Parents leotards for tiny kids?

[iPeanutsmommy]

My daughter is just about 3 in a half. We're very new to gymnastics obviously. I took when I was 3 and 4 and ultimately did not like it so I ended up dancing for 18 years. My daughter is very very tiny for her age. She is absolutely in love with gymnastics and has progressed quickly. Her coaches seem pleased with her although we have no clue what she's doing most of the time. We only put her in gymnastics because she hated dance and we had no clue what to do with her energy. She currently takes a L3 class twice a week. She wants to wear a leotard like all of the other kids but because of her size I'm finding it kind of hard to get her one that fits. From what I can tell most toddler sized leotards start at about 2T size range. She wears anything from 9 months to 2T in street clothes. She needs 2T for length especially in pants but she only weighs 20 lbs so everything falls right off her waist. I've been buying her biketard leos or bike shorts to wear with her leotards because they are usually way too big in the crotch and I don't want her flashing people. Does anyone know of a place where they have smaller leotards for smaller kiddos or leotards that run a little smaller? I've had my mom make her a few but I don't want to rely on my mom making her new leotards all the time.

P.S I apologize in advance for any stupid newbie questions I might ask

 

[gymgal]

Your best bet may be to look on eBay for someone who makes and sells leos. They will be able to make the leos to fit your dd better. It will cost more than their ready made but not as expensive as buying the name brand ones.

 

[claudidoll]

gym critter on facebook makes them for little ones I just ordered one for myn18 month old

 

[AmandaLynn]

Gk offers toddler sized biketards. I think the leotards start at xs, but maybe they offer toddler size. i can not recall.

 

[GymBee97]

They do make xxs leotards that run about a size 3. Destira: Child XXS (3-4) here is one site that has them. My DD was small like this and the xxs worked good. E-Bay also has them Gymnastics Leotard XXS | eBay

 

[level9mom]

Alpha Factor makes toddler size Leo's.


Every awful story begins with "we were on beam and..."

 

[LIGYMMOM]

If you look on etsy.com, there are several people who make them and will take measurements to get a correct fit. Good luck!

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Gk xs Leo's started fitting my daughter around age 2. She's 3 now and just barely fitting in them still at just over 30lbs.

 

[Quadqueen]

you've received lots of good suggestions for leos, but I just have to say - 20 lbs at 3.5 years old?!! I know my DD has always been big, but she was 20 lbs at her six-month checkup....

 

[momofthreegirls]

I have a tiny girl as well, and she had a gk leo that was size "TD" that fit great when she was in size 18-month clothes. Also, I found that the leos made of shiny foil material seem to run smaller.

 

[iPeanutsmommy]

you've received lots of good suggestions for leos, but I just have to say - 20 lbs at 3.5 years old?!! I know my DD has always been big, but she was 20 lbs at her six-month checkup....

lol I know she's pretty small Developmentally she's right where she should be though if not ahead.


Thanks everyone!! I'm excited to go leo shopping! It's kind of an addiction lol

 

[Quadqueen]

by L3 do you mean the new USAG L3? As in, with back handsprings? At 3.5 years old?

 

[iPeanutsmommy]

by L3 do you mean the new USAG L3? As in, with back handsprings? At 3.5 years old?

Yes she's in a USAG level 3 class. She's been working on them. She's not doing them by herself though. I don't know what you mean by new though?

 

[dani4]

by L3 do you mean the new USAG L3? As in, with back handsprings? At 3.5 years old?

I admit I was wondering the same thing, but didn't want to go there! Although heck, my 2.5 year old tries to copy the L3 rec class, she's just in parent & tot... (and cannot do a handspring or a cartwheel even)

 

[Quadqueen]

Yes she's in a USAG level 3 class. She's been working on them. She's not doing them by herself though. I don't know what you mean by new though?

The levels were changed, so that's what I meant by new 3. New 3 is equivalent to level 4 last year and the past several years. Sorry to say, but your 20-pound 3 year old should not be attempting back handsprings, by herself or otherwise!!!! Yikes!!!

If you stick around chalkbucket, you will learn that it is developmentally unsafe for kids to be doing bridges and/or back handsprings till at least 5 years old.

 

[iPeanutsmommy]

The levels were changed, so that's what I meant by new 3. New 3 is equivalent to level 4 last year and the past several years. Sorry to say, but your 20-pound 3 year old should not be attempting back handsprings, by herself or otherwise!!!! Yikes!!!

I honestly don't know if she's in new or old level 3. I don't really know how any of this works. We're literally flying by the seat of our pants but her coaches know better than I do so if she's ready for it and willing we're ok with it. It's either learning a supervised back handspring or catching her somersault jumping from the top of the TV cabinet onto the couch in our basement. I'd pick back handspring any day. We're doing everything we can to make her gain weight. Her activity level doesn't help either. She's perfectly healthy as far as every test has shown. She's just little.

 

[Quadqueen]

I honestly don't know if she's in new or old level 3. I don't really know how any of this works. We're literally flying by the seat of our pants but her coaches know better than I do so if she's ready for it and willing we're ok with it. It's either learning a supervised back handspring or catching her somersault jumping from the top of the TV cabinet onto the couch in our basement. I'd pick back handspring any day. We're doing everything we can to make her gain weight. Her activity level doesn't help either. She's perfectly healthy as far as every test has shown. She's just little.

It's likely new 3 if she just started and they told you that's what it's called. My advice - do NOT trust her coaches if they have her working on back handsprings at her age. It is unsafe, in the gym, spotted, or at home, unspotted, period. That is a major red flag for that gym.

Whether or not she's tiny, it's not safe for a 3 year old of any size to be working on that skill.

 

[iPeanutsmommy]

It's likely new 3 if she just started and they told you that's what it's called. My advice - do NOT trust her coaches if they have her working on back handsprings at her age. It is unsafe, in the gym, spotted, or at home, unspotted, period. That is a major red flag for that gym.

Whether or not she's tiny, it's not safe for a 3 year old of any size to be working on that skill.

We've already switched gyms a couple times before we found one that made both mommy and princess happy. We're driving an hour and 45 minutes because it's the closest gym to us since we moved so I'm not really willing to switch again unless something more disastrous happens. I also have a 4 year old and a 20 month old that I have to take with me. I'll talk to them after her next practice but I'm not overly concerned about it. Thank you for bringing that to my attention though. I appreciate it!

 

[Ex member]

My dd is very tiny, she is nearly 10 and wears size 24" to 24" leotards and aged 3-4 clothes. I have no idea what level she is as she has just started in development classes.

 

[bookworm]

I know Target had small leos my daughter wore when she was a toddler , and they'd be cheaper than a custom made leo at her age.