Children come in all sizes - some are small, some are big, some are slender or even thin, others are sturdy or even chubby. If your child's weight is relatively low, even if it is below the 5th or 3rd percentile on the growth chart, it is likely to be normal if it follows along a particular percentile curve. But if your child's weight falters - if it drops down across growth percentiles - it is likely to indicate a problem.

What feeding errors can make your child too thin? 1) Too much interference, 2) Too little structure, 3) Both together. Instead of trying to get your child to eat more or eat more high-calorie food, feed in the best way. Get started with family meals, if you aren't having them already. Give sit-down snacks between times, but don't let him have free access to food or beverages, except for water. Parent reliably and well and let your child grow up to get the body that is right for him:

• To provide support without interfering with feeding, maintain a division of responsibility in feeding. You manage the what, when and where of feeding and trust your child to do the how much and whether of eating from what you put on the table.
• To provide structure without interfering with activity, maintain a division of responsibility in activity: You provide structure, safety and opportunities. Your child chooses how much and whether to move and the manner of moving.

For more about raising children who eat as much as they need and get bodies that are right for them (and for research backing up this advice), see Ellyn Satter's Your Child's Weight: Helping Without Harming, Kelcy Press, 2005. Also see www.EllynSatter.com to purchase books and to review other resources.