Burst my friend's bubble?

[Flyingmonica]

My friend goes on about her son likely being tall - 6 foot 3 based on the UK growth chart. Would I be unreasonable in telling her that because she isn't very tall, this is unlikely to be the case and that the growth chart predictions are rubbish?

She is sold on the idea of her son being tall and her son has come to believe that too but I think that now he is approaching puberty, he may become very disappointed.

Should I just leave it be or should I give her a dose of reality?

Science shows that a son is almost always taller than the mother, and often taller than the father if both parents are similar height. Maybe this boy won’t be 6’3, though with a 5’10 father he could well be over 6’. But, I’m not sure why it’s your position to ‘burst her bubble’, or indeed what’s to be gained by doing so. It just sounds mean and spiteful to me.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/is-it-true-that-a-son-will-always-grow-to-be-taller-than-his-mother

It's very odd to place so much happiness and excitement on the future height of your children. She sounds like she has quite a sad life to be honest and it won't do you much favours to pour cold water on that.

😂😂

Ummm it's not your job to "temper her expectations" about the expected height of her son😂

btw my dad's 5'10 and mum was 5'6 and my brothers 6'4

Jesus leave them alone you sound really weird about this. And you might end up looking very silly im 5ft 2, DP is barely 6ft, and our DS is already 6ft 2 at 16.

I wouldn't say anything to her as it sounds like it's something she's latched onto and she might not take it well.

The general obsession across the board with men's height is so weird and damaging.

It'll all come out in the wash in time and I doubt she'll actually care by the time he's fully grown. Smile and nod.

Why do you care?

DB is 5ft9, SIL is 5ft4. My nephew is 6ft3!

Temper expectations? Who put you in charge of deciding they should be tempered, or indeed doing the tempering?

Are you short? Are your DC short?

You are a bampot! What a weird thing to concern yourself about.

Don't be that person OP. Really spiteful thing to do.

I doubt anyone believes your "good intentions".

I’d suggest you’re more likely to maintain friendships if you try to regard your role as friend as something other than being the one whose responsibility is to ‘temper expectations’ and ‘burst bubbles’.

I'd be more concerned that it matters so much to her. If she says it in his earshot, I'd probably say: 'Whatever height you end up, you'll be just right as you are', or, 'whatever height you end up, if you keep on running like that/ working out, you will be incredibly fit and strong.'

DH is tall. DCs cousins are incredibly tall - all well over six feet. My DC are small. DS1 is average height and DS2 well below average. What mattered to me is that they felt confident, healthy, strong and attractive as they are.

No need to burst a bubble, but do emphasise that height is not important - health, fitness, confidence, grooming and being happy in himself are what will work in his favour through adolescence and into his adult life.

I am 4 ft 11 my eldest son (14) is 6 ft 2. YABU!

I couldn’t even get excited about this?

Oh for god’s sake, who gives a shit how tall their friends’ kids are going to be? Just let your friend enjoy speculating and keep your mouth shut. It’s obvious you don’t have good intentions at all.

She sounds daft, you sound mean.

Are you that unhappy in your life that you feel the need to go make other people unhappy? What a petty thought to have.

I think you live in a strange world, where it’s important that you tell someone you think their son won’t grow very tall.

You are wrong.
The charts are rather good.
Time will tell.
And it is none of your business.

If you must say something, I'd just say it's unpredictable and no one can know what their exact adult height will be until they get there but it all works out with people being the "right" height for their bodies. Or something. She may end up being right, or you may be, or somewhere in between. The only issue here seems to be IF she's been telling her son that he'll be 6' 3" + and that this is a good and necessary thing and anything shorter disappointing - as distinct from a neutral "you'll probably be tall". FWIW, my dad was 5' 7" and my mother 5'4" and their five children range from 5' 6" to 6' 4".