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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:

MargaretThursday · 14/02/2023 21:47

He's 15yo and now around 5'7 and still growing.

Daisymay2 · 14/02/2023 21:47

DS was 3rd centile at birth, predicted to be 5' 2" at 2, we were offered a referral to GOS growth clinic and declined. He was always on the short side until he was about 14 or 15 when he caught up with his cohort. He's now 5'11" and well into his 20s.

Itgoesalittlesomethinglikethis · 14/02/2023 21:48

Reading with interest. My 9yo was a small baby and they thought he wasn't thriving. He is a good weight and strong.
He keeps telling me he's worried about his height, I try to reassure him. His dad is 5,11 and I'm 5,6. DH mum is tiny I don't think she reached 5ft. My dad never went past my height. Saying that, DS is handsome and had a group of girls chasing him at school saying they wanted to kiss him. I think because his other two siblings are like giants it makes him feel the odd one out as well. All I can do is reassure him.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 14/02/2023 21:52

DP was always little (hardly surprising when his family is all teeny-tiny - his Dad was the tallest at 5'1") - so he towers over them at 5'7".

One ex was smallish with a father over six foot tall - he got to 5'9".

If there are no genetic factors at play, going by the many teenaged boys I've met aged 11 and then had towering over me aged 15, my guess is that he'll either string bean it until 18 and then fill out as his growth slows down until he's about 20 or he'll stop at the average height of 5'10". Which is perfectly tall enough.

Kanfuzed123 · 14/02/2023 21:58

From a mummy of a child of former faltering growth, in this case it might be worthwhile working out your mid parental height and then seeing what that works out to centile wise v the centile he’s tracking. If he is more than 2 centiles below mph that’s nice guidelines for a referral to an endocrinologist. It’s important to do that before puberty because that’s when the window for growth starts to close

WellTidy · 14/02/2023 21:59

DH was always on the short side compared to his peers at 9yo, and had a growth spurt at 18yo. He is now 5 foot 9.5.

My dad on the other hand was around the middle of his class height wise at 9yo, and grew to 5 foot 2, and was then the tallest in his family!

DillDanding · 14/02/2023 22:05

Mine was really small and slight until he was almost 18. He was worried about it (and we were, privately).

He’s now 19 and 6ft 1 and very beefy. His bone plates are still not fused and he is still growing like a weed.

BreviloquentBastard · 14/02/2023 22:11

My brother was pint sized, so much so that his nickname was "Little Jack", he was definitely one of the shortest in his year.

He's now 6'2". So they can grow.

Wildehorses · 14/02/2023 22:12

My younger son was always tiny and still is, aged 16 and a half, probably around 5ft 5in, my husband is 6ft 1in and our eldest boy is 6ft 2in …. I feel so guilty that DS2 has inherited my height (I am just 5ft 3in) unless he has a really late growth spurt, I really hope this happens but my dad was 5ft 6in so he probably will stay small and yes, his height bothers him

cheapskatemum · 14/02/2023 22:15

3 of my DSs were short growing up, always among the shortest in their classes. As adults, one is 5'7", one 5'8" & one 5'9". The other was average height growing up & is now 5'9". DH is 5'6" & I'm 5'5".

cheapskatemum · 14/02/2023 22:17

Wildehorses · 14/02/2023 22:12

My older brother had a growth spurt at 18 & is 5'11", so your DS2 might grow taller yet.

CharlotteFlax · 14/02/2023 22:21

You can predict adult height using these growth charts

www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/uk-who-growth-charts-2-18-years

The parent height predictor tool thingy is on the second page of the downloadable charts on the right hand side

Jellybean23 · 14/02/2023 22:21

OP, does your son take after you more than your husband? If so, he probably won't be tall but probably taller that you. My son didn't stop growing until he was 22.

BertieBotts · 14/02/2023 22:25

Do you know his height at age 2? That is supposed to be half their adult height.

There is a more detailed calculator in the red book but I found the margin it gives you totally laughable because there's a span of about 12cm so surely it's just hedging its bets!

Hongkongsuey · 14/02/2023 22:27

Mine was small and skinny-on 2nd centile when born and never got above 9th. Always smallest in group. Now 24, he is 5’11 and taller than a lot of his friends now.

Airymanning · 14/02/2023 22:29

My some was one of smallest in class age 9. Always very small.

Fully grown now and 5ft 7 so still short bless him

OnTheRunWithMannyMontana · 14/02/2023 22:40

Yep my DS was teensy all the way through primary and for most of secondary too.

He is 18 now and 5ft 5. He's ok with that, all my side of the family (except me who's some weird genetic throwback) are very short.

Like my 4ft 6 nana always says - they don't make diamonds as big as bricks!

Mummyford · 14/02/2023 22:47

Mine were both very small but had late growth spurts and have ended up 6'2" and 6'3". DH is 6'1" and I'm 5'4". DD is 5'6" but grew much earlier than the boys. I've been told that boys with late growth spurts often end up taller as they grow for longer. One of mine grew so rapidly that he had stretch marks on his lower back.

2chocolateoranges · 14/02/2023 22:49

Ds was always the smallest boy in the class and sat around the 25th centile.

he is in his early 20’s now and is 5ft 11”.

im 5ft8 and dh is 5ft 9.

Wheelz46 · 14/02/2023 23:05

My brother was small, not sure of his height when he was 9 but he was definitely one of the shorter ones in his year group.

Probably taller than most now at 6ft 4

wizzler · 14/02/2023 23:11

Ds was very small.. always in the front row of class photos and I struggled to get a small enough sweat shirt for him when he started secondary school.
He is now 6ft and still growing

Thatcatisdrivingmenuts · 14/02/2023 23:13

6ft!

0.2 percentile to 9th, and now a young man of 6ft. I didn't expect that.

ZenNudist · 14/02/2023 23:14

Does it matter? Dont encourage him to equate height with being better.

I have dc who was always the tallest in the class by a long way but now at secondary is getting overtaken and dc who is second smallest in the class. Its nice he's Diddy and cute.

I think of all thd men I know who are short or tall and can't say I attach any significance to it.

Scutterbug · 14/02/2023 23:15

Mine was really small until about aged 14 when he suddenly grew. Now 5ft 11.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 14/02/2023 23:15

I'm not sure you can tell at 9. My DB's football team at 12/13 mostly looked like little boys still, playing against other teams about a foot taller with hairy legs and moustaches!

They're all between 5'9" and 6'2" now, with (in general) the ones who were small until 14/15 growing taller than the ones who grew earlier.

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