With so much going on for back-to-school, we’ve got our hands full (you too, huh?), so we decided to repost this piece on the different reasons to measure your child’s growth. A milestone, like the first day of school, is always a perfect time to record your wee one’s (or maybe not so wee anymore – sniff sniff) height. Let us know what else you record on your child’s personalized growth chart besides their height.
First off, it’s fun!
Kids love to see how much they’ve grown! They love the fun of standing next to their very own personalized growth chart and being measured by mom or dad. Seeing if they’ve grown ½ an inch or 2 inches is a thrilling experience for any little one. Or for some little ones, the thrill is to see if they are as tall as the hippo or owl or elephant on the growth chart.
Make it fun for them by measuring their height consistently. Measure on their ½ and quarterly birthdays as well as Holidays (or the first day of school!!). Some moms we know even like to measure monthly. Involve other siblings by measuring them at the same time — or measure your child’s favorite stuffed animals or dolls too. You can also track milestones in conjunction with their height on their growth chart — when they were first potty trained, when they had their first t-ball game, when they learned to ride a bike, etc.
It’s healthy to measure!
Tracking your child’s height will help ensure proper growth for them — you’ll be able to make sure your little one is on the right track. Children grow the most during their first year of life and it begins to slow between 1 and 2. After 2 your child’s height should grow consistently until they hit their adolescence growth spurt.
Capture childhood!
Our little ones grow so fast…one moment your rocking an infant and the next moment your 4 year old is embarrassed to kiss you in front of his friends at preschool. Your personalized growth chart allows you to document and preserve your little one’s childhood. Capture childhood – it only comes by once!
To measure accurately:
— Make sure your child is barefoot
— Stand them against their growth chart with feet flat
— Keep their arms at their sides and shoulders level
— When you are measuring, make sure your eyes are the same level as your child’s head — You’ll be on your knees
— Make sure that your personalized growth chart is placed 24″ from the floor
And if you are looking for ways to display your personalized growth carts, check out this post.
