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Original poster

If you had a small 9-year-old boy, what is their adult height?

103 replies

Heightyheight · 14/02/2023 20:59

My DS (age 9) is the one of the smallest boys in his class - there’s maybe one boy smaller than him.

He’s always been small - he was a small baby. It’s never especially bothered him, but he’s started saying things like “I’m going to be tall when I’m older though”. I think it’s because his dad is tall 6’2. I am smallish (5’3.5 - the 0.5 is important!)

He’s convinced he’s going to be tall like his dad someday, but I am not so sure! I keep saying “Who knows what your height will be! Some people are small, some people are tall and we all grow at different rates.”

So, just wondering… if you had a small DS at 9, did he stay small?

OP posts:
play017 · 14/02/2023 21:01

I'm following because my 6 year old is the same. What centile is your son? Mine is 35th centile but he is the smallest in his class!

titchy · 14/02/2023 21:04

Ds is 5ft 6 as an adult! He'd like to be taller but not overly bothered. We're a short arse family though Grin

LakeTiticaca · 14/02/2023 21:09

Mine didn't. He was always shorter than his school mates but shot up around 17 and now about 6 foot!!

Original poster
Heightyheight · 14/02/2023 21:10

play017 · 14/02/2023 21:01

I'm following because my 6 year old is the same. What centile is your son? Mine is 35th centile but he is the smallest in his class!

I’m actually not sure! But he used to be the 25th percentile. When he was a baby, he was the 2nd for a while!

OP posts:
CandyflossKid · 14/02/2023 21:12

My son from birth was always on the 9th centile and was one of the smallest boys in his class until he was approx 13 and had his 'growth spurt'. He's 20 now and is 5ft 8 inches.
Not exactly tall, but tall enough.

HollyFern1110 · 14/02/2023 21:12

No idea on centiles but my now 21 year old DS was one of the smallest at primary school too. He's 6ft now - taller than his 5ft 9 dad!

jlpartnerrs · 14/02/2023 21:15

I'm 5ft2 and my husband is 6ft2 and our boys were always small, One id 5ft7 and the other 5ft10

TheThreeHeadedBeast · 14/02/2023 21:17

He is over 6 ft now, but DH was the same. DS was very small at year 7, 8, 9 and beginning of year 10. DH is 5'10 I'm 5'.05"

Christmasbaubleswithtinselon · 14/02/2023 21:17

Have you still got his red book? There’s a hight chart in the back that you can use as a projector (of course it’s not definitive). There are a few online too but it doesn’t really matter. At primary age there are a vast difference in children’s heights. Both my parents are short but I’m 5’9 and my brothers are over 6ft. My sister on the other hand is comparably shorter. His hight won’t define him

LindorDoubleChoc · 14/02/2023 21:20

My son reached my height (5 ft 2 in) when he was nearly 13. He is now 6ft 1 in aged 19.

TwoBlueFish · 14/02/2023 21:24

My DS stayed small till about age 16. He’s now around 5’10” or 11, taller than his Dad and still growing (he’s 18.5). My youngest brother was also the smaller for many years and is now well over 6 foot and the tallest of all my brothers (all 6 foot +)

RandomUsernameHere · 14/02/2023 21:28

Is he in Year 4 or Year 5? Only asking as if he's one of the youngest in Year 5 he might not actually be that small for his age and just looks it because some of the children are nearly a year older.

SusanPerbCallMeSue · 14/02/2023 21:33

My son was the smallest in the year through primary school. He's 15 now, and currently 5ft 6. His older brothers are between 5ft 8 and 5ft 10. I'm 5ft 1, their dad is 5ft 8.

Motheranddaughter · 14/02/2023 21:34

5 10

Whiskers4 · 14/02/2023 21:35

My DD has always been small and at 21 is less than 5ft - no surprise as my side of the family are shorter than DD and DH isn't much taller than me. There was a lad in her class even smaller than her, he now towers over both of his parents.

Whyjustwhy123 · 14/02/2023 21:36

My DD is 10 and one of the smallest, I remember he was on the 9centile in his red book. His dad is 6ft. Really hoping he has a growth spurt because of the sport he’s into!

postitpatty · 14/02/2023 21:38

My brother was always one of the smallest in class but had a massive growth spurt in yr 10 and is now 6ft2!

His growth spurt was so quick it was painful, he had several trips to the doctors due to literal growing pains, and he got stretch marks!

Poblano · 14/02/2023 21:38

Mine was the smallest in his class all the way through primary school and through most of secondary school, then had a growth spurt at around 15/16 and is now 5'11.

postitpatty · 14/02/2023 21:39

To add, mum is 5foot nothing, dad was 5'8, there are tall cousins on grandads side of family which is where his random tall growth spurt genes must have come from!

ImAVaccinator · 14/02/2023 21:40

From 0.9 centile failure to thrive to the dizzying heights of between 9th-25th until he was 15 he is now 6'2" at 20 and frankly no one can believe it of him. Got to say he is absolutely loving the change from always being the smallest in any team/class to towering over people. His father and I are basically the spokesmodels for 'average height' as well so who knows.

It's very hard not to be all 'LOOK how tall my baby is' when you spent the good part of two decades getting spiky at all the women at baby weigh ins/kindergarten/school who preened as though they had superior parenting for just having a larger than average child.

Butteredtoast55 · 14/02/2023 21:40

Mine are just over 6 feet tall. My oldest DS was always one of the smallest in his class and shot up around the age of 15-16. They eat very well with plenty of fruit, veg, chicken and fish so I put it down to that as I'm short and their Dad is about 5'7"

ladygindiva · 14/02/2023 21:40

Not D's but my dB was way smaller than his peers at 9. He's now an adult and 5'6. Our mum is only 5'1 and I am 5'3". Our dad is tall, close to 6'. It's never held my bro back, he's a confident successful guy and has always been popular with girls.

quietnightmare · 14/02/2023 21:41

My brother was very small maybe 5 ft 2 and then he hit 18 and shot up over the next few years and is 5ft 11 not massive but a decent height

mdh2020 · 14/02/2023 21:45

Double the height he was at the age of 2

ImAVaccinator · 14/02/2023 21:46

And as an add on to my original post I think quantity and quality of sleep can be really important when they hit puberty, IIRC they need to be asleep a decent amount of time before some of the growth triggers kick in. This worked very well getting DS3 to bed as he wanted to be as tall as his brothers so if it's not accurate then please don't tell me 🙉