My son is very athletically inclined. He does well at every team sport he plays and he invariably picks active play over anything else. He's constantly riding his bike, roller-blading, or running around the neighborhood. So, needless to say, my son is in good shape. But lately, he's been complaining that his legs feel "weak."

I didn't know what was going on at first. In fact, I thought maybe his baseball practices were wearing him out. So I had suggested he start jogging to build up his leg muscles. But then I noticed that his eating habits have changed a bit and his sleep patterns are a bit off-kilter, too. So it finally hit me. Growing pains.

I'll admit that it took me longer to catch on than it should have. But I'm new to this parenting gig. My 10-year-old son is adopted and has only lived with me since last June. So, though he's likely experienced growing pains several times now, this is my first experience with them as a parent.So what exactly are growing pains? They're a soreness in the muscles not, contrary to popular belief, pain associated with growing bones. Up to 40% of kids experience growing pains. The pain can be a mild discomfort such as the pain my son is experiencing. But some kids experience shooting pains that can even wake them up at night.

Growing pains usually appear during significant periods of growth: 3-5 year olds and later with 8-12 year olds.

Children who are experiencing growing pains won't have any visual symptoms of the pain. For example, red, swollen joints are not a sign of growing pains -- that's an indication of another problem. Another way to determine if your child's pain is growth related is if they respond favorably to touch. Massaging or gently stretching the area will help relieve growing pains. If your child flinches from touch there is likely another issue at hand.