I’m pretty sure I wasn’t fooling anyone. For moms, it can be easy to get obsessed with growth charts and to think that bigger is better. But just like adults, kids come come in all sizes, and there is always going to be someone rocking the fifth percentile. Moms who have a little one who is, well, a little one, have an interesting perspective. Some of them find their kids’ size makes them extra fierce or scrappy. Others wish people would keep their comments on their kids’ size to themselves! Read on for the frustrating, funny, and sometimes sweet experiences of kids who are small but mighty. “Sometimes it works to her advantage because older girls especially think she is adorable and will allow her to hang around with them. It is harder for her to get into sports though, especially things that have more kids running at each other like soccer, because she just gets plowed over. — Amber W., Saint Paul, Minnesota “He also used to ask me if he was growing taller a lot, but once we started marking [the kids’] heights on a wall, he could see for himself the progress he’s making. He just doesn’t know it’s not much progress compared to his brothers!” — Michaela A., Salina, Kansas “Like she needs an excuse for being small.” — Jennifer Y., Saint Paul, Minnesota More from CafeMom: Child Growth Charts: What Those Percentiles Really Mean “But mainly people (kids and adults) frame it positively by viewing her as ‘cute’ and I know people mean no harm and I try not to overthink it. But I think ‘girl + small = cute’ is very gendered and somewhat dangerous. I don’t want her to view her body as an ornament or something that needs to be kept small. “She recently asked me if she did something wrong as a baby and if that’s why she’s so small. But mainly she seems fine with it, understanding that size is part of human diversity.” — Marian H., Saint Paul, Minnesota More from CafeMom: 10 Creative Ways to Track Your Child’s Growth After the First Year (PHOTOS) “She has a June birthday so she could start kindergarten in the fall, but I think we’ll hold her back. She’s academically ready but probably not socially ready, and that plus her size make it seem like a good idea to give her an extra year to grow.” — Lindsay D., Minneapolis, Minnesota “One thing that is cute is that he has a list he keeps of short professional athletes. He calls it his inspiration list.” — Val E., Newton, Iowa “I really want them to feel good about themselves and to not feel like their body is a problem to be solved, so we try to focus on being strong and healthy. “I have, however, been known to snap at strangers who comment about them needing to eat more and stuff like that. People — mind your own business!” — Michelle G., Queens, New York
title: “15 Moms On What It S Like To Have The Shortest Kid In Class” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-22” author: “Joan Doire”
I’m pretty sure I wasn’t fooling anyone. For moms, it can be easy to get obsessed with growth charts and to think that bigger is better. But just like adults, kids come come in all sizes, and there is always going to be someone rocking the fifth percentile. Moms who have a little one who is, well, a little one, have an interesting perspective. Some of them find their kids’ size makes them extra fierce or scrappy. Others wish people would keep their comments on their kids’ size to themselves! Read on for the frustrating, funny, and sometimes sweet experiences of kids who are small but mighty. “Sometimes it works to her advantage because older girls especially think she is adorable and will allow her to hang around with them. It is harder for her to get into sports though, especially things that have more kids running at each other like soccer, because she just gets plowed over. — Amber W., Saint Paul, Minnesota “He also used to ask me if he was growing taller a lot, but once we started marking [the kids’] heights on a wall, he could see for himself the progress he’s making. He just doesn’t know it’s not much progress compared to his brothers!” — Michaela A., Salina, Kansas “Like she needs an excuse for being small.” — Jennifer Y., Saint Paul, Minnesota More from CafeMom: Child Growth Charts: What Those Percentiles Really Mean “But mainly people (kids and adults) frame it positively by viewing her as ‘cute’ and I know people mean no harm and I try not to overthink it. But I think ‘girl + small = cute’ is very gendered and somewhat dangerous. I don’t want her to view her body as an ornament or something that needs to be kept small. “She recently asked me if she did something wrong as a baby and if that’s why she’s so small. But mainly she seems fine with it, understanding that size is part of human diversity.” — Marian H., Saint Paul, Minnesota More from CafeMom: 10 Creative Ways to Track Your Child’s Growth After the First Year (PHOTOS) “She has a June birthday so she could start kindergarten in the fall, but I think we’ll hold her back. She’s academically ready but probably not socially ready, and that plus her size make it seem like a good idea to give her an extra year to grow.” — Lindsay D., Minneapolis, Minnesota “One thing that is cute is that he has a list he keeps of short professional athletes. He calls it his inspiration list.” — Val E., Newton, Iowa “I really want them to feel good about themselves and to not feel like their body is a problem to be solved, so we try to focus on being strong and healthy. “I have, however, been known to snap at strangers who comment about them needing to eat more and stuff like that. People — mind your own business!” — Michelle G., Queens, New York
title: “15 Moms On What It S Like To Have The Shortest Kid In Class” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-25” author: “Mark Nieves”
I’m pretty sure I wasn’t fooling anyone. For moms, it can be easy to get obsessed with growth charts and to think that bigger is better. But just like adults, kids come come in all sizes, and there is always going to be someone rocking the fifth percentile. Moms who have a little one who is, well, a little one, have an interesting perspective. Some of them find their kids’ size makes them extra fierce or scrappy. Others wish people would keep their comments on their kids’ size to themselves! Read on for the frustrating, funny, and sometimes sweet experiences of kids who are small but mighty. “Sometimes it works to her advantage because older girls especially think she is adorable and will allow her to hang around with them. It is harder for her to get into sports though, especially things that have more kids running at each other like soccer, because she just gets plowed over. — Amber W., Saint Paul, Minnesota “He also used to ask me if he was growing taller a lot, but once we started marking [the kids’] heights on a wall, he could see for himself the progress he’s making. He just doesn’t know it’s not much progress compared to his brothers!” — Michaela A., Salina, Kansas “Like she needs an excuse for being small.” — Jennifer Y., Saint Paul, Minnesota More from CafeMom: Child Growth Charts: What Those Percentiles Really Mean “But mainly people (kids and adults) frame it positively by viewing her as ‘cute’ and I know people mean no harm and I try not to overthink it. But I think ‘girl + small = cute’ is very gendered and somewhat dangerous. I don’t want her to view her body as an ornament or something that needs to be kept small. “She recently asked me if she did something wrong as a baby and if that’s why she’s so small. But mainly she seems fine with it, understanding that size is part of human diversity.” — Marian H., Saint Paul, Minnesota More from CafeMom: 10 Creative Ways to Track Your Child’s Growth After the First Year (PHOTOS) “She has a June birthday so she could start kindergarten in the fall, but I think we’ll hold her back. She’s academically ready but probably not socially ready, and that plus her size make it seem like a good idea to give her an extra year to grow.” — Lindsay D., Minneapolis, Minnesota “One thing that is cute is that he has a list he keeps of short professional athletes. He calls it his inspiration list.” — Val E., Newton, Iowa “I really want them to feel good about themselves and to not feel like their body is a problem to be solved, so we try to focus on being strong and healthy. “I have, however, been known to snap at strangers who comment about them needing to eat more and stuff like that. People — mind your own business!” — Michelle G., Queens, New York
