Mom2FiveGirls
Active member
I keep seeing people refer to their child as long torsoed (sp?), short torsoed, etc. How do you know? I'd love to know where my girls fall 
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"normal" torso lengths...
- Thread starter Mom2FiveGirls
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Unregistered1
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We just kind of estimate based on how they fit in their seats. Two year old outgrowing a Marathon FF, long torso. Two year old still fitting into a snugride, short torso. KWIM?
Well, look at their peers the same size. Does their torso take up about the same, more, less of their body? Also, if your child wears the same size top and bottom, odds are s/he has a more normal torso. If s/he wears a larger top than bottom in order to cover the belly-- probably long torsoed and/or short-legged. If s/he wears a larger bottom than top-- probably short-torsoed and/or long-legged . There is a range on the continnum, it's not like you can say all long-torsoed kids are the same amount long-torsoed, either. And kids can be short or tall for their age group as well, which also plays into it-- a long torsoed but short child may have the same size torso as an average height normal torsoed child and a short-torsoed tall child.
For an example, my longer-legged daughter wears a size 7 pants for length (though less in the waist) but a size 5/6 top. She's normal torsoed and leggy. My moderately long-torsoed and tall middle daughter wears a 5/6 top and 4T bottoms for length. My extremely long-torsoed and tall youngest wears a 3T or 4T top, and 24 month pants.
For an example, my longer-legged daughter wears a size 7 pants for length (though less in the waist) but a size 5/6 top. She's normal torsoed and leggy. My moderately long-torsoed and tall middle daughter wears a 5/6 top and 4T bottoms for length. My extremely long-torsoed and tall youngest wears a 3T or 4T top, and 24 month pants.
LM4M
CPST Instructor
I keep seeing people refer to their child as long torsoed (sp?), short torsoed, etc. How do you know? I'd love to know where my girls fall
My DD6 is very long torsoed. I don't even need to refer to her carseat to tell you how I know this. She is in the 70th percentile in height for her age. That means she's taller than 70% of 6 year old girls. She wears a size 5 pants, and they are nowhere near highwaters on her yet. Size 6 pants are way too long. Now in shirts she needs at least a 6 of not a 7 for the length, but then the sleeves are long and it's big on her side to side. She also can NOT wear one piece swimsuits. Even a size 6x/7 swimsuit will pull way up on the hips and ride up the butt and the crotch while pulling down way low in the front to the point you can see her nipples (is that word okay to say on here? lol).
So although she's not overly tall for her age... every single article of clothing that is made for the average 6 year old will NOT cover her entire torso. Now my DD3 on the other hand, she's all legs.
bobandjess99
Senior Community Member
my dd has a long torso...at age 4, she needed size 6 shirts to be long enough not to show her tummy. Ds on the other hand is 22 months and can wear 9 month clothes. lol.
mommy2jasmine
New member
I've been kind of wondering how to figure this out, so I'm glad I stumbled on this. I figured my dd was shorter torosoed, but it looks like she is seriously short torsoed. I thought it might be semi normal that she could fit in in infant seat, height wise. She is 29 lbs, and has at least an inch of shell above her head in infant carriers. I don't think she should be on the 3rd slot in the XT, but the head rest fits, since she has a big ol' head, so I put it up, lol. It's like RIGHT at though, so she isn't going to ride up or anything.
Morganthe
New member
DD goes through uneven growth spurts. Sometimes it's purely through the torso, others, it's hands & feet. I figure it's 'normal', but sudden overnight growth, is just freaky.
On the whole, when everything calms down, she is on the tall side for her age.
I know she's short torsoed like I am. (If I was proportioned, I'd be 2 inches taller at 5'10 -- mom passed down her long legs, but I got my dad's short torso. )
When sitting down with her friends, they sit higher than she. Stand her up, she's 2-3 inches taller than they are. Her height is all in her legs. As a baby, she fit comfortably in an Evenflo 20lb bucket that most babies outgrew around 6 months -- until she was 9-10 months. Med techs freaked at how long her legs were (the whole OMG, she's going to break her legs. ) But she fit the harness very well.
On the whole, when everything calms down, she is on the tall side for her age.
I know she's short torsoed like I am. (If I was proportioned, I'd be 2 inches taller at 5'10 -- mom passed down her long legs, but I got my dad's short torso.
) When sitting down with her friends, they sit higher than she. Stand her up, she's 2-3 inches taller than they are. Her height is all in her legs. As a baby, she fit comfortably in an Evenflo 20lb bucket that most babies outgrew around 6 months -- until she was 9-10 months. Med techs freaked at how long her legs were (the whole OMG, she's going to break her legs.
) But she fit the harness very well.
Jonah Baby
New member
What would you Tech's call my boy?
I don't see enough other 2 year olds to compare!
He is approximately 37" tall (about 36 pounds) and I believe his torso is about 14". I need new measurements, its all "about" right now.
He was placed in a SR32 at the store, hehe, and was only about an inch or less OVER the shell, so 2-3 inches too tall for it (and just too heavy, of course.)
He uses the 3rd slot on our MyRide and it sits perfectly AT his shoulders. There is about 2 1/2-3 more inches of growth above him (3 1/2-4 or so to TOP of seat.) His legs now have to be placed up on the back o the vehicle seat for me to get his harness done. He rides with them bent just at the knee, with his shoes flat on the carseat. Weirdo, there's more ways than THAT...
I've noticed at times that our AOE (we no longer have) would not fit him well harness vs. headwing wise. Same with the Wizard. The wings are not "around" his head but the harness is perfect. The Wizard seems like the wing is too high and the AOE was too short with good harness fit.
He does wear a shirt one size larger (4T) and pants mostly 3T. Many 4T pants are too long or fine length but too wide for his hips.
Sorry, I rambled, as usual.
I don't see enough other 2 year olds to compare!
He is approximately 37" tall (about 36 pounds) and I believe his torso is about 14". I need new measurements, its all "about" right now.
He was placed in a SR32 at the store, hehe, and was only about an inch or less OVER the shell, so 2-3 inches too tall for it (and just too heavy, of course.)
He uses the 3rd slot on our MyRide and it sits perfectly AT his shoulders. There is about 2 1/2-3 more inches of growth above him (3 1/2-4 or so to TOP of seat.) His legs now have to be placed up on the back o the vehicle seat for me to get his harness done. He rides with them bent just at the knee, with his shoes flat on the carseat. Weirdo, there's more ways than THAT...
I've noticed at times that our AOE (we no longer have) would not fit him well harness vs. headwing wise. Same with the Wizard. The wings are not "around" his head but the harness is perfect. The Wizard seems like the wing is too high and the AOE was too short with good harness fit.
He does wear a shirt one size larger (4T) and pants mostly 3T. Many 4T pants are too long or fine length but too wide for his hips.
Sorry, I rambled, as usual.
Sounds like your DS has a longish torso, given the clothing sizes and the SS1/SR32 height gauge. Needing a shirt a size or two bigger than the pants size, not fitting well in one-piece outfits (pant legs too long/torso portion too short), and outgrowing carseats by height well before reaching the weight limit, are all pretty indicative of a long torso. My DD2 outgrew the Graco SS1 infant seat by height at approx. 22 lbs., a week before her first birthday, and the top of her head was a couple of inches over the top of the SS1's shell when she was 18 months old and I buckled her back into the SS1 for a "misuse" photo. DD1 outgrew Evenflo infant seats by height many lbs. prior to reaching their weight limits, and outgrew a Marathon by height FF when she was approx. 40/41 inch tall and 40 lbs. at age 4. One piece outfits never fit either DD well as infants/toddlers. Alas, those cute Osh Kosh bib overalls obtained from the outlet store never got worn very much by either DD.
Needing a shirt a size or two bigger than the pants size, not fitting well in one-piece outfits (pant legs too long/torso portion too short), and outgrowing carseats by height well before reaching the weight limit, are all pretty indicative of a long torso. My DD2 outgrew the Graco SS1 infant seat by height at approx. 22 lbs., a week before her first birthday, and the top of her head was a couple of inches over the top of the SS1's shell when she was 18 months old and I buckled her back into the SS1 for a "misuse" photo. DD1 outgrew Evenflo infant seats by height many lbs. prior to reaching their weight limits, and outgrew a Marathon by height FF when she was approx. 40/41 inch tall and 40 lbs. at age 4. One piece outfits never fit either DD well as infants/toddlers. Alas, those cute Osh Kosh bib overalls obtained from the outlet store never got worn very much by either DD. abigaylebelle
Active member
We're all short torsos here, lol. My 2.5 year old son has a torso that is just under 11". He is still on the middle slots of an ss1 with 2" of shell above his head. Bottom slots of a roundabout, second slot on the radian. He wears size 18 months mostly, but can wear size 12 months in onsies.
bobandjess99
Senior Community Member
you posibly win.
Yes, she is SERIOUSLY short-torsoed.
you have won the carseat lottery, lol.
To give you a comparison, my son, who is only 31 inches tall, so overall more than 3 inches shorter, has a 11.5 inch torso, about the same, a tad more.
to give you more perspective, dd, who is my tall-torsoed girl, had a 13 inch torso at ...8 months! I have pics to prove it, lol.
Shaunam
New member
you posibly win.
Yes, she is SERIOUSLY short-torsoed.
you have won the carseat lottery, lol.
To give you a comparison, my son, who is only 31 inches tall, so overall more than 3 inches shorter, has a 11.5 inch torso, about the same, a tad more.
to give you more perspective, dd, who is my tall-torsoed girl, had a 13 inch torso at ...8 months! I have pics to prove it, lol.
Back when the KDM video first came out and everyone was scrambling to buy a regent, someone posted on another board with a pic of her 4 year old son in it. She said, "I don't think he fits"...he was 4, about 42" and 38 lbs or something like that, very average anyway. The harness was on the bottom slots and it came up to his ears!!! So if the bottom slot is 11", I think this kid had a 9-10" torso. Seriously. I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. My own 20 month old at the time was just above the second slots.
kandamom
New member
I've been wondering the same thing. While DS1 always outgrew the arms of his clothing and jackets first, ds2 always outgrows the torso first. He has never fit well in one-piece outfits or overalls. DS2 is a 4 in shirts and a 3t in pants. DS1 was always in the same size for both tops and bottoms. Right now, ds1 might need a slightly longer size in pants. (Impossible to tell for sure, though, since he is too slim to wear the next size up in pants.) His torso isn't that much longer than ds2's, as you can see in my signature. They are 5.5 years apart. DS1 is *just* above the top slots of ds2's radian when installed ff. He is fairly tall and almost 8. I consider ds1 to be leggy and ds2 to have a long torso.
Oh, yeah - My primary concern with ds1 & carseats (past the age of 3) has been how his legs fit. The edges of seats typically hit him at mid-thigh long before he outgrows the harness or booster height. This is not comfortable for him. My primary concern with choosing boosters for him has been that he will outgrow the seat depth of a high back booster LONG before he will outgrow the back height, and long before he will fit properly in a backless booster. (I sure hope that the contour of the Monterey seat will work for him as his legs grow. He loves the back and isn't anywhere near the top setting.)
Oh, yeah - My primary concern with ds1 & carseats (past the age of 3) has been how his legs fit. The edges of seats typically hit him at mid-thigh long before he outgrows the harness or booster height. This is not comfortable for him. My primary concern with choosing boosters for him has been that he will outgrow the seat depth of a high back booster LONG before he will outgrow the back height, and long before he will fit properly in a backless booster. (I sure hope that the contour of the Monterey seat will work for him as his legs grow. He loves the back and isn't anywhere near the top setting.)
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Well, when your 9 year old still fits in a Marathon, you can assume she has a short torso! Actually, my daughter has a very short torso. My niece, on the other hand, has a long torso. She is four years younger than Emily but her sitting height is higher. Both look completely normal by themselves, but when you stand them side by side it becomes very obvious. My niece is 6, wears size 5T pants, and size 8 shirts because anything smaller and her belly shows.
bobandjess99
Senior Community Member
musicmaj
New member
I think my 4 year old has a short torso and I am very glad about it! He still fits in a scenera with an inch to grow in the harness. He is 32lbs and 38 inches.
My 9 year old has a long torso. She has always worn shirts that were a size of two bigger than pants. She is on the highest setting of her parkway now and I don't know what I am going to do when she outgrows it. I don't think she will pass the 5 step test with her legs at that point and we have no head supports.
My 9 year old has a long torso. She has always worn shirts that were a size of two bigger than pants. She is on the highest setting of her parkway now and I don't know what I am going to do when she outgrows it. I don't think she will pass the 5 step test with her legs at that point and we have no head supports.
*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue*
New member
When your almost 4 year old fits in the safeseat he has a short torso.
When your almsot 5 year old can fit RF he has a short torso.
When your almost 5 year old still has 2 inches to outgrow the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe he has a short torso.
I think my 7 year old is average.
When your almsot 5 year old can fit RF he has a short torso.
When your almost 5 year old still has 2 inches to outgrow the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe he has a short torso.
I think my 7 year old is average.
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