Putting Weight on My Kids

My kids are all on the slim side. Growing up, Edric and I were thin, too. I did have a tummy, but I had stick legs and long arms. I looked like an egg with extremities. Eventually, I grew into my limbs and my tummy flattened, especially with sports and an active lifestyle.

With my kids, it doesn’t seem to matter how many calories they eat. They don’t get chubby. It’s a blessing and a curse. In Asia, thin children are asked, “Why are you so skinny?” Relatives prefer their grandkids, nieces, and nephews to be round and huggable. It’s considered “cute.”

Well, I have had to let go of that and focus on their nutritional needs instead. My big concern is always, “Are they getting enough of what they need to grow and maintain a healthy weight?”

I’ve found that the best way to do this is to insist that all my kids drink Friso Four. Titus, for example, was always underweight. His body looked like a spider. Seriously. He was so thin. No matter what kind of vitamins or food I made him eat, he had a hard time gaining the pounds he needed to. Since he doesn’t have tuberculosis and he isn’t a sickly child, it would deeply concern me when he couldn’t get to his target weight. Eating became an issue at the table, with me forcing him to put more food on his plate. I am sure he became frustrated and discouraged with me and himself.

Finally, I decided that he ought to drink formula, even if he is an older child. Since Titus takes a long while to eat his food, it was so much easier for him to drink a glass of milk in the morning and at night.

In a span of a few months, he gained weight steadily. Recently, his lolo remarked that he looked healthier and had more meat on him. Hurray!

Although I thought that dairy may not be that good for my children (I have an intolerance myself), it turns out that my functional medicine doctor told me that kids need the nutrition they get from it. Each person is different, so what I can’t have doesn’t necessarily translate to what my kids can’t have either. Each child is different. If dairy is obviously affecting him or her in a negative way, then maybe they need an alternative. However, with my kids, dairy hasn’t had the same effect that it does on me. And Friso Four has a probiotic component that aids in digestion. Plus, it’s a one step heat process, which keeps the proteins from mutating.

For now, it’s working for my kids, especially the really skinny ones! Titus’ cheeks are filling out, and his rib cage is no longer visible when he is shirtless! He still has a few more pounds to go before he hits his goal, but at least he is finally getting there…