Preteen boys growth spurt. What do I need to know?

[Anonymous]

So my 11-year-old DS seems to have entered a growth spurt phase. He has started eating two and a half times the amount of food he normally eats. And he has been sleeping till least 10 AM during this time off of school because of the blizzard. This is a child who has never slept past 8 AM. And normally only sleeps until 6:30 no matter what time he goes to bed. To be honest, he has never had a really big growth spurt. Couple this with severe ADHD- he takes meds to help him focus so that he can get things done at school and home. So I'm used to him eating a large breakfast no lunch or snack little dinner and a large snack before bed. But all of a sudden he's eating all day. For people who have the TD so I'm used to him eating a large breakfast no lunch or snack little dinner and a large snack before bed. But all the sudden he's eating all day. For people who have btdt, when a boy hits the queen years to the growth spurts change is he going to just literally shoot up overnight or will it remain a slow process like it's been?

[Anonymous]

My ADHD son didn't shoot up - it was gradual, but faster than his previous growth. One thing that did happen was that we had to adjust meds twice in one year - before that, we had gone five years with no adjustments at all. One suggestion - don't buy any clothes or shoes in anticipation of him needing the next size up. Sometimes a size gets skipped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So my 11-year-old DS seems to have entered a growth spurt phase. He has started eating two and a half times the amount of food he normally eats. And he has been sleeping till least 10 AM during this time off of school because of the blizzard. This is a child who has never slept past 8 AM. And normally only sleeps until 6:30 no matter what time he goes to bed. To be honest, he has never had a really big growth spurt. Couple this with severe ADHD- he takes meds to help him focus so that he can get things done at school and home. So I'm used to him eating a large breakfast no lunch or snack little dinner and a large snack before bed. But all of a sudden he's eating all day. For people who have the TD so I'm used to him eating a large breakfast no lunch or snack little dinner and a large snack before bed. For people who have btdt, when a boy hits the queen years to the growth spurts change is he going to just literally shoot up overnight or will it remain a slow process like it's been?

Queen should be teen-op here

[Anonymous]

Have you been giving him the meds when he wakes up at 10am? My son also has ADHD and hasn't been taking his meds until he wakes up at 10am. He is eating breakfast now like a horse because the meds haven't kicked in yet.

[Anonymous]

My teen boys eat like locusts. My younger teen would sleep until noon if I let him and is on a very quick growth spurt. My older teen eats a lot but has started to need a little less sleep - I think his growth has slowed a bit. But he is 6+ feet tall and needs calories.

Neither one of them stays up all that late. Neither one is on any type of meds.

[Anonymous]

It could go either way. Send extra big lunches so he can snack if starving. Bring food with you when you go out or pick him up from somewhere or you will spend a fortune stopping for junk food - it's almost like they are toddlers again, haha, but it costs way more. Brace yourself for him being "hangry", the negativity and foul attitude too.

[Anonymous]

Ha. It is almost like they are toddlers needing to be fed every few hours. Except now instead of a bunch of little snacks they want hearty meals...every few hours. Lol.

[Anonymous]

Our DS is 14 and has been growing rapidly for just over a year --- more than 6 inches from start of seventh grade to start of 8th, and about 1/2 inch in the last month.

His eating naturally goes in streaks --- sometimes he's very hungry and then he will go a day or two barely eating. I think part of this is low does ADHD meds and part of it is the ADHD itself --- eating is boring and there is other stuff he'd rather do unless he's starving. Combine that with being very active in sports, and we had an issue of him getting to be somewhat underweight and our pediatrician expressing concern.

Our solution has been to offer food very frequently because he does better with lots of small meals. I'd suggest making sure you pack plenty for lunch (and it can be stuff that can come back and be sent again if he's not hungry, like pretzels). Also, an after school snack, then dinner, then a second dinner an hour before bed are good. The late second dinner is great because by then meds have totally worn off.

[Anonymous]

my son's appetite seems to go in spurts too, and I feel like it has to be related to growth but who knows. he's 12 and hasn't really started a big spurt yet. he generally grows 2 inches or2.5 in or so a year but that rate is accelerating some recently. I think he grew close to 3 inches last year. his feet seem to grow faster than the rest of him, now a size 11 (! help). at our recent 12 yo check up, the doc said that it's common for the feet to spurt first which is interesting. my son has always needed a lot of sleep, but now he will sleep for 11-12 hours easy on the weekends when he can. I think in his case, his spurt will come in the next 1-2 years. his nose and chin are bigger, he's looking awkward (in an adorable way of course).

[Anonymous]

what's to know?

Feed the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DS is 14 and has been growing rapidly for just over a year --- more than 6 inches from start of seventh grade to start of 8th, and about 1/2 inch in the last month.

His eating naturally goes in streaks --- sometimes he's very hungry and then he will go a day or two barely eating. I think part of this is low does ADHD meds and part of it is the ADHD itself --- eating is boring and there is other stuff he'd rather do unless he's starving. Combine that with being very active in sports, and we had an issue of him getting to be somewhat underweight and our pediatrician expressing concern.

Our solution has been to offer food very frequently because he does better with lots of small meals. I'd suggest making sure you pack plenty for lunch (and it can be stuff that can come back and be sent again if he's not hungry, like pretzels). Also, an after school snack, then dinner, then a second dinner an hour before bed are good. The late second dinner is great because by then meds have totally worn off.

OP here. Thanks. That is not much different than what we have been doing since starting meds. DS eats a big breakfast and then takes his pill. He gets a lunch and a snack (his school has a break time if they want to eat that is before and/or after lunch). His lunch is so short that I tend to pack easy to open and quick to eat foods (or nothing gets eaten). He gets a PBJ and a drink immediately after school. He eats a small dinner (that he calls a snack). Then around 9 pm he eats his dinner which is large. Normally, even though I have things for lunch, DS doesn't really eat. It's only the last 5 days or so that he has actually asked for lunch and eaten almost as much as he does for breakfast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DS is 14 and has been growing rapidly for just over a year --- more than 6 inches from start of seventh grade to start of 8th, and about 1/2 inch in the last month.

His eating naturally goes in streaks --- sometimes he's very hungry and then he will go a day or two barely eating. I think part of this is low does ADHD meds and part of it is the ADHD itself --- eating is boring and there is other stuff he'd rather do unless he's starving. Combine that with being very active in sports, and we had an issue of him getting to be somewhat underweight and our pediatrician expressing concern.

Our solution has been to offer food very frequently because he does better with lots of small meals. I'd suggest making sure you pack plenty for lunch (and it can be stuff that can come back and be sent again if he's not hungry, like pretzels). Also, an after school snack, then dinner, then a second dinner an hour before bed are good. The late second dinner is great because by then meds have totally worn off.

OP here. Thanks. That is not much different than what we have been doing since starting meds. DS eats a big breakfast and then takes his pill. He gets a lunch and a snack (his school has a break time if they want to eat that is before and/or after lunch). His lunch is so short that I tend to pack easy to open and quick to eat foods (or nothing gets eaten). He gets a PBJ and a drink immediately after school. He eats a small dinner (that he calls a snack). Then around 9 pm he eats his dinner which is large. Normally, even though I have things for lunch, DS doesn't really eat. It's only the last 5 days or so that he has actually asked for lunch and eaten almost as much as he does for breakfast.

Mine aren't on ADHD meds and they tend to sleep in as long as possible in the morning and then get ready in a hurry and dash out the door with maybe just a bite for breakfast. They bring a lunch with a variety of finger snack types of food. Then they get home.....and they have soup or a sandwich. Then a snack. Then a nice dinner.

[Anonymous]

Feed a lot of protein and healthy fats. Know that some kids add height before weight or vice versa.

[Anonymous]

10:37 here. Sometimes my son on meds eats like a horse (well, it seems like a horse to me but in reality it is probably what normal kids eat each day). It happens twice a year or so.

[Anonymous]

He is at home and has more time to eat. Simple. Growth spurt? Probably, but with school out he can now eat. Tells you that you are not packing him enough food for school.