What is a "normal" height and weight for an almost 5 year old?

[thriftyqueen]

My son will be 5 in February. He seems really skinny and sort of short for his age, but I am not sure what normal is.

He is 42 inches and about 39 pounds. Can any of you give me the heights and weights of your kids so I can gauge if he is somewhat normal?

Thanks!

[teachma]

I can't remember his height at that age, but I do know he was above 50%ile for height. At his 5 year check up, he weighed 40 pounds. The dr didn't suggest this was a problem, though I was always worried about how skinny he seemed an dhow little he ate. I have no idea now how much he weighs (he turned 6 in August) but I have given up thinking too much about it.

[kdmama33]

My DS is exactly 5.5 years old and he weighs less than your DS at only 36 pounds. He really, truly is skinny -- it's a family thing on his dad's side that all of the boys are skinny. He is taller at 44 inches, but still not by much, and he's in the 75th percentile for his height (as of the last time I checked, anyway).

Sounds to me like your DS is pretty much average, or at least not abnormal.

[crl]

Well, my 3 1/2 year old is 40 1/2 inches and 38 pounds--but he's really big. The CDC has growth charts on their website. Here's a link:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/...l/cj41l021.pdf

Hope that helps,
Catherine

[s_kristina]

My dd is way off the top of the charts for height and weight. She will be going in for her 5 year check up in Jan shortly before her bday. She is about 48" and weighs in around 54lbs the last time I let her get on the scale at Publix.

[serenetabbie]

I think a lot of how big your child is depends on his genes. If you & your DH are petite, there is a good chance your DCs will also be

To compare my DS at almost 5 to any other kid at almost 5 is just unfair. The kid was always tall for his age. Now at 8, he wears the same size shoe as I do and comes up to my shoulder (almost 5 feet tall). The Ped. said he should be about 6 foot 4 when he is done growing. My DD, OTOH, is a year older than your DS (she is also a February baby, 2/9), and is much more petite (thank goodness! ). She is always in the 40% on the growth charts, and a little on the thin side. I don't know how much she weights... I can still pick her up, so she can't weigh too much She still wears a 5T, and most likely will until the end of the school year if prior year's growth records hold true

[Glover_Girls]

My dd turned 4 in August. She is about 39" tall and weighs 33 pounds.
I think your son sounds like he's just fine. "Normal" depends on several things including heredity. I am 5' 2" and fairly small (but athletic) and dd's father is nearly 6' and skinny. So my dd is shorter than "average" and weighs in around the 30th percentile. She'll be petite and that's okay. If your dc is getting routine annual exams and the doctor isn't concerned, then I wouldn't worry or compare him to other kids. You just can't tell what factors are influencing other kids' height or weight and it seems like more and more kids are running a bit on the larger side. As long as your dc is healthy is what's important.

[4evermom]

My ds was about 42" and 42 lbs when he turned 5. The few times he had check-ups, the charts put him at 50% for height and weight. Dh and I are 5'8" and 5'2". Ds seems to have a sturdy build, not skinny but not chubby. Your ds sounds right about average with a thinner build then mine.

I know 6 yos who are much smaller than ds and 4 yos who are much bigger and 3 yos who are the same size .

[Rigama]

My ds seems to be the smallest of the lot!

He will be 5 in March and is currently 39 inches and 33 lbs. I'm not worried though. He's clearly growing, and he's very healthy. I come from a very petite family, but dh is from a family of tall people. (I'm 5'2, my grandmother isn't even 5' my mom is about 5'1/2; dh is 6', his mom is close to 6' as well, and all his brothers are over 6'1). I think ds just got my genes. Sometimes it's frustrating for me that he's so small because people tend to treat him like a 2 year old, but he quickly sets them straight. Ironically, though, he's very smart and I find that dh expects more of him than is reasonable for a 4yo. Poor kid. Someone is always either treating him like a toddler or like a 7 year old! The one downfall, if I could call it that, is that at this rate he won't be big enough for a booster seat until he's 6!

[faythe]

He sounds pretty close to average to me, maybe a little bit on the small side. My twins were a little bit smaller than him at that age.

[Karry]

My 5.5 yo is smaller than your ds. Lucas is 31 lbs. and 41 in. tall. He's been off the chart for his weight since he was 9 months old though.

It sounds like your ds is fine. What does your ped think?

[Village Mama]

My 5 year old is pretty much the same as yours. He looks petite next to lots of other kids... but from what I recall he is pretty much in the middle of the charts. Funny, both of my boys are quite petite, but our families are quite tall. My uncle is 6'7. Doesnt look like those genes are coming through.... but who knows?!

[oldcrunchymom]

Originally Posted by s_kristina

My dd is way off the top of the charts for height and weight. She will be going in for her 5 year check up in Jan shortly before her bday. She is about 48" and weighs in around 54lbs the last time I let her get on the scale at Publix.

That's the same size as my almost-9 yo daughter.

[thriftyqueen]

Thanks so much for the input. I have just been concerned because when he was a baby he was so big. He was 20 lbs at 4 1/2 months old and now I can barely get him to gain any weight at all. He used to be really tall for his age and now he seems to be so much smaller than his classmates.

It is hard to know how genes will play out with him. My DH is about 5' 8" as am I. My family is quite tall and DH's family is short. It really doesn't matter to me if he is tall or not, but DH wants him to be tall. Or at least taller than him. I guess if he is healthy that is all that matters.

[lindberg99]

My son was huge when he was born, 4 lbs 13 oz and 17.25 in, which doesn't sound big but he was 10 weeks early! On his due date, he weighed over 10 lbs. Then throughout his first year, he was always 50-75% for his actual age which is big for a preemie (a lot of people go by preemie's "adjusted age" or how old they would have been if born on their due date).

Sometime around 2 years, he slowed down in his growth. At 3 he was about 36 in, maybe 40 in at 4 and probably about 42 in at 5 and almost 45 at 6. He's 6.5 now and has always been in the 50% for height but he does seem shorter than his classmates. But he's a May b-day so he's one of the younger ones in class too.

So it sounds like your son is kind of the same: big as a baby and then smaller as a kid. Even though your son's height is fine on a growth chart, odds are he's going to look small because there are some really tall kids out there! My son is usually about the same size as the girls in his class, most of the boys are taller. I'm 5'8" and my DH is 5' 10" and I have his baby book and he was about the same size as DS when he was 6. I think my DS will end up being about the same size.

[RiverSky]

I think the OP's son sounds just fine. My guess is that he is an active child and a healthy eater? My DD is 5 1/2, about 44 inches tall and 44 lbs and is slimmer than most or all of her friends that are around her age, but I wouldn't call her "skinny", she's very active and healthy, though she is quite a chocoholic when she can get it).

[babyj]

MY DS is similar to yours. He turned 5 the first week of November. His well check was 11/28.

Height 43"
Weight 39lbs w/ jeans & sweatshirt on.

They said this was about 40th percentile height & 50th percentile weight.

Ped thinks his growth is great from last years check.

I'm 5'6" and DH is 5'9".

DS eats very healthfully but is also very active - active play all the time so he burns it. Very much like DH who weighs 153lbs. I won't say what I weigh!!

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by hopeelise

Thanks so much for the input. I have just been concerned because when he was a baby he was so big. He was 20 lbs at 4 1/2 months old

Mine was, too. And I was half wondering why I bought an infant carseat that I only had the opportunity to use 5 times.

[TiredX2]

DS is generally average-small.

He was 5 in August and yesterday he was 43" and about 41 pounds.

In his kindergarten class he is definately in the smallest quarter of kids. But he is also the 2nd youngest. I remember when DD took a test in kindergarten and there were kids who I literally thought were younger (6 inches shorter than DD) AND older (c8-12 inches taller, 20-30 lbs heavier) siblings.

[Lovenest]

My son just went to the peds yesterday for his 4 yr check up.
He turned 4 in August.
He is in the 50% for both height and weight.
He is 38lbs and 41'' tall.
He does seem small next to other boys his age though. But, his dad and I are not big people so I figure he wont be either I am 5'1 and he is 5'8.