To ask for your lovely stories about parenting tall sons?

[WombOfOnesOwn]

My first little boy stayed at the 90th percentile for height from his first measurements on, with barely a wobble up or down. He's now over 2, which means his height percentile is likely, though not guaranteed, to stay similar. My husband is a similar height percentile and so that is expected and it's been nice to see him grow.

My new baby, though...his weight is 80th-90th percentile, but his length has, at every measurement, been climbing centiles. 98th at birth, then 99th, then 99.5th, 99.8th, 99.9th, and we are now at what the doctor's office said was "99.9th+" at not quite 2 months. He has been lengthening out of clothing sizes at a rate that shocked me even as the mother of a previous fairly tall baby.

I know that it is very early days and his measurements and centiles could well change, but I am a woman of 99.8th percentile height myself. It was not always easy to be six feet tall, especially not when I hit my full adult height as a preteen. Of course, a boy at the same centile would be much taller, to the point of it starting to make some things very difficult -- like economy seating on planes, for instance, or even doorways!

So tell me what's lovely and fun about tall sons as they enter the preteen, teenage, and adult stages. Do they like being tall? Tall mothers of tall sons, does it seem like it's easier for boys? I want to be able to look at this baby's development as exciting and look forward to the good parts, instead of fretting that he'll be a miserable giant every time he outgrows yet another item made for babies 3-4 times his age.

My son is predicted to be 5 foot 7. I hope he doesn't hate being smaller than average!

Be prepared for some disapproving looks at your child in soft play, and when his head its at the top of the buggy at 3 years old! Sadly they grow out of cute baby clothes quicker- so make the most of cute whilst you can!

My DS was long when he was born, then he averaged out through primary age. Then he had a bit of a growth spurt in his teens to end up at 6' 1" which is tall ish but not unusual. So don't assume that because he is taller than average at 2 he will be taller than his classmates all through school, it can vary.

My friend's son is 6'5" at age 14 and is trying out for county basketball!

My DS is 9 and comes up to my chin, he has size 7 feet
I’m 5ft 3 but DH is 6ft 2 and his family are all quite tall
DS loves being so tall and looking older but when he was little people would comment on his behaviour as they thought he was older. From about 2 1/2 I would reguyget asked why he wasn’t at school!

I’m 5’ 10” (and a half!), DH is 6’0”. I have a 6’3” DS (not quite stopped yet as still taking suit trousers down at age 17) DD1 has topped out at 5’5” and DD2 at 13 is now shooting up....we suspect another beanpole like her brother. In our house, the only one who is naffed off is my DD1(15) who feels like she’s “living in a house of giants”. My DSis is v tall too and her DSS are 6’5”.

My son is 5 and a half. He's already over 4ft and has size 1 feet. He is the tallest in the class and some older classes too. He likes being tall and he likes using his height to help people. Downside is people always expect more because he is older and think he is stupid because they think he can understand more than he can, all because of his aesthetics. I'm only 5ft 3, but my husband is 6" 2 and his grandad is 6ft 6. My son gives the best hugs and I know he will always protect me when he's older haha.

My ds is 6ft 2 at 13 and like the pp plays basketball 🏀

All of his friends are similar height if not taller due to their shared interest

Height is great for most sports

Yes he gives great hugs

He is probably going to end up on his predicted height from his red book height scale

DS is 12, he is about 5’9” and wears size 10 shoes. The size of his shoulders puts him in M tshirts for men and men’s shirts for school (fly swimmer). I’m 5’5”.
I am greeted by lovely (but sometimes rib crushing) hugs and- if not a soul will ever see- he’ll walk with his arm round my shoulder. When he’s on the wind up he’ll pat me on the head.
He’s a stroppy teen, I still tell him off but I need to look up or tell him off while he’s sitting down! But he’s generally a good kid, so we can usually sit down with a Diet Coke and talk most stuff through.
I’d echo a pp about perceptions as he grows up. I got lots of look as my “size of a 5 year old” child had a temper tantrum. He was still 3, with a language delay, it was what he did! Also you pay full price a lot sooner if you go anywhere based on height (theme parks, all you can eat buffets etc). I worry a bit that he’ll be the kid sent in to buy the beer at 16 because he’ll be the tallest.
His girlfriend is a petite little thing (a few inches shorter than me) and 18 months older. I think she finds it funny that she’s barely up to his shoulders.

Dh’s family are all tall so it was no surprise to us that ds was tall throughout primary school. However his growing slowed considerably during his secondary school years and when he was sixteen he was a very average height. He played rugby at school and his team mates were all quite a lot bigger and taller than him. Ds then grew a lot at sixth form and throughout university and is now 6’3”.

So, your ds May be tall now and may well be a tall adult but there may also be a spell when he is positively average.

My brother is 6' 8".

Some downsides are, he developed a stoop. Watch out for this. He also has a very long body (still takes 34" inside leg, so you can imagine how long his body is) and finds it hard to find tops that fit.

Also, he was always very tall, and that became his "thing", in a way. He is lazy anyway, but it's been a bit like being tall is the only thing he is. This was engendered and encouraged by my parents who were very pleased he was tall and strong. We are an uneducated family and this physical thing was really valued. He ended up with no GCSEs and all his jobs have relied on physicality.... he was a prison officer for many years and is now a bailiff.

So just a note of caution from me that even if he ends up being super tall, not to make it all about that.

I'd agree with a pp that people expect more of tall children ... DS3 is 6 and the youngest in his class, but as he's one of the tallest people do expect more from him in terms of reading, PE, behaviour etc.

DS2 is also tall and is now slightly taller than DS1. This causes DS1 a lot of upset and he constantly refers to himself as a midget and short, and has affected his self confidence a bit. I have to keep reminding him that he's average height and no doubt about to have a huge growth spurt at any moment!

I am a 6ft female and my OH is 6ft 4 and his father is 6ft 5. My eldest DS is 6ft 3 and was always tall since a baby.People thought he was older than he was and expected more from him when he was little which was tough. Anyway we are a rugby family and he ended up playing Rugby at school and a club and loved being tall. My DD is 14 and already 5ft 9 and she hates being tall. She is taller than a lot of the boys and she has big feet too which she hates, as i have explained to her that she will balance out. She like my eldest was tall from birth and remained so. My DS2 ended up with an abnormality in his pituitary and needs growth hormone to help him grow. He has climbed up the centiles as over the first 3yrs of his life he dropped from.over the 100th to -4. He is now just below 90th. He has played Rugby since age 5 and is the school goalie. He is average amongst his friends so not sure where he will end up. My youngest is like my eldest and is very tall for his age, he is 3. I have no doubt he will continue being tall. One thing I like about being tall is being able to still get a good view when standing at a concert!

My 14 year old DS is 5ft 11 and has size 12 feet. He's always been taller than most of his friends and likes being tall but would rather be closer to his friends heights ( probably 5'8)

DS2 is 9 and is taller than his brother was at his age so I'm expecting he'll be even taller. He has much smaller feet than DS1 had at that age though! He likes being tall, good job!

My DSs are both tall. I agree with everything upthread about them being subject to higher expectations - sometimes helpfully (challenging them to achieve more), but not always.

They love it simply because they can get on more rides at the fairground...

My son was always tall and like your second one, started climbing the percentiles after the age of 2.

By the age of 16 he was already 6'7" and yes, he cannot fly economy unless we pay for the emergency exit or bulkhead seats... but I love an excuse, when flying with him, to go "economy-plus" and get business class seats without all the business-class fuss we don't actually want or need.

He has to buy his shoes in the US as you cannot find his size in the UK or France.

He LOVES his height and gives the most wonderful all-enveloping hugs. I love seeing people's faces when he walks in the room after not having seen them for a while -- they are always amazed and he loves the attention.

He thought his height alone would make him the perfect basketball player, but it is very hard for him to move around a court quickly -- changing direction and accelerating fast are particularly difficult for him. So, he had a fun couple of seasons doing basketball before changing to rugby and he very much enjoys that now.

I have to be careful not to make too much of a thing of his height as his younger brother is a mere 6'2".

Neither my husband nor I are particularly tall (I am 5'8" and my hubby swears he's 6' but he may be half an inch shorter!!).

I’m an average height mother of a tall-ish son. He’s just turned 14 and is pushing 5ft9 but way taller than his friends still (the ones that I see anyway). He’s very slim which is more of an issue to me than being tall as clothes fit him lengthways but are baggy so he needs slim fit everything. He does come from slim and tall stock though and he’ll prob be taller than dh who is just over 6ft. No real issues other than trying to get as much protein into him as possible so he can fill out a bit more.
Both my DCs are taller than me, even DD by 3 inches. Am known as ‘small mum’!

Mine is 6ft 5 and 24. Clothes look great on him, and he has size10 feet. I have to jog trot to keep up with him.

He’s fab for hugs and loves being tall. The only issue ever was finding school trousers with a 28 inch waist and 34 leg. I think Asda did them. Anyway be the end of Y21 they were flapping round his ankles.

Of course height does not worry boys, unless they are actually have a medical issue (acromegaly/gigantism).

I am 5’. DH over 6’. Son over 6’ and still going (with clown feet). Son is very happy with his height, it is easier to be a tall person that a short person in this world with very few exceptions including aeroplanes and anything with narrow legroom, small cars, some ancient theatres etc. In general though it’s a huge advantage.

It is weird though when I tell him off as he towers above me. His arms now go around me in a bear hug rather than mine around him like when he was younger. I use him as my servant in the kitchen when accessing upper cupboards .

Forgot to add the only problem we have found with height is when weight does not match. Mine was always on/over 95th centile but was always around 5th for weight. So to get pants that were long enough they would drop straight to his ankles as he was built like a toothpick. Even common brands with pull in button waists were too big, we were limited to a handful of brands that catered to such a build. No issue these days as he wears belts (still needs extra slim fit pants but there are quite a few around).

My 16 year old is 6ft, I'm 5,7 and he thinks it hilarious that he's taller than me and loves to treat me like a child, asking if I need a step or things passing to me

Hopping this is the issue ds has!! Feet of. Clown too - size 10 feet as are narrow as my size 4s 😂

I was the tallest girl in my class until I was 11 then that was pretty much it. I'm 5'4".
DH is 5'8" so we never expected our son to be over 6' but he is. Its definitely too early to say how tall he'll be.

My just turned 15 year old is tall, way over 6ft and a size 14 shoe.

He has always been tall ( even though he was born early ) and every year of school he grew a shoe size that corresponded with his age so when he was 9 he was in a size 9 and so on....

I pray that his feet stop growing though as it makes his life so hard. When he needs new astros for football there isn't much choice, he hates shoe shopping, as do I.

He has only one friend who is if similar height, most of the others are very average.
It's weird when younger and you bend down to kiss them and now he bends down to kiss me!

His dad is around 6ft3 and my own brother is 6ft7 so I think he's going to be a big lad.

He has mixed views on being tall. He does get treated as if he's older and I joke it's like having a husband when we go out.

I have a 6’1” 15 year old DS. I am only 5’3” so we already look amusing together. He is a big hugger and I think he likes being able to wrap himself around us . He is a dude and cool about it, but he is taller than a lot of his friends so he does hunch and stoop a little sometimes, especially around girls. He is aware that he does it and walks tall but it is something to watch out for.

I do sometimes find myself startled by the size of the shoes that are left lying about tho. They seems faintly ridiculous.