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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

that kids are getting taller nowadays

163 replies

saragoepal · 28/05/2019 16:30

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?

OP posts:
ChequersDog · 03/06/2019 11:16

Surgery, no that’s not what I’m suggesting. But using fake percentile charts is a bit ridiculous. Use a different method and update the centile charts. If my daughter is actually off the bottom of the charts I’d like to know.

FabulouslyGlamourosFerret · 03/06/2019 11:17

Apparently it correlates to the obesity crisis too, we are feeding our children too much which results in growth upwards as well as outwards!!

Pipo174 · 03/06/2019 11:22

My 10yo DS is the smallest in his class at 4'5! He's smaller than most of his 7-10 year old friends and cousins. Sad thing is he has started to notice and it's starting to impact him a bit.

Pipo174 · 03/06/2019 11:23

FabulouslyGlamourosFerret - I've heard this too, I've read a lot into it actually. Children who consume more cows protein products (diary milk etc) tend to be bigger and taller. As the growth hormones in cows milk are for baby cows so surpass what is required for humans, thus making them grow much bigger!

Oblomov19 · 03/06/2019 11:25

Definitely. Most of Ds1's peers are nearly 6ft at 15.
The girls are tall and lanky (ie lovely legs up to their armpits!) aswell.

Pipo174 · 03/06/2019 11:26

....and mature a lot faster. Girls starting periods a lot sooner etc as a result.

Dillyson · 03/06/2019 11:30

My DS is in L6 at school. His year has some extremely tall children.
He is 6'4" and there are several boys taller than him.

The year below are much smaller!

RompeCabezas · 03/06/2019 11:33

I think this will stop. I was not taller than my parents. My children are both taller than I am at 13 and 16 but this ''effect'' will end.

Post War (s) the next few generations were healthier but now there is obesity/technology to contend with.

We won't have great grandchildren 2 metres.

lovemeorleaveme · 03/06/2019 12:10

I think it's harder for men to be short. My dh is 5ft 6just) and has endured so much stick for it over the years. My dh really could give a damn but it gets soooo boring. Within first week of new job, the short jokes started. My ds is obviously going to follow suit and he doesn't seem to mind either luckily.

Oblomov19 · 03/06/2019 14:33

I am very small. Dh isn't tall. Ds's seem ok, average, not tall or small.
I too wonder when the stats and percentiles are going to next be updated?
The red book you measure your baby with can't now be a true and fair measurement? But no one thinks that as mothers we should be told if our child is very tall or very small?

We are getting taller, secondary kids are taller than previous generations. And bigger. Where's the obesity stats?

Why aren't all these stats being updated? So that we know where our children now lie?

Original poster
saragoepal · 03/06/2019 16:48

A lot of different opinions over here :-)

OP posts:
Fluffyandcuteintown · 03/06/2019 17:21

my son is 9th centile for height there's nothing down for him Grin

lololove · 03/06/2019 17:36

I'm 5 ft 9 (175cm) and I have always felt very awkward about my height . There were only ever one girl the same height as me and one very slightly taller for my entire school time (our secondary school was v near our primary so most of us just advanced on)

Now I've send quite a few young women who are really quite tall, some taller than I am so it definitely has happened in around the last 20 or so years. My sister in law is due to drop anytime, poor love. She's not entirely full term but baby is measuring so big that she's running out of space.

boefmom · 05/06/2019 18:15

Lots of different sizes!

tartoeps · 15/06/2019 17:26

good that there are also shorties :-)

moonfacebaby · 15/06/2019 17:35

My DD7 is 4ft 6 and on the 98th centile for her age. I have to buy age 10 clothes for her, but this can be a bit of a pain as she’s also skinny, so trousers can be tricky.

ElizabethMountbatten · 15/06/2019 17:45

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the request of the OP.

DickieDonkey · 15/06/2019 17:48

My kids all seem tiny compared to others in their classes but strangely they are in the ‘correct’ age clothes. All these other tall and/or fat kids must be wearing adult sizes.

RickAstleyGaveMeUp · 15/06/2019 17:53

My DGM had 7 children who reached adulthood. They went M M F F F M M. Each subsequent child ended up shorter than the one of the same sex preceding them, and in fact the youngest male is shorter than the oldest female.

MythicalBiologicalFennel · 15/06/2019 17:55

What Sally said! I too am 5'8" and in the last few years i have noticed a lot of young taller girls. We are no longer tall Grin

Shimy · 15/06/2019 18:00

OP we are in the same camp Smile. DS 15 if 5ft 4, his older brother at 17+ is 5ft 7inch. We’re shorties alright. Their school mates seem like giants.

BGD2012 · 15/06/2019 18:05

I'm 5ft 9 and my 12 year old son is a very skinny 4ft 11 with size 6 boat feet. His dad is 6ft.
We've been waiting for his growth spurt for years!

redspider1 · 15/06/2019 18:15

I work in a primary school. The children vary greatly in height in all years but mostly from year 3 to 6. It's always been the same.

redspider1 · 15/06/2019 18:16

My DH is 6ft 5. 2 DDs are less than 5ft 5(me) at 18 and 15.

resipsa · 15/06/2019 18:31

My 8 year old is the same height as my mother! Both 5 feet 1 inch. DD is tallest girl in her Yr 3 class, though.