that kids are getting taller nowadays

[saragoepal]

Hi I have two ds who are quite small for their age. Ds1 is 12 and 143cm, ds2 is 9 and 130cm. I’d say that is somewhat below average but not that much. However they are by far the smallest in their classes, and many kids in ds2 class tower over ds1! I cannot remember that when I was their age that kids were that tall. Is this just a coincidence or are kids really getting taller these days?

Both of mine are still young but very tall for their ages even so. Think 99+ percentile. The biggest problem I find is how clothing manufacturers seem to assume all young children are chubby - mine aren't and finding clothes that are long but also narrow is nearly impossible.

@TulipCat maybe it is just because those friends are a lot taller than your ds?

Saragoepal, that's the odd thing though. Some of them are indeed much taller than him, but others only a couple of cm bigger. I guess they are like puppies that grow into their feet

@TulipCat I did somewhere that sometimes feet grow first. So maybe your ds will have to wait a little longer for his growth spurt. Same with my boys.

My DD turned 5 last week and is 124cm. I'm 5'11" and her dad is 6'3" so she was never going to be short though.
I remember feeling absolutely gigantic growing up but now I meet plenty of young women as tall as me. We are definitely getting taller as a population

My DSs started school at age 5 in a size 1 shoe and started High School in a 7 & 8. in the next couple of years they moved up a size roughly every 6 months.

Yes my 10 year old DS is taller than me with big feet. Just checked the height chart and he's 99+ percentile for height. He's always been tall though. I'm very short and his Dad is average height. Not sure where he gets it!

My 9yo dd is 150cm and in size 5 shoes. It's expensive. 😫
Everyone has always thought she's older which can be problematic. But there are worse things.

well it sure is less expensive having short kids :-)

Msgoody my 9 year old is 154 cm in size 5 shoes and age 13 clothes too.

Unfortunately I think its going to become difficult to find age appropriate clothes soon. Age 13 fits her in the arms and legs as she’slong limbed and muscular from swimming but she has a very small waist so we have to double check that there is elastic / drawstrings.

DD also has Severs disease in both feet caused by her growth spurts and her bones / ligaments not being able to keep up. She was in tears the other day because it hurt so much to walk and had to drop high impact hobbies in favour of swimming to not cause further problems.

Dd has just turned 12 and he's 152cm. I think it's average.
In his year there are boys a bit taller to very much taller and also a lot shorter.
I have no idea how tall or short he'll end up.

Indeed lots of tall kids around here, my 14 yo ds is tiny in comparison! As long as they're healthy, it is ok I guess

@boefmom that is very true !

I think kids are definitely getting taller, yes OP. My DS has recently turned 16 and he’s 6 ft 6. No idea why - I’m 5 ft 6 and DH is 6 ft. If he stands in a doorway his head is touching the top. The tube is a nightmare as the train ceiling isn’t high enough. He is also a size 13 shoe with very wide feet and a high instep so he has to get special shoes. I can sometimes find trainers but more usually have to order them online because most shops only stick up to size 12. He needs 34 waist, 38 inside leg trousers which is a challenge. I think his younger brother will be the same. Both overtook me in height by the end of year 6. DD in year 8 is slightly taller than me and the youngest has had a sudden growth spurt recently (year 6) and she’s catching up with me (but not taller like the boys were).

boefmom, you're not alone :-)

My 15year old ds is 6ft4, lots of his friends are of similar height, when they are in a room with me I feel tiny I'm 5ft 9.Dd 17 is 5ft8 a very average height amongst her friends. Which is great for her as when I was her age I remember feeling huge.

I’m sure I’ve read that kids esp girls are hitting puberty younger in this generation.

This will mean their growth spurt is sooner so 9-12 year olds are likely taller than the last generation.

However I think it evens out by adulthood.

My dc was quite late to puberty so was the shortest til 15 1/2 and is now one of the tallest.

I was 5ft 5 and a size 8 shoe aged 10. I didn't grow anymore apart from outwards

My ds has always been tall with big feet. He was an adult size 8 when he was 8. My dd is 8 now and only in a size 2 so I think she's going to be average.

Ds grew a shoe size with age so was 11 in an 11 when he started secondary school and still very tall.

Now in his last year of school he's 6ft 2 and a size 14 shoe and I think he's done growing ( thank god )

I have a tall DS, above the 90th centile, he’s the fourth tallest in his class. My DD is 5th centile though and I’d have guessed that meant she’d be one of the shortest but within the normal range at nursery. The other kids are all a full head taller than her. She looks absolutely tiny in comparison.

I think the height charts need updating. Child development charts definitely need updating. I read last year that something like 40% of year 6 kids are overweight, but child BMI is done on centiles. If the charts were up to date then only 5% of kids would ever meet the definition for being overweight.

Chequers - if the charts were updated to say that only 5% of kids were overweight not 40% then the obesity problem would just get worse as most people would be reassured that their kids were the correct weight rather than heading towards health issues in later life. No one can surely believe that only 5% of children in the UK are overweight.

I don’t think so. I was always one of the tallest in the class in primary school but the boys shot up in secondary school and towered over me eventually. Everyone has growth spurts at different points. My DC are all very tall which was bound to happen, I’m not short and their Dad is 6ft2. They are amongst the tallest in their classes but I don’t think children are getting taller, there’s always been some children taller than others...

I am often astonished how tall kids are now. Mine are simular to yours op.
I feel sorry for 12 and 13 year old girls who are getting really tall because, even as a not tall girl, I was getting bother from men at that age. It must be even worse if you are an adult height.

DS2 is 6'2" / 6'3" ... he's 14 and although tall, isn't the tallest in his year.

My boys are tiny. 127cm for the ten year olds and 117cm for the 7 year old. DH and I are completely average at 5 ft 5 and 5 ft 10ish. I had one grandad who was over 6 feet and one who was 5 ft so I guess it’ll balance out .

My ten year olds don’t seem small compared to their class (Y5) they’re about the average. 7 year old is second smallest in his class.

My son is also 143cm and age 12 and he is the smallest in his class by far too. Some of the kids his age are huge!!