Tall 12 year old girl

[Bordador]

Hello ... am looking for some advise and/or perspective.

My daughter turned 12 yesterday and is currently 1 m 66 cm (5 ft 4.5 inches). I have checked on the national statistics growth charts and she is above the 99th percentile. She is the tallest in her class and is beginning to feel very self-conscious as it's all anyone ever mentions when they see her. In theory she has another two or three years of growth ahead of her.
I've also noticed she has really fallen arches and her feet and ankles hurt her.

Would you ask the GP to measure her and keep an eye on progress? I know there is nothing you can do about tallness but I worry there may be some underlying pituitairy gland issue (my cousin had this when he was young and he is now a strapping 6 ft 8-er - but easier to carry that off on a boy).

In covid times I don't want to waste their time - but equally I can't let it go! For perspectibe, I am 5 ft 7 and her father 6 ft - so fairly standard.

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

Ask your Mum when you stopped growing... Lots of girls are nearly at their full adult height at 12. I see lots of girls of around that height at my DDs primary school.

If she's having ankle pain that is probably worth going to see the doctor about.

[Seeline]

I'm surprised it's 99th percentile.

My DD had only just reached the height of not needing a car seat when she started Y7 (1.35m) so I always noticed how tall her peers were. When she started secondary there were several girls of that height in her year (it's my height) and her school was pretty small - only 60 odd in her year.

I wouldn't worry too much - it is prime growth season for girls so many will probably catch up, if not overtake her, over the summer holidays. One of the 'tall' girls when DD started, so around oyur DDs height, is still around the same height at 17 so she may not grow much at all.

Are your or her father particularly tall?

[TotorosCatBus]

I'm also surprised that it's 99th percentile. My dd was 5 foot 6 in year 8 and which was taller than her friends but not outrageously so. Since then she's only grown a couple of inches.

It's not given that she'll continue to grow for 2 or 3 years. If you are 5 foot 7 then I'd assume that she'll reach that too

[LadyDanburysHat]

That doesn't seem massively tall, certainly not enough to be worried about. Plenty of girls around here leave primary school at 5ft 7

[idontlikealdi]

I certainly wouldn't be worried, lots of the talk kids at his age end up getting overtaken

[Seeline]

Sorry - just seen your height and her Dad's

I would say both of you are tall - certainly both above average. Moat children these days end up taller than their parent, so it's likely that your DD could end up at least 5'7", but probably more given her Dad's height.

[SpnBaby1967]

My 12 yo is taller than me now. I'm 5ft 4in so shes over 5ft 5in at least, but she says she isnt the tallest girl in her class so to me your daughter sounds average height. Girls tend to outgrow boys at first and then they over take so in would expect your daughter may not grow much more.

[AppleSouffle]

My DD shot up and was the tallest in her class in Y6 and towered over her friends in Y7. Since then they have all grown to 5.7 plus and she hasn’t grown further at all. She is now the ‘short’ friend!

[Fabuleuse]

That doesn't seem exceptionally tall to me. I was 5'5" at 12 (same height as my mum). I'm 5'9" now so tallish but nothing out of the ordinary.

[Luckingfovely]

It sounds fairly normal to me - my dd is very similar and so are many of her friends. I'm not sure what chart you referred to but it might be an old one.

For the feet - the first thing to do is get good arch support insoles in every pair of shoes she wears, and she should wear them all the time even at home.

And see GP for a physio referral to check everything is okay.

[MrsPnut]

I don’t think it is particularly tall, my DD was 5’7” at 12 and is almost 6’ at nearly 15. The foot pain and fallen arches though, I would get checked out.

[Rupertpenrysmistress]

I agree it's normal. My dd 13 is 5ft 6.

[Seainasive]

I wish people would stop commenting on teenagers’ bodies. It’s rude and unnecessary to keep mentioning it!

In any case being tall is great. Tall women (on average) get better jobs and earn more during their lifetime.

She may not keep growing for much longer though. I got to 5’9’’ when I was 13 and then stopped.

[CrimsonImp]

She's tall but not unusually so I wouldn't have thought. My niece turned 12 last month and is 5 foot 4 but that seems fairly average amongst her friends. She's looking forward to being taller than her auntie (I'm 5 foot 4.5).

[chesterelly]

166cm is nearer 5'6'. Even then I really don't think that's out with the realms of normal height. My DD is about 5'4" and most of her friends are taller. They are all 12 or just turned 13. I'd maybe get her feet& ankles checked (could you find a podiatrist if you don't want to bother gp?). I wouldn't be mentioning her height yet, the last thing you want is make her even more self conscious. I have a friend who was 5'9" leaving primary school and she has back problems from trying to slouch and walk with a stoop all the time when she was younger.

[knackeredmumoftwo]

My 14 year old daughter is 5ft 11 and had a dad 6ft3 and a much shorter mum and in her friendship group is not one of the tallest girls! She doesn't sound particularly tall for her age, it's just hard when they develop faster than the others - boobs, bums, etc all shoot out at different times.
I'd suggest she does strengthening exercises to help her ligaments if she shoots up again or maybe she won't!

As for the comments help her to dismiss them for what they are - passing comments from people is just normal - annoying yes !

[Beardie03]

She's tall but then you and your dh are! I'm 5ft 6 dh 5ft 5 and dd nearly 12 is 4ft 11.

[Bordador]

ok thanks - I must also clarify that 1.66 m works out at over 5 ft 5 inches

I misread the online conversion charts. (thank you Chesterelly for pointing that out).

[Bordador]

thanks for the perspective all x

[CutieBear]

You are a 5’7” woman is WAY above average for a height of a woman. Your DH is 6 foot which is slightly above average for a man. No wonder your DD is tall!

[bunburyscucumbersandwich]

I'm 5ft and my dd yr6 classmates (girls) mostly tower over me! Plenty more than 5ft4! And they are still in juniors.

I stopped growing at 12, so yr8. It all depends on what age you stopped growing, but she will probably be the same sort of heights at you.
My mum was about 5'4 and dad 5'8, but plenty of shorter than 5ft-ies in my family!

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

My 11 year old DD is now 5.6 ish, as tall as me. Her dad is 6.1 so tall but not gigantic.

She’s always been tall, and always mistaken for someone older than she is. People are forever commenting on it, it does bother her.

[freesolo]

My DD who has also just turned 12 is 5 foot 5 ( same height as me!) and size 7.5 feet, her dad is 6 ft, and she is taller than her 14 year old brother much to his horror. I'm not concerned though, and there are a few other girls in her year the same height or taller. She hasn't started her periods yet although she has plenty of signs they may start soon, so I'm guessing she's got a few more years of growing. She likes her height and luckily is not self conscious of it at all. I don't have any concerns

[chaosrabbitland]

im 5 foor 4 . dd who is 12 also is only just an inch away from reaching it . on her dads side her grandmother is 6 .2 so im thinking her height is coming from his side , not my mums , we are all shorties , im a head taller than my mum lol . i always look at dds friends and peers in her year group and honestly some of them are beating my dd one of them has to be at least 5 foot 7 . she looks like a 6th former ! and could easily be the next noami campbell , i was stunned when dd said she was in her class when she walked past us and said hello .