To not understand why some parents think that having a tall child makes them a superior parent?

[coppingpandy]

Has anyone else noticed this? Some parents go on and on about having a tall child, as if it makes them better than everyone else, or as if it's because of something they've done parenting-wise.

I have noticed it both on here and in real life.

My DD's best friend has always been a fraction taller than DD, and for the past 7 years since they became friends at pre-school, her mum has not stopped going on about it. She mentions it all the time, as if it's medal-worthy that her DD is the tallest of the pair!

My DS is the youngest in his class, and so is quite small compared to lots of other children who are almost a year older than him. The mum of a very tall boy in his class is always mentioning the fact that DS is small and that her DS is so much taller. Again as if she deserves a bloody medal for her child being tall!

AIBU to think it's strange?

(Cue lots of parents protesting "But my child really is tall)

I talk about my son being tall. Lots of other people talk about him being tall, like it's a good think. Girls like him because he is tall, I think it's a primal thing.

I have an incredibly tall 9 yo ds and it makes me feel like a shit parent as his trousers are always flapping around his shins. Everyone must think we're a bunch of scruffs! He outgrows things as quickly as I buy them.

There's a girl at DD's primary school, she really small and slender, despite being older than my DD and she is like a little speed demon during sports day, she is like lightening.

So tall isnt always the best, curiously, some of the taller ones are the slowest.

DD is tall, at 6 she is in age 9-10 clothes and much taller than her peers even though she is the youngest in her class. DS is slightly taller than average, coming up 10 and in 11-12 in general (and a bloody size 4 in a shoe). I would imagine this has nothing to do with my superior parenting abilities and more to do with genetics.

With DD especially her height is a disadvantage as people expect more of her (as she looks 10 but behaves like a 6yo) and it's really difficult to find appropriate clothes and shoes for her. Personally I do talk about her height, but mainly to malign the fact that it's a nightmare and to express my wish that she would stop growing. Also she is so tall that I NEVER get any hand me downs, and I used to LOVE that!

I have never had a relationship with a short man, it may be shallow, but there it is. Most women sprint want short men either, studies show.

As Chorister says, being tall can be a problem sometimes for children, particularly young ones. My friend's DS is huge for his age and people assume he's much older than he is and have their expectations of him accordingly.

My DSs are short and stocky. Peasant survival stock as the family say.

20 years ago I had a boyfriend who was 6 ft 8 - he told me that if he was out late clubbing with only one or two male friends, men he didn't know would very regularly try to start fights with him 'to prove themselves' - I don't want that for DS1, who looks set to be at least as tall as his 6 ft 5 father ... tall boys are often taught they have to be gentle and careful, and actually end up being hurt... D

S1 is only 6 and has alteady had a black eye from a much smaller but same age noy, and didn't foght back because I'd told him to be gentle with littler children... :(

That boy's mum calls my DS 'Reisig' (giant), though to her credit when I told her what had happened she dragged her boy home by his ear, as DS1 is known in the village to be a wild boy who would nevertheless always give wat to a toddler and often has toddlers hanging off his arms, which he tolerates in a rather amusingly bashful way :o

Tess I said Tall and Broad. And no I don't think it's particularly attractive.

My 11 yr old ds is tall and stocky and I have to buy him men's football kits which cost nearly £100 each.
Also he's in a size 10 men's shoes and goes through them at the rate of knots. It costs a fortune to buy his clothes and shoes.
It's not something to brag about in my opinion.
It's also really hard when people treat him as if he's much older, he has asc and is quite young for his age.
I've never thought about height being superior.
One of his best friends has a growth condition and is the size of a 6 year old.
They look really funny playing out together, he's much more feisty than my ds and he's fed up of being told he's tiny.
Sometimes, there's more going on than is obvious.
People must be very insecure to feel superior about their dc's height.

When I see teenagers and 6th formers from the boys public school in our town I always notice that they are, all of them, so tall.
They don't look like they've grown up on blue and white striped food.

What is "blue and white striped food' SisterM? I know I am missing a cultural reference there but it sounds like toothpaste

I just mean supermarket / tesco basics

Ah! I knew it was a cultural reference! (Live in Germany, shop in Aldi - most Germans do, although I am not German... Aldi fed Germans are on average a good bit taller than Waitrose fed British people, I once looked it up and its true statistically as well as IME) I used to feel tallish for a woman in the UK, but feel shortish since moving here (5 ft 7).

ds has always been tall for his age. I never bring it up but other parents talk about it all the time - as if I hadn't noticed! Bemuses me. It's not am achievement, it's just taking after his Dad and Granddad. And who knows, some of the kids who are smaller than him may catch up and overtake. My Mum was the tallest in her year throughout primary but stopped growing early - she's only 5' 3".

Tall and broad girls = unattractive. Ok.

At least I know now that this is an opinion I shall have to shield DD from as tall and broad is looking like a real possibility for her. Christ.

I talk about how tall my DSs are all the time.

Mainly because other people bring it up.

The same way people always go on about my height.

It is like it is the one and only physical aspect you can talk about, though it bores me.

Height can work in your favour or against you, people can assume I am arrogant as I stand tall, and "look down" on people. I have a bad back, so can't do the droopy shoulder-height-hiding-stance I used to do. But being tall and aware of your posture makes people assume you are confident or even arrogant.

In business, and in male dominated industry, being a 6ft woman really helped though. Stupid but they treated me more equal than my petite female colleagues...

Good lord, a girl can hardly help being tall AND broad.

My DD gets her height from her father's side, and she may well end up inheriting my wide shotputter shoulders (and I'm 5'6 and normal weight, just triangular)

Sorry we can't all be petite and delicate.

I have never had a relationship with a short man, it may be shallow, but there it is. Most women sprint want short men either, studies show.

Studies show what exactly? You can find a study to "prove" most things. I know many shorter than average men and a couple really short. Not a single one of them has never had girlfriends. Some women may prefer to be with a tall man but unless they are very shallow most women understand that other things are more important.

this is so true, im only 4'11 and my 14mo is stocky but on the shorter side and I get alot of people with tall babies comparing the two, my DP on the other hand is 6ft 2 and his 7, 8, and 10 year old brothers tower above me and MIL is always bragging about their height cause they shot up at a young age but actually, I think its a negative because their all too tall for softplays.. kinda sad

YANBU I've seen two posts on FB recently announcing new births as a "long and lean" (X pounds) and " a long (Y pounds)" recently.
which I found a peculiar way to describe a baby.

Is it an English thing that its considered good to be tall? I'm mixed race, and not purely meaning to boast, but most of my family are good looking, talented at sports and academic. But of short to medium height. I suppose being tall, or being likely to be tall, might make the less blessed feel they have at least one worthwhile characteristic?

I think YABU, it takes a lot of stretching to get a long child you know. Lots of dedication there

DD's best friends Mum does this with both height and shoe size. I figure if the ONLY thing she can think of her DD has over mine is size let her have it. Of course she had a DS who is very short, then I had a DS a year later who is slightly taller than average and she got very sheepish after that.

I think men are generally at an advantage if they are tall

An advantage for what exactly? Do tall men have better jobs, more successful relationships, are they cleverer or better are sport? Or is that statement just a pile of meaningless crap from someone who happens to have tall DC?

In fact the whole concept that some idiots people seem to believe that in order to be attractive women should be slim and petite (even though I am) and men should be big and tall is so boring and narrow. It really doesn't reflect reality, where people have very different ideals of beauty that don't conform to those stereotypes.