So for parents with tiny tots like mine, don't fret.  There is always hope and these days my child will chant this to me whenever she feels like it.... "Mummy, I just realised that amongst all the things I need to do, eating is actually the easiest to do....." 

Ha!!  If only she realised this eons ago then she could go on the Gyro Drop or Gyro Swing in our latest escapades.....but all is not lost....she is only a few cm short of the qualification height now, which means she would have easily exceeded by end of this year at this same rate of growth.  At least she could already enjoy all the adult's roller coaster rides by last year, that was a bonus in itself.

Well, relative to her age group kids, she is still a considerably small person (sometimes I wonder if children are also growing alot bigger these days to amplify the effect of her petiteness.... ) but I am really happy with the quantum leap in the efforts that she has put in to feed herself well.  Take heart.

Here are some examples of the lunchbox treats as requested:




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Submitted by ksi on Wed, 05/01/2011 - 8:14am

Impressive!

Hi ksi!

 My son shortest in upto K2.Then p1 he grew not shortest in the class.Then again now he is very short.He need very tasty food.He brought money to school,but didn't buy breakfirst then brought back and buy drink/ice cream from shop.So I planned next term onwards I prepare very tasty food and pack for him.You proved for me hardwork payoff!

smartmummy | Mon, 20/06/2011 - 10:45pm

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing!

smartmummy | Mon, 20/06/2011 - 10:45pm

Thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing

WCW | Tue, 07/06/2011 - 11:42am

thanks for sharing

thanks for sharing

amylqf | Fri, 18/02/2011 - 2:52pm

the lunch box looks yummy n

the lunch box looks yummy n cute

amylqf | Thu, 20/01/2011 - 4:39pm

Oh my, KSI, you are such an

Oh my, KSI, you are such an expert in Bento set. Everything here is so pretty and cute! I must get some tips from you, other than BREAD MAKING....  

CONGRATULATIONS!  See, your effort paid off and your daughter is no longer the shortest in class!

 

Happy Mama | Wed, 19/01/2011 - 6:51pm

Thanks Happy Mama......now

Thanks Happy Mama......now you understand that I am "forced" to be "domesticated" by my child........she changed my life completely.... 

ksi | Thu, 20/01/2011 - 7:10am

Ksi, Your bento is kawaii

Ksi,

Your bento is kawaii and nutritious!  You must have got the moulds, tools and bento boxes to help make lunch delicious for your dd.  I know it takes a lot of effort to make a cute bento.  I'm sure all kids love'em ;-)

Fettuccine | Mon, 17/01/2011 - 11:15pm

Thanks Fettucine! Yes I

Thanks Fettucine!

Yes I have to invest in the tools and all but I believe all parents are the same.  All of us will do what it takes to improve our kids' health and well-being.   I suppose now I also appreciate better what my parents used to do for us. :)

ksi | Tue, 18/01/2011 - 8:20am

Wow, buddy, you are an

Wow, buddy, you are an inspiration!  I am going to try these things myself.  DS3 is so small, he is beginning to disappear in class.  Everybody else is towering over him in class.  And, you can imagine I am not used to this.  3 of my kids are always queue number 40+ (Tallest), and one of them queue number 20+. I think DS3 is queue number 5 or 6.

Thanks for the tips.  Will do this from tomorrow.  Buy some nice lunch boxes, wake up a little earlier.

2ppaamm | Sun, 16/01/2011 - 8:45am

Hi buddy! You are a bigger

Hi buddy!

You are a bigger inspiration to me n many others!!
I am sure with your tenacity and perseverance level, you brave thru virtually anything. So this is a little challenge God poses but I am certain your inner strength will see you through.
I have seen you putting up with tougher issues but you have handled all well.

So I believe in you, you CAN do it!!!!!!!!

Best regards,

ksi | Mon, 17/01/2011 - 5:09pm

Thanks tree nymph! She is

Thanks tree nymph!

She is not considered premature but pre-term.  Of course born small to begin with but not to the extent of premature's weight.

Oh so you have the same challenge huh?   Hopefully he learns to enjoy the fun of eating with his siblings too.

I agree sometimes water is indeed a "culprit".  My girl must eat and drink at the same time and this balloons up her tummy too.  She can drink like a buffalo at times so she is probably made up more of water than bones and flesh.  :)

ksi | Sun, 09/01/2011 - 2:06pm

Well done!

ksi,

is your gal a premature baby?

My #1 is a very picky eater.  I have problems with him eating too little and he is exercising too much, so he has actually lost weight but getting taller every year.  This year, my 'side project' with him is to fatten him up by making him eat more, and more variety too.  Don't think its going to be easy, but i will try!  first thing first, no drinking of water until after he finish his food!

tree nymph | Sun, 09/01/2011 - 12:28am

hi ksi, your perseverence paid off

hi ksi, your perseverence paid off.

think u must be really over the moon when u see your effort being converted into yr girl's weight gain.

it's really worrisome when parents notice that their precious kids are "not growing" when compared to other kids. My gal stopped eating porridge after 1 1/2 yrs old. She simply detested porridge,  rice or noodles even when i varied the ingredients. I had to try all sorts of food to get her eat her meal. Whenever she was hungry, she would only asked for milk. So i tried giving her mashed potatoes, egg custard, tofu with steamed egg, buns, biscuits and cakes. Thats' right, these are the food which she ate till the age of 3.............kekeke

 

Augmum | Sat, 08/01/2011 - 6:24pm

Thanks Augmum! You said it

Thanks Augmum!

You said it "worrisome" indeed!

Glad you have crossed the bridge and your gal is so grown now I believe.  As I said, all mommies are the same, would seek out all solutions that worked, whatever it took. :)

Kudos to you!

cheers

ksi | Sun, 09/01/2011 - 2:00pm

Hi ksi, WOW!  Your

Hi ksi,

WOW!  Your lunchbox looks really delicious!  Really "yong xing liang ku"  mama, pei-fu, pei-fu!   Seems like your formula is:  get a really cute lunch box, add in many colourful and interesting food, even printed and cut-out bread!  And decorated quail eggs?  How can any kid resist???

I am so tempted to try it out, if not for the fact that my boy already loves to eat!

Really great, ksi!

DesertWind | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 6:32pm

Thank you DesertWind, you

Thank you DesertWind, you are really sweet.
I suppose all moms will do their best to find out what fits their kids.

You are one lucky mommy, so blessed!!!!
Cheers

ksi | Sat, 08/01/2011 - 2:40pm

canbearit2, you really

canbearit2, you really brought back memories for me back in P1.  When I looked around, gosh the kids really towered over her, 95% of them.  I sometimes wonder if her cohort is special to have so many huge kids...

Btw, my PD also said the same thing, ok for gals to be petite...haha not when you worry they cannot even hold the handle on the bus or the MRT, right?    My PD was quite deadset against me putting her on Pedisure though as a PD he had to inform me that was one choice.  He felt that it is not so good to rely on Pedisure to "up" the weight and preferred me to feed her naturally.  At best, he would only prescribe lysine to increase the appetite.

So the eating regime has to be enforced which I call "forced feeding" in my article and once the habit is latched on them...it would be easier for us.

I wish you every success too.  The blog has been updated with 2 pictures of the lunchboxes ideas.

cheers.

ksi | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:57am

Thks for the encouragement

Thks for the encouragement ksi!!!  Hope it will pay off someday too.  :)

 

 

cantbearit2 | Sat, 08/01/2011 - 10:54pm

Go cantbearit2 Go!!!

Go cantbearit2 Go!!!

ksi | Sun, 09/01/2011 - 2:01pm

Thanks LKVM....it is a good

Thanks LKVM....it is a good reinforcement to me that Rome is not built in a day! 

cheers!

ksi | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:49am

Hi Brainkid, I am glad to

Hi Brainkid,

I am glad to be able to share with parents with similar issues like I faced.   Painful but at least we know we are not alone.

I think my dd never finds the pleasure in eating as well.   So these lunch treats finally hit a chord somewhere in her head.  At least now I know she will diligently finish up everything on a daily basis.  In fact there were times she complained it was not enough in quantity...

So your macho boy can be a reality once he finds the pleasure in eating.

Press on and all the best.

cheers. :)

ksi | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:47am

Hi TENNISMOM, I have

Hi TENNISMOM,

I have updated my blog to include when I have prepared for her.  Hope it serves your purpose too, just don't give up.

:D

ksi | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:43am

Thanks smum....I wonder if

Thanks smum....I wonder if one day my dd will give me the opposite problem once she starts to overdo things.... hahaha....  parenting is never ending business...   Anyway, take heart, for a boy, NS will fix them eventually.

:D

ksi | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:41am

Thanks Desertwind. 

Thanks Desertwind.   Happy New Year too!  

You are right!!  I am indeed relieved now cos today I get another endorsement from someone I usually buy my dd's clothes from since baby days.  When she saw her today, she told me that she had grown significantly taller and bigger from the last she saw her.    She sells clothes so fitting for kids is at her finger tips. She could tell how tiny she was when she was younger.

:)

ksi | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:39am

Hi Angelight, Persevere on

Hi Angelight,

Persevere on is still the key I believe.   I don't have any real magic tricks behind the lunchboxes but I have updated my blog to share with you as requested.  I suppose this just appeals to her and she eats heartily.

All the best and I am sure you will taste the sweetness of her improvement some day.

cheers.

ksi | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:31am

Thanks hmsg for your

Thanks hmsg for your encouragement.   When the journey gets tough, a little push helps a major mile.

:)

ksi | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:27am

Thks for sharing.  It does

Thks for sharing.  It does gif mummy like me some reassurance that patience will pay off.

My DD1 is really small & petite.  This yr, she started P1 and came back telling me that there is 1 more gal as short as her.  Haha....she seems to know mummy is worried abt her.  In fact, I have not found anyone smaller than her during the orientation and on her 1st day of sch. sigh.

I keep giving myself excuses that she's born slightly premature, yr end bb, fussy eater, slow eater etc.... but at the end of the day, IM WORRIED!!!!  But PD kept telling me she's alright.

Guess I have 2b patient, juz like u. :)

 

cantbearit2 | Thu, 06/01/2011 - 11:06pm

Very nice Read

Hey ksi, thanks for this re-confirmation that we need to patient to achieve anything. Rome was not built in a day

LKVM | Thu, 06/01/2011 - 5:54pm

Need to learn from you

Thanks for sharing. You give me light.

My DS at 16months is in the 25 percentile and I always feel the PD has been very kind in the percentile rating. In fact, he looks like a 10 percentile or lower. He does not look short but definitely "slim" just as what the gym instructor describe. 

My DS was a fussy eater since 2 months. I can still remember him pretending to sleep (eyes tightly close with a grin) when I shook him up for his BM. I really shook him and turn him upside down. He just closed his eyes. Even my PD was laughing and said this lad of mine really has "CHARACTER" when  I described his "keh si-ness".

When he started his solid, it was a 1 hour torture every meal. He just refuse to open his mouth. I put in all the best ingredients- scallops, organic eggs and items. My saviour was my maid. She was very patient, carrying him when he eat even until now.

But my worry stay. What will happen when he go to school? Will he be taking the junks or go on hunger strike? ksi, please share your lunch box creativity so I can start building a macho son.

 

 

 

Brainkid | Thu, 06/01/2011 - 4:36pm

Thanks for sharing!

I am in the same position as you, my DD is always amongst the shortest few in class. May I know what you pack for lunchbox treats? I am tempted to do the same!

TENNISMOM | Thu, 06/01/2011 - 4:14pm

Thanks for sharing. My

Thanks for sharing. My problem is that DS2 is growing horizontally only!

smum | Thu, 06/01/2011 - 4:02pm

Thanks for sharing, ksi! It

Thanks for sharing, ksi!

It must have been such a relief to see your girl grow and catch up with the development chart.  For me, my boy is the opposite, he tends on the overweight as he likes to eat.  But that is another matter altogether.

Happy New Year!

DesertWind | Thu, 06/01/2011 - 3:58pm

Hi ksi, thanks for sharing

Hi ksi, thanks for sharing this! My DD is somewhat like your girl, except that mine is a super fussy eater and slow eater to boot. So it's extremely frustrating and even agonising to coax her to eat , and eat faster every day 3 times a day (for 3 meals). Imagine the stress!! 

So it's not surprising that DD is a little on the petite side. Though I can see that she is growing taller, her weight doesn't seem to go up much. I'm worried but there is nothing much I feel I can do (cos I have tried almost everything - coax, encourage, force-feed, even bribe with sweets etc), so I can only pray and hope for the best.

Now that she is in preschool, I can see that she is smaller than most of the other kids...another worry that she would be bullied in school becos of her size. *Sigh* Hopefully, she will realise that too, and learn to change her eating habit.

Btw, what lunchbox treats did you give to your girl that cause her to change?

Angelight | Thu, 06/01/2011 - 2:58pm

Great job! Perseverence is

Great job! Perseverence is the key to success!

hmsg | Thu, 06/01/2011 - 9:51am