Growth charts are tools that track your child’s height and weight compared to other children of the same age and gender. They provide a standardized way to monitor your child’s growth over time. The lines on a growth chart represent percentiles that your child’s measurement falls compared to other children. For example, if your child is in the 50th percentile for weight, it means they weigh more than 50% of children their age and gender and less than 50%.
Percentiles are not like grades. A child in the 5th or 95th percentile can still be perfectly healthy.
Once your child is over the age of 2 years, their height and weight will be plotted on a BMI chart. This is a screening tool for tracking a child’s weight in relation to their height. BMI does not directly measure body fatness. Body mass also includes lean mass, such as muscles and bones. For example, a very muscular child might have a high BMI but not have excess body fat. There is a wide range of healthy BMIs, and the importance is in the overall pattern of growth over time.
DNA, a copy of genes (basic units of heredity) from both the father and mother to the child, plays a role in how children grow and what size they become but genes do not work alone. Factors like your child’s environment (what they are exposed to) and lifestyle (habits) can also determine how genes work.
Family Resemblance: Your child might look like you or other family members. This is because of the genes they get from you.
Body Type: Genes also decide your child’s body type, like if they are naturally thin, average, or have a larger frame.
Growth Pattern: Every child grows at their own pace, but genes influence when and how fast they grow.
Normal Variation: Even if your child is smaller or bigger than other kids their age, it might just be their genes at work. It’s normal for children in the same family to be different sizes.
There is a proven way that you can raise your child to be a confident and competent eater with long-lasting positive attitudes and behaviors toward food and eating. As a result, your child will grow in a way that is right for them.
Feeding the best way involves following the Satter Division of Responsibility (sDOR) in Feeding, where you and your child have distinct and separate roles.
Parent: Choose what to include in the meal or snack. Decide time and place to sit down together and share the same food. Relax and enjoy your meal. Trust your child will do their part with eating.
Child: Politely picks and chooses from what has been provided and decides how much or whether they eat.
sDOR is simple but can feel hard. With structure and consistency, sDOR will get easier and easier.
Fueling Up for Growth:
Your child’s body needs food to grow. Meals and snacks give your child the energy to run, play, learn, and sleep well.
You don’t have to be super strict, but having a general idea of when meals and snacks will happen each day can make a big difference. Every child is different, and some days might get a little off schedule. The important thing is to create a predictable rhythm for eating.
Worrying about your child’s size (too small or too big), or how your child eats (not enough or too much) can get in the way of feeding them well and how they grow. The following guide shows the risks of short-term control over your child’s diet and weight versus the benefits of focusing on their overall well-being.
You may be tempted to get your child to gain weight by pushing your child to eat more and/or to eat certain kinds of foods.
Your child will lose the ability to regulate food intake on their own. They will eat more food than they need to please you or avoid punishment.
Your child will become a picky eater and develop a poor attitude about food.
Your intentions will backfire. If you try to make your child eat more, they will eat less and refuse the foods you pressure them to eat.
Mealtimes will be stressful. Your child will show poor mealtime behavior.
Your child may grow up struggling with eating and weight.
You may be tempted to get your child to lose weight by limiting their access to certain kinds of foods and the amount of food they eat.
Your child will crave restricted (tasteful, snack, treats) foods. Your child’s appetite will be high, resulting in sneaking and overeating when there is a chance.
Your child will lose awareness of their feelings of hunger and fullness.
Your child will develop negative emotions and behaviors with eating, like anxiety and stress. They feel there is something wrong with themselves.
Your child will feel deprived and afraid of going hungry.
Your child may grow up struggling with eating and weight.
Mealtimes will be stressful. Your child will show poor mealtime behavior.
Your child will become picky and develop a poor attitude about food.
You trust your child to grow at their own pace into the body that is right for them.
Your child looks forward to mealtimes and behaves well there.
Your child trusts that you will allow them to eat what and how much they want from the food you include in the meal.
Your child feels confident and good about themselves.
Your child is comfortable with new foods.
Your child is good at listening to and trusting their internal cues of hunger and fullness.
Kids are born wanting to move! When they get active every day, it helps them learn about and love their bodies, which is important for growth. Playing physically builds their muscles and stamina, makes their bones stronger, and even gets their metabolism going. Plus, they get better at important skills like speed, agility, power, coordination, and balance.
Your job is to offer safe chances for your child to move daily, without any pressure. Just let them get active naturally. Following the Satter Division of Responsibility in Activity can really help guide this process, encouraging movement and growth.
Remove TVs from your child’s room and set limits on TV and screens.
Watch less than 1 hour of high-quality programming together
Click the following link for ideas on family play and activity:
Getting enough sleep is important for your young child’s growth. When kids sleep, their bodies do a lot of important work. Here’s why:
Create a regular bedtime routine. This could include bathing, reading a story, and quiet time before bed.
Avoid TVs and other screens at least an hour before bedtime. Screens can make it harder to fall asleep.
Don’t put TVs or other screens in your child’s bedroom.
Sleep Problems:
Stress can make it hard for kids to sleep well. When children don’t get enough sleep, their bodies might not make enough of the growth hormones that help them grow.
Eating Changes:
Stress can change how kids eat. Some children don’t want to eat when they are stressed, so they don’t get the food they need to grow. Other kids might eat too much, which can also cause problems.
Less Movement:
Stress can make a child quiet and still. While movement is important for growth, their emotional needs come first. Before encouraging play, focus on offering comfort. This could be as simple as a cuddle on the couch or letting them know you’re there for them.
So, to help your child grow well, it’s important to help them feel safe, happy, and learn how to handle stress.
Silventoinen, K., Maia, J., Li, W. et al. Genetic regulation of body size and morphology in children: a twin study of 22 anthropometric traits. Int J Obes 47, 181–189 (2023). Genetic regulation of body size and morphology in children: a twin study of 22 anthropometric traits | International Journal of Obesity
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. In brief: How are genes passed on? [Updated 2023 Jan 30]. Available from: In brief: How are genes passed on? – InformedHealth.org – NCBI Bookshelf Growth Spurts & Baby Growth Spurts — What They Are & What To Do
Solve your child’s feeding problems
https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/childhood-feeding-problems/
It’s a Kid’s Job | NIH News in Health
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/07/it-s-kid-s-job
The Satter Division of Responsibility in Activity
ellynsatterinstitute.org/how-to-feed/the-division-of-responsibility-in-activity/
Media and Young Minds | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics
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Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need? – HealthyChildren.org
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Sävendahl L. The effect of acute and chronic stress on growth. Sci Signal. 2012 Oct 23;5(247):pt9. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.2003484. PMID: 23092892. The effect of acute and chronic stress on growth – PubMed
Ans AH, Anjum I, Satija V, Inayat A, Asghar Z, Akram I, Shrestha B. Neurohormonal Regulation of Appetite and its Relationship with Stress: A Mini Literature Review. Cureus. 2018 Jul 23;10(7):e3032. doi: 10.7759/cureus.3032. PMID: 30254821; PMCID: PMC6150743. Neurohormonal Regulation of Appetite and its Relationship with Stress: A Mini Literature Review
American Psychological Association. (2024, October 22). How to help children and teens manage their stress (accessed July 21, 2025)
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Side-Lying Hold
This hold is useful when:
Cross-Cradle Hold
This hold is useful when:
Clutch or “Football” Hold
This hold is useful when:
Cradle Hold
This hold is useful when:
Laid-Back Hold
This hold is useful when: