Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Where have all these giant children come from?

218 replies

CredulousThickos · 31/08/2017 20:30

And by children I mainly mean young teens.

I am a short arse at five foot two and a half. But growing up I was about average among my peers, with maybe one or two who were 'tall', which would still be under six foot.

My teens are 13 and 15 and roughly my height. The vast majority of their mates are MASSIVE. Two of DD's friends are over six foot, the rest shorter but still much taller than DD, and all but one of DS's circle are. He is actually the shortest kid in his year.

My much younger brother is 6'4 (he's 23), whereas all three of us sisters (early to late 30s) are my height or shorter. Same parents, btw, so not that.

Is this just confirmation bias or are the next generation taller in general?

I was used to being on the lower side of average but now I feel like a proper short arse.

Is it me or has anyone else noticed this epidemic of height?

OP posts:
squishysquirmy · 31/08/2017 21:32

I have heard before that how tall you are depends not just on your diet growing up, but on how well nourished your mother was. So this generation being taller may well be linked to the women of the previous generation being better fed than in the past.
There is some research that suggests that what you ate as a child has more impact on your children's height than what you ate during pregnancy.
Fascinating stuff!

Anatidae · 31/08/2017 21:32

What are "terminator seeds" Anatidae, my little Ducky-daddles?

Terminator seeds are a very nasty unethical thing - instead of a poor farmer being able to save seed from the mature crop, the seeds grow but produce sterile seed - so the farmer must go back and buy more.

There are plenty of unethical things about GM foods, but the way the media talks about them just makes me despair. It's all "HORMONE FRANKENTOMATOES !!"

I am a geneticist by the way (and I don't work on crops) GMfine right had the potential to eradicate food shortages. But the way it's done now is $$$$$ focused, not human/environmental focused.

Ps you are the first person to ever get the duck reference so a huge gold star to you ⭐️

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 31/08/2017 21:33

I do think the reduction in illness may be a factor. DS2 has chronic tonsillitis as a baby and toddler. He was small and pasty until they were taken out when he was 3. His growth noticeably speeded up after.

NoParticularPattern · 31/08/2017 21:34

My DH's parents are bother 5ft2/3 ish. DH is 6ft2 Hmm. Mind you I'm 6ft1 and my parents are both shorter than me (only just though!). Giant children everywhere! I dread to think how big this baby will be when it arrives!!

Anatidae · 31/08/2017 21:34

THETE IS NO GROWTH HORMONE IN YOUR FOOD

Sorry to shout. But unless you're importing beef illegally from America there's no growth hormone in your food.

For which you can thank the EU and their rules, by the way. It may change after brexit.

blackberryeater · 31/08/2017 21:35

If you're ever in the vicinity of a private school, keep an eye out for the first years. They're 12 and about 5'9. It's all the good nutrition.

By comparison in my school, we firsties looked like the cast of Oliver Twist.

pinkrocker · 31/08/2017 21:36

My Mum is 5'5", dad is 6', my sister is 6'3" and I'm 5'11".
I've noticed how teens in my town are much taller since I was at school (makes me feel less giraffe-like!) but where on earth do they buy clothes from when High Street stores don't stock Tall clothing?
Next Tall, DP Tall, New Look Tall are online only, TopShop has Tall in London only, and Long Tall Sally is well out of my price range (I imagine it's out of the average teen's price too)
There's some 11yr old girls who are already 5' in my Dd's class.

OctopusesGarden · 31/08/2017 21:37

I'm a short ar s e married to a giant (from a giant family. I feel like a hobbit standing with him, his dad and brother). My 3 year old takes after his dad. He's off the chart, has been since he was a little boy. I was petrified he'd be a giant baby but thankfully he arrived early and was a normal size. My daughter is like me, although I'm still hoping her father's genes will kick in and give her some long legs, she's only 2.

eggsandwich · 31/08/2017 21:37

I'm 5 ft my Dh is 6 ft and our 17 year old ds is 5 ft 11 and our 14 year old Dd is 5 ft 6 they do seem to be slowing down growth wise, their feet have stopped growing the last two years which is just as well as they are both size 9 which is a bit difficult getting size 9 in school shoes for girls.

I gather that as you get older you start to shrink slightly, so I'm going to look like a character from the borrowers, my teens do think it's funny that they are so much taller than there mum.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 31/08/2017 21:38

DH was 6' (has shrunk a little due to arthritis). His exW and I are both 5'4" or thereabouts. DSS1, who is 2 years younger than me, is 6'. DSS2 is 6'5". DS is, at 17, already 5'10" and still growing like Topsy - both he and DSS2 were late developers and were really short (shorter than me) until they hit 15, DSS2 didn't stop growing til he was about 19. So it's likely that DS will be much taller than DH, I just hope he doesn't end up with huge feet like DSS2 (size 15!)

Confuzzlediddled · 31/08/2017 21:38

I'm 5'4", DD is 14 and 5'2",DS is also 14 and has just overtaken me, their dad was 6'.

They seem to be about the smallest in thier year and have been since, well, forever! All their friends are giants!

Strangely though at dd's weekend theatre school she's average and even taller than some - is it an arts thing??

cantkeepawayforever · 31/08/2017 21:39

There's another - probably uncommon but possibly relevant - factor perhaps, in the survival of birth of bigger babies.

My mother would have had a brother, but he was stillborn - or rather was sacrificed at birth to save my tiny grandmother. C-sections weren't routinely available to women like her - pre NHS, as well - so large babies either didn't survive birth or their mothers didn't survive their birth, which then affected their wellbeing as a baby.

Modern surgery - my mum cried buckets when my large-headed DS appeared via C-section - has enabled the survival of the larger babies of small mothers, who then grow up to be larger adults.

DorisDangleberry · 31/08/2017 21:40

I love this

uninformed poster It's hormones on the food I tell you

some with a vague idea what they are talking about Err, growth hormones are illegal in EU food

uninformed poster hormones I tell you

some with a vague idea what they are talking about studies have shown that good nutrition throughout a child's development aid growth

uninformed poster hormones, and probably GM food

some with a vague idea what they are talking about FFS

youarenotkiddingme · 31/08/2017 21:41

People keep commenting on how tall my 13yo ds is at 5"1 Grin

He is no way tall for his age and I'm 5"7 and the shortest in my family.

Reading the thread about age in which children caught up to parents height or taller (and discovering it seemed to be between 10-12 years) I fear for the poor bugger!

tireddotcom72 · 31/08/2017 21:41

I'm 5ft 6 and dd dad is 5ft 7.

Dd nearly 14 has appeared to got stuck at 5ft 1 she hasn't grown for over a year.

She is by far the shortest of her friends but always was all through primary school - she was a tiny baby though I went 11 days over and she was still only 5lb.

None of my family are tall so I think genetically she is going to be a shorty.

Summerisdone · 31/08/2017 21:43

I'm 28 and 5'1" and my 14 year old sisters are both about my height, and my 10 year old sister is only an inch shorter than me so goodness knows how tall she will end up.

In all fairness though, I was always seen as the short arse growing up, friends used to laugh about my height (all good mannered, no bullying).

BabychamSocialist · 31/08/2017 21:48

My 16yo twins are both pushing 6'3 and have been for about two years. They can also grow better beards than DH.

I definitely think it's something in the water. Either that or they've been swapped for two different children somewhere along the line.

Parker231 · 31/08/2017 21:48

I'm 5'6". DH is 6'. DS 6'2" and DD 5'8". DH and I both come from tall families with the males all being 6' - 6'5". I'm the shortest female.

2017SoFarSoGood · 31/08/2017 21:50

Anatidae we are in America. Hormones Sad And Trump Sad Sad

Anatidae · 31/08/2017 21:50

*some with a vague idea what they are talking about FFS

YellowLawn · 31/08/2017 21:51

I have a cousin in us who is 7ft tall...

Anatidae · 31/08/2017 21:52

Anatidae we are in America. Hormones sad And Trump

And for that you have my sincerest sympathies (not being in America, just the dodgy meat and the orange tantrumming toddler.)

PortiaCastis · 31/08/2017 21:52

My Gran was 5'11" and died at 98 last year so doubt she was genetically modified

Kickhiminthenuts · 31/08/2017 21:52

I blame the lack of parents smoking!!
Year 5 girls are already taller then me Confused

Swipe left for the next trending thread