To be really worried about DS 13 height

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DS 13 hasn’t really grown in over a year. All his mates are now considerably taller than him and he’s getting really upset about it especially as they are all constantly telling him how short he is.

I am assuming he is due a spurt- he’s only just 13 and hasn’t hit puberty yet so still looks like a little kid. I looked at the WHO growth chart & his predicted height is about 5’10/ 5’11 ish but at the moment he’s still tiny.

Aibu to worry? I think it’s the constant comments that are getting to him. He just doesn’t seem to be growing at all.

One of my school friends went from 5ft when we did GCSEs to well over 6ft when we did A Levels. Boys seem to grow all at once rather than gradually!

My DS2 was small at this age. I just checked a photo from 2017 when he was 14 and he is certainly shorter than me (5ft6) and probably than DD (5ft3). When he was 11 DD's friends used to say "ahhh your little brother is sooo cute!" that went down well as you can imagine.

He's not a giant now (18 next week) but I would say about 5ft10 and not done growing IMO. He needs to get bigger as he plays in goal lol - but if not for that, he is a perfectly OK height. Incidentally he had enormous feet (size 8-9) at age 11 - they haven't grown for about two years (size 10 now)!

Agree re diversity at this age - when I was a teacher it was year 8 that you would notice the difference in the register - some still squeaky yes miss" and others very deep basso profundo.

How tall are you and his father?

Its weird with boys. Ds and his best mate were the same height when they started secondary, although different builds. At 19, DS is a bulky 6 foot 3, and best mate a slim line 5 foot 6. DS looks like his minder when they are together!! Friend wishes he was as tall as DS, DS wishes he could wear skinny jeans like friend! Grass is always greener.

Ds was tiny at 13. Looked about 9. Was smaller by some distance than his 11 year old cousins (came up to their shoulder).

He started growing at 14.5 and caught up with his friends and Overtook some.

Is 5 8 now and 18. But I am 5 foot so he was never going to be a giant.

Bet by 15 he has overtaken some friends.

It is always the feet that grow first. So when you are replacing shoes every 6 weeks for few months you know his growth spurt is coming.

Aw bless him, it's an awkward age for boys. He'll shoot up over the summer I bet.

I remember going to watch my brother play football at about that age, and most of his team were about 5 foot. The team from the other school got off the bus and honestly, they had hairy legs, were much wider across the shoulders, and were all over a head taller. The teacher actually checked they'd sent the U13s and not the U16s. And they all had big deep voices while DB's team were all piping and high!

DB is now 6'1", and none of his football team are smaller than 5'9". But there were definitely a few years where on the football pitch running fast was a better strategy than tackling!

My dh grew really slowly till he left school then suddenly sprouted 7 inches in one summer...he was grateful it was just in time for uni and hes slightly below average height now. Whereas I was the opposite hit puberty very young and basically didnt grow from when I was 11 when I was tallest in the class (I am tiny just over 5 foot). I wouldnt worry too much at his age

My husband is 6 foot 3 and usually the tallest in the room. I just asked him when he had his growth spurt as I remembered him saying he was the shortest in his year for a long time- he thinks 14 or 15! Tell your son that he’s not had his growth spurt yet, has plenty of time, and not to worry.

My mother in law took my husband to the doctor when he was 16 because she was worried about how short he was. Doctor said to wait until he was 18 and then they would consider if there was anything they could do.

Husband started growing at 17 and ended up at 6'3"!

My DS was always one of the smallest in his class and I took him to the Drs as I was worried about it. He is now 16 and has grown about 3 inches in the last three months and is still growing but at 14 I was worried about it so there’s still plenty of time for your DS to grow.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that boys will grow taller than their mothers, if their father is taller than their mother and if there are no health conditions. It's very likely he will suddenly grow in front of your eyes. There is such a vast difference between boys of this age; some are nearly 6ft across the shoulders, could do with a shave by lunchtime and could get served in a pub whereas others will still look like junior school boys. It is hard as there's no hiding from it but they usually all catch up and it evens out by about 17. My brother was very much smaller than his friends until the last year of sixth form and he's now the tallest of his group.

Of course you're worried. On one hand it's not especially late for a teenage boys growth spurt. But on the other hand no growth in a year might be worth checking out.

DS was tiny at 13yo so much shorter than classmates, he's 16 now and a giant! 6ft and taller than me

my 13 year old is the same. He is tiny. So was his older brother who suddenly shot up and now towers over everybody at 6 ft 2

My ds was 14 in Dec and has only just started to grow. He is shooting up. About 3 weeks ago I realised he was about an inch shorter than his sister. Today, I clocked that they are almost the same height.

It's worth getting him checked out. I was told DS2 was fine and left it, then by the time it was clear he was going to be incredibly short, his bones had fused and there was no point in him taking growth hormones. Growth hormones' side effects sound horrible, so I was relieved at the time but he was very upset and still gets distressed that he will always be a very short man. He knows how many women are completely dismissive because of this, regardless of all his other good qualities. Life isn't easy for short men. If you can help him grow a few inches, it's worth it. It's one thing I regret in some ways.

My older brother only hit puberty just before his 16th birthday. Smallest boy in the year at the start of That School year (Y11). Went up 30 cms in 7 months and finished the year at 6ft 2.

My DS at 15 was 5ft 2 and now at 17 is a 6 footer. At 15 had no face hair, a high voice and no body hair at 15. We contacted a paediatrician who took some bloods, said come back in 3 months....was looking into a possible light course of testosterone but 3 months later paediatrician said no intervention required at all as puberty was starting naturally. He’s now hairy, deep voices and very tall and hungry. Just a late bloomer as can happen with some lads.

DS was the same at that age - especially frustrating as he played basketball at the time . He's now 20 and a six-footer like his dad, who also grew so quickly as a teenager that he has stretch marks on his back! DS is going to uni later this year and has announced his intention to take up basketball again ... he'll be able to reach the nets this time

I'd be surprised if his expected height was 5'10.
I wouldn't panic yet unless his family members are small? We're all small.

He'll catch up! My brother was about 5' in year 8 and he's now 6'5"!

@Cowbells if you don't mind me asking, at what age did it become "too late"?
I've a very small ds and haven't had any advice from the GP really. He's 8.

They do catch up usually. Ds2 at 13 6 months ago towered over his brother who was 17. Now older brother has recently had a spurt and caught him up. They are both around the 6ft mark now.

I remember lining up in class (secondary school) in height order, I was below average.

Now 5"8 - I'm female, it's not just the boys that have large growth spurts!