I am a mom of a chubby 12 year old child, she is overweight. Declared obese by the doctors growing scale. She has ALWAYS been overweight since she was a baby. Her thyroid has been checked and all that good stuff. Our expensive, no good for nothing health insurance doesn't cover a nutritionist, so I manage her intake and get her on the treadmill two times a day (and trying to do this and not mess with her self esteem). Oh and by the way, she does not eat alot, which is what puzzles me as we don't keep junk food in the house, except chips for sandwiches.
The problem is this, now that she is getting into girlie fashion, there is nothing out there for her size. She is 5'1" and about 190 lbs, so everything is too long or too tight. Don't designers/clothes makers know that these kids like to dress like all the other kids out there. Not everyone is built like a stick figure. I know we can alter the clothes, but you still don't get the right fit and it get's expensive. I have found a store that makes clothes for the bigger size, but again she runs into the length issue and I hate seeing the dissappointment in her face. Anyone else have this problem with your kids?
http://www.juniortrends.com/searchadv2.aspx?SearchTerm=Plus&gclid=CIul5r-Mk5UCFRoSFQodYU67AQ#more
I googled plus size clothing for teens and it gave a lot of options. Maybe you can try that?
You know I completely understand. My 9 yr old DD has always had a tummy. It is difficult to find clothes for her as well. I've bought the "plus" sized clothes in her size and they are too big. She's I guess in the middle. It's frustrating. My big problem with the clothes are the shirts. They are made too tight and my poor baby's tummy hangs out. I have to get her shirts 2 sizes too big just to have them fit right. Oh and don't get me started on the hoochie clothes that they make for children. Totally unacceptable!
I have found a store that makes clothes for the bigger size, but again she runs into the length issue and I hate seeing the dissappointment in her face.
I'm only 5' and at 29, lenght is still an issue for me and I have figured out that it always will be. I have bought capri pants that were actually full lenght on me. Of course then the shorter capri's don't fall in the right place either.
As a teen I was heavy, okay I still am, but I always shopped in the petitie section. And while they fit better lenght wise, they tend to be fashion for an older age group and doesn't always sovle the problem either.
My mother hems(sp) a good portion of my pants. If you do not know how to sew, do you have any friends/family that do? Shortening them doesn't take that long and maybe you can trade them favors. A cake for a hem(sp)?
If not, you may want to look in to dry clearners to see what they charge. Yes that is an additional cost to buying clothes, but like I said before it is something that some people have to deal with even as adults, so while you may not be able to help with the weight yet, you can show her that while she is short there are still alot of clothes she can wear with a few adjustments.
And it could be the opposite problem. I have a friend that is 5'11 and she has to worry about pants/skirts being too short on her. At least I can cut the extra off, she can't make them longer. 
I'm only 5'3" and I know what you mean about finding big clothes the right length. Your daughter may always have that problem, so it would be a good idea for her to learn how to hem pants. It's not too complicated for a 12 year old to learn, and if you don't have a sewing machine, she can learn to do it by hand, except that doesn't work for blue jeans. There are lots of nice-looking plus-sized clothes out there, things that don't look too matronly. Walmart has plus-size juniors clothes. The clothes at Lane Bryant are young-looking, and if you have Ross in your area, they always have tons of really interesting plus-size clothes, a lot cheaper than Lane Bryant. Target's plus-sizes are more sized toward a junior fit, too, and they always end up with them on clearance. If she's looking for weird clothes, Torrid is Hot Topic's plus-sized sister store, and they have all their stuff online. Try to avoid the department stores in the mall, like Sears and JC Penny's, because they do have the really matronly-looking plus-sizes.
At 190 lbs, your daughter probably needs about a size 18 or 20 womens or a junior's 19 or 21...sometimes the petite plus-sizes don't work well...you get the shorter inseams but there's less butt room too, or you end up with a camel toe, so it works better to buy the regular plus-sizes and just shorten them. Avoid buying her pants that flare out at the bottom, because they'll look weird when they're shortened. The other thing is, when you buy underwear for her, don't just automatically buy cotton briefs in her size...believe me, plus-size cotton briefs are all granny-panties and they fit funny, look funny, hang out of shorts, etc. Lane Bryant has nice plus-size panties, and Target does too. And let her have a bra with a bit of padding too if she wants it, to add shape and balance out her figure a little bit...my mom never let me have them when I was a teen because she said I was too big and we shouldn't add any extra bulk to my body. They're all I wear now.
Anyhow, I wish we lived in the same city, I'd shorten your daughter's clothes or teach her how to do it. I know how important it is for a kid's self-esteem to have clothes that fit right. I didn't learn to hem pants until I was an adult, and I spent my school years with my jeans rolled up in funny-looking cuffs, or tripping over them, or wearing holes in them when they'd unroll a bit.
I live in Nebraska and we have a midwest chain store called Gordman's which carries plus size clothes with a nice selection of Junior styles. Not sure where you are located but I know they do have a web site.
Good luck, I know how hard finding clothes for teens can be. My youngest is almost 15, and she has the opposite problem as she is 5'8 1/2" and only 119 lb. Nothing is ever long enough and luckily she doesn't like to show skin!
Oh this can be a difficult topic for any girl. I grew up over weight most of the time. Still am. At 5'2" Having your daughter look good and feel good at the same time can be tricky. I do agree with Texas_Rose that your daughter could learn to hem her own pants. It will teach her to be more self empowered. It sounds like she is eating healthy and that is a very good thing.
I have this same problem with my son. He will be 7 in Sept. and weighs about 120 pounds. I've also had him tested for everything!! And, he's the one that eats tomatoes for a snack...loves salads...any veggie. He eats well..
Anyway...can't find him clothes for school, and I hate to send him in sweatpants everyday. The expandable husky pants don't work. He really wants JEANS like the other kids. I wish I could find some that were just elastic waist jeans.
Trust me, I know your frustration. I was also heavy in school. My mom made all my clothes...not so cool! I think that's why I'm so focused on getting my son normal looking clothes, cuz I don't want him to be teased or picked on. I just want him to be "like all the other kids!"
I have this same problem with my son. He will be 7 in Sept. and weighs about 120 pounds. I've also had him tested for everything!! And, he's the one that eats tomatoes for a snack...loves salads...any veggie. He eats well..
Anyway...can't find him clothes for school, and I hate to send him in sweatpants everyday. The expandable husky pants don't work. He really wants JEANS like the other kids. I wish I could find some that were just elastic waist jeans.
Trust me, I know your frustration. I was also heavy in school. My mom made all my clothes...not so cool! I think that's why I'm so focused on getting my son normal looking clothes, cuz I don't want him to be teased or picked on. I just want him to be "like all the other kids!"
Try going to www.eatracker.ca to help manage her daily caloric intake...does she drink a lot of juice and pop? You would not believe how much empty calories are in foods and it's scary how quickly things add up.
Maybe get her into a sport that shes likes...the more she likes it the more she'll want to get better at it. I was a bit chubby when I was younger and then I started racing cross country skiing and rugby... 
I don't think anyone makes clothes that are designed to fit anymore! argh! Old Navy carries a lot of larger sized clothes..
The fashion bug has lots of really cute girl stuff.
My Son is slightly over weight, a way I get him to excercise is going roller blading and bike riding with him.
I have a slight problem with my DD daughter also.She is 5 years old and I am buying size 8-9 for her....I am watching everyday what she eats and I know when she starts kindergarten in Sept she won't be home most of the time to bug me for snacks which I say no alot to anyway!! I am hoping once she grows a bit she will even out.I am only 4'11 3/4 so I know what it is like to be short and pungy and nothing fit...or have to cut a mile off of it!! I do agree with whoever said that they are making Hoochie clothing for little girls and I so much dislike that!! I wish the fashion industry or children's clothing manufacturers would stop trying to fast track the kids to grow up too soon with the fashions they are designing..I refuse to buy the clothes that make my 5 yr old look 18...
Thanks for all the tips, we're going to try all the websites and we will be trying Fashion Bug today. She's got the funniest little figure which makes it really hard to fit her for nice shirts as well as pants. I guess we'll just have to start trying on all kinds of stuff to find out what works. Keep the tips coming
I am glad to hear you are trying to help her lose weight! I have a niece that has always been chubby. The last time she spent the day with me she was teased on two separate occasions in one day by mean kids. It was so upsetting to me. She told me she is teased at school too. Her mother does nothing to help her and it infuriates me.
I think it would be very helpful if you kept a food diary of what she eats for a week or two. See how many calories she is truly taking in daily. Make sure you are aware of portion sizes. Like a portion of meat is very small the size of a deck of cards.
Here is a free website that you can keep track of food intake, calories, fat, exercise, etc.
http://www.fitday.com/
Take advantage of the trend right now of wearing leggings under a skirt! Great for shorties.
torrid.com has trendier clothing and you can search pants by inseams. It looks like 30" is the shortest.
Old Navy sells plus sizes online.
http://www.avenue.com sells petite plus pants (28 in inseam)
Deb stores also have plus clothing if you have one close by.
Other stores to get plus size clothing....Ashley Stewart, Dots, & Rainbow.
Online...Alight.com, bandlu.com, www.jeenybeans.com, www.sizeappeal.com, & http://store.alloy.com
I have this same problem with my son. He will be 7 in Sept. and weighs about 120 pounds. I've also had him tested for everything!! And, he's the one that eats tomatoes for a snack...loves salads...any veggie. He eats well..
Anyway...can't find him clothes for school, and I hate to send him in sweatpants everyday. The expandable husky pants don't work. He really wants JEANS like the other kids. I wish I could find some that were just elastic waist jeans.
Trust me, I know your frustration. I was also heavy in school. My mom made all my clothes...not so cool! I think that's why I'm so focused on getting my son normal looking clothes, cuz I don't want him to be teased or picked on. I just want him to be "like all the other kids!"
Have you tried Land's End? I've heard that they'll shorten pants to any length...so maybe the husky sizes, then shortened for him? I think you'd have to call and actually talk to someone there, to get advice about the fit. But I've heard that they're a good place to get hard-to-fit clothes (actually read about them when I was looking for info on how to alter clothes for my youngest, who doesn't grow but doesn't want baby clothes anymore) The other thing is, boys usually wear their pants on their hips instead of over the belly button, so they're sized to fit there. My husband says that's a big key to finding pants that fit a big boy, letting him wear his pants man-style 
because they don't need to be nearly as big if they're going to be worn under the belly. Of course, my husband's whole butt hangs out when he bends over so I'm not sure how qualified he is to give fashion advice.
I am glad to hear you are trying to help her lose weight! I have a niece that has always been chubby. The last time she spent the day with me she was teased on two separate occasions in one day by mean kids. It was so upsetting to me. She told me she is teased at school too. Her mother does nothing to help her and it infuriates me
Yes, we are BOTH trying. I was never heavy but with the older years creeping up on me the pounds are starting to add up, so I make sure to let her know I am working hard at losing the weight too. Luckily, she has not been teased at school and she makes lots of friends with her sunny personality (thank goodness!) or I would have been at the school like a mad mama tiger! 
I have this same problem with my son. He will be 7 in Sept. and weighs about 120 pounds. I've also had him tested for everything!! And, he's the one that eats tomatoes for a snack...loves salads...any veggie. He eats well..
Anyway...can't find him clothes for school, and I hate to send him in sweatpants everyday. The expandable husky pants don't work. He really wants JEANS like the other kids. I wish I could find some that were just elastic waist jeans.
Trust me, I know your frustration. I was also heavy in school. My mom made all my clothes...not so cool! I think that's why I'm so focused on getting my son normal looking clothes, cuz I don't want him to be teased or picked on. I just want him to be "like all the other kids!"
Target has a line of elastic waist jeans by Cherokee, I buy the jeans and shorts for my boys and they are very reasonably priced.
I agree with you. I too have a 12 year old that is a bit on the "chubby" side. Her self esteem is really low and then you go out and try to find clothes that are trendy and fit them nice without making them look like little street walkers is insane! I dont know why it is so hard to find clothes for the tweens that are appropriate for their age and also their size. This is such a tough age anyways and then to have to deal with these issues is just insane. Let me know if you come up with a good solution!
I think it's great that you're helping your daughter to feel and look better.
I second the suggestion of getting her into a sport or dance class that she might like. I think it's important to associate exercise with fun and jumping on the treadmill twice a day is not exactly fun.
Also, I read a good book called Rescuing the Emotional Lives of Overweight Children. It's a great read and offers a lot of good tips on self-esteem and emotional well-being. You can read a description here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1579548504/?tag=cakecentral-20
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