small boy

Hi you all!

I was wondering whether anyone here has some more experience about
kids small for their age.

I remarried and now have a 9th grade stepson.I
also have a 5th grade daughter of my own. I especially worry
about my stepson. He really is exceptionnally tiny and thin for a 9th
grader. He's only 4'3 tall and light as a feather. My 5th grade
daughter is 5'4 and strongly built. The difference between the two is
truely dramatic, both in size and strength. My daughter may be tall for a
5th grader, but all her friends also tower over him. He'd be the
smallest kid in her class!

His size is mainly due genetics I guess. His dad (my hubby now) is
half a head shorter than me and really thin.
His mom didnt even reach five feet.

I've also been thinking it would be good for him to get some
muscles or take on some weight. However he hates any physical
activity. He rather plays computer or video games. So what do you
think? Do you have some ideas? It's not that I expect or want him
to become a big strong guy or so.

Can anyone relate to this?

(Anneleen) wrote:

His size is mainly due genetics I guess. His dad (my hubby now) is
half a head shorter than me and really thin.
His mom didnt even reach five feet.

Sounds genetic to me. What does his pediatrician say?


I've also been thinking it would be good for him to get some
muscles or take on some weight. However he hates any physical
activity.

Take his electronic doodads away for a while, or limit their use,
and insist on exercise. He's probably in the "won't work out in
public because they laugh at me" stage. Buthe's setting himself
up for an early decline and a frail, sickly adulthood.

Martial arts are good - speed and agility count more than bulk,
and it's fun.
Track, especially cross country, favors lightweights with
stamina.
Resistance training (bow-flex, nautilus,etc) machines can improve
strength and stamina and add a bit of muscle.

If he's a genuine lightweight who can build strength, wrestling
is divided by weight class. One of my high school friends was
maybe 5 feet tall and his natural (no diets or deprivation)
weight was 95 pounds. He regularly mopped up the floor with
opponents who should have been in a higher weight class but for
some reason felt they could lose 15-20 pounds and beat him.

Tsu Dho Nimh

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