Would I be unreasonable to think that a small than average child has a lower than average IQ, whilst a taller than average child has a higher than average IQ?

[Howsaboutthat]

I suspect that I probably would be if I thought that for a minute.

So why when a child small for their age does something well for their age it is commented by so many people as being such a great achievement, whilst when a child large for their age does something well for their age it is commented by so many people that of course they would do well it is down to them being bigger.

I have one of each child -
The short one finds the responses very patronising
The tall one finds the responses very critical.

[Schooldidi]

YANBU

My dds are both very tall for their age and people seem to expect them to do things earlier or behave better than other children of the same age. Why? Size doesn't affect development.

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

I think that people associate height with age. So a smaller child is more likely to be younger, and so the same achievement is more noteworthy.

I certainly think people expect more mature behaviour from a taller or bigger child.

[MrsMushroom]

Yes very odd of those who comment in such a manner. It's very rude to comment on people's appearance anyway...unless it's a passing flattery like I love your hair today or something.

People should not bring height into it.

[stealthsquiggle]

What ThreeBee said - whether consciously or not, people assume they are older and expect them to lead their peers. My DC both "suffer" from this (as in, they are tall, and people expect them to do stuff appropriate to their height rather than their actual age)

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

So far as I know there's no correlation, and if there were, it wouldn't be a matter of being reasonable or unreasonable, would it?

[mellen]

I think that people associate size with age, so are more likely to assume that a taller child is older than a shorter one, but it doesn't make sense, IMO that IQ would be different depending on height.

[SnotMeReally]

physically and academically you would assume that children who are smaller/younger may develop and be able to do things at a different point to older/bigger children - this would be seen in schools eg in PE, and in their academic progress (particularly in the early years) - but even in the 11+ exam, there is a weighting for the younger ones in the year group, which personally I think is daft as they ought to have caught up by the time they have had 6 years of schooling!

But as for actual IQ being related to size - tosh!

[SnotMeReally]

children who are tall for their age can also be labelled as "naughty" or "immature" , by those who dont realise they are just younger and behaving perfectly normally for their age

[Hulababy]

Do you think it might be more if a child looks older/younger than they are, rather than their height?

[Howsaboutthat]

But this occurs with people who know the child's age - ok they may not know their exact age but know which school year they are in.

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

YANBU.

DD1 is very tall for her age. Everyone, and I mean everyone, from HCPs to strangers in waiting rooms, is shocked to hear shes "only" 4.

I find that people expect more of her because of it, and I have seen peoples dirty looks when she was younger and acting like a 2 year old instead of a 3 year old iyswim!

Equally, a girl in her class who was born a month before DD1 is physically smaller than most in the class, and is quite often patronised and treated like a younger child!

[Howsaboutthat]

When tall child achieves any school award - well of course they're going to do well at their size - how does that mean they will win the maths award

When small child achieves any school award - it's amazing how well they do when you look at them compared to everyone else - how does the fact they are a couple of inches shorter than the rest of the class mean they can't win the music award

[JackieTheFart]

I get what you mean, but are you sure you are not being a teeny bit oversensitive? Are these people commenting aware of the actual ages of yor children and not as others have suggested, just making an assumption on age?

FWIW I have twins who are smaller than average plus speech delay so often are assumed to be younger. My one year old on the other hand, is assumed to be older as he is bigger and walked early.

[N0tinmylife]

I used to get this when DS was younger. Because he is small for his age people would be amazed at how well he could speak. I have never noticed it from anyone who knows his age though, there are certainly some odd people about!

[Howsaboutthat]

This is other parents at classes, I probably am being oversensitive, whether it in school or external classes.

It bothers me because it bothers my kids. But this post was done after a parent commented to me on another child who's also tiny, "I think it's amazing how well they do considering their size". The other parent was shocked when I said that I didn't think it was amazing and that they had just done as well as the others who had achieved the same in class.

And realised it wasn't just my kids who get the comments these judgements are all the time.

[zwischenzug]

In answer to the title, you could well be correct:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Height_and_intelligence

Studies have shown a small correlation between being tall and being more intelligent.

[SolomanDaisy]

I get this with my DS and also remember it from when I was a child. DS is so tall that when compared to other children his height he looks really wobbly and as though he's behind physically. People expect him to behave like a nearly 3 year-old when he is only 20 months. Weirdly, other toddlers seem to understand how young he is.

[stealthsquiggle]

DC do it themselves, though - there is a boy in DD's Y1 class who is tiny compared to DD (who is, admittedly, the tallest) and his mother tells me that most of his complaints about people treating him "like a baby" are about his classmates - even though they all know perfectly well that he is the same age [confsued].

Even in Y6, DS has a mate who is about half his height (OK, not quite, but DS is about 5ft 5 and this child must be not much over 4ft) and he seems to have adopted a very loud, in your face (in a nice way) persona to make sure that he gets noticed and to forstall any attempts at patronising him.

[RedToothBrush]

I think that size is associated with age and intelligence and its not just in children!

I know all my friends that are regularly ID are short arses. The tall ones are not.
And that they are also treated accordingly; if you are shorter you tend to be patronised and spoken down to more than if you are bigger. I think people adjust their expectations of someone based on psychical build throughout life.

[HairyHandedTrucker]

people think bigger means older. even if they know the age in their head they are thinking older.

[breatheslowly]

I remember being taught that about IQ and height at university.

However you have a point about people assuming the age of a child from their size and treating them in line with their perceived age. I remember my tall DD being told that she was too big to have me carry her at a restaurant and it was her second birthday, but the waitress thought she was at least 3.

[BrandiBroke]

My mum was a teacher and she used to get really exasperated with other teachers expecting more from the taller children than the smaller ones. One girl was very tall for her age and my mum had to have a bit of a chat with the teacher who found her 'immature' and was surprised at the struggle she was having learning to read. She wasn't any more immature than the other children and her struggles had nothing to do with her size. My mum sympathised as she'd had 2 very tall children and was tall herself as a child.

People do expect more from tall children. I've known people let some kids get away with things they wouldn't let others - purely because they are 'little and cute.' If taller children did the same thing it would be a case of 'don't do that - you're supposed to be a big sensible boy/girl. '

[YouTheCat]

What a load of bollocks! I'm less than 5ft and my IQ is somewhere over 130. If it was true, and I was taller, I'd be a fucking genius.

Expectations of small children should have nothing to do with their height. Just plain silly.

[HollyBerryBush]

Height and aethetically pleasing looks = earning power.

Plenty of studies to corroborate that. Although someone is going to pop up with a vertically challenged child with the IQ to equal Sheldon