To be worried my teen son won’t grow any more?

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He’s not far off 16 and he’s 5ft 6. We are not a family of giants, he’s not shaving or anything, and he’s a late bloomer (grew 6 inches in 14 months) - but I still worry that’s it. No more in the tank. I guess I can’t know.

I worry because I can see him internalise it, brush it off but get upset by it and compare himself to his friends. And I just want him to feel good about himself. To feel confident and to find a girlfriend and feel good about that side of his life (when he’s ready etc)

obviously I boost him all the time. I think he’s wonderful and tell him. I’ve just come here to voice my anxieties.

if he's not shaving he has more to grow
late bloomers in our family my b'n'law grew several inches from the age of 18-21 and is now 6ft5inches.
boys keep growing much later than girls

Thanks everyone. It's a complex, and yet easy thing. The easy thing is - we are who we are, someone has to be shorter, it's all shallow bollocks, and he just needs to own the fabulous person he is. The more complex truth is: it knocks confidence, it makes you compare, school is a nightmare unless you're generic and average and don't stand out as different in any way - and that he would prefer to be taller. That's the truth.

If I follow the red book, he should be around 5ft 8 - not much more, but more. I'm hopeful that he'll have a little bit more to go - as I said no shaving etc. His shoes haven't grown in ages, but he's always always had slow growing feet. He eats a LOT. I make most things from scratch and I'm hot on nutrition, so he eats well. Drinks lots of milk. Eats tons of protein. Goes to the gym a lot. Plays sports a lot. There's not much more I can do. I could take him to the doctor for a wrist scan to see how much growth there is left in him, but he hasn't asked for this and I don't want to suggest it, and pathologise the issue. It won't change the outcome; he'll be who he'll be.

I'm sure my stuff is in here too, of course.

Growth hormones? He’s 5’6, not 4 foot. That’s a serious medical treatment for people with growth disorders, not a teenage boy who wants to match his 6 foot friends.

5’6 is a perfectly normal height albeit short.

The gym won’t be helping tbh. Teenage boys shouldn’t gym as it restricts their height and growth.

My brother is 5' 2" has had a perfectly normal life,!

Most boys don’t seem to stop till around 21.

My husband is short and he did stop around 16/17?

Both my girls stoped a year after they started their periods - 13 & 14 both have taken after there Dad and not me.

People are reassuring you that he will still grow, but the reality is, if the rest of the family isn’t tall, that he may not. It’s far better to work on him accepting himself for who he is than by reinforcing the idea
that taller is better.

I'd agree. Both mine have ended up fairly much bang on !

He's 5'6" and you're suggesting growth hormones?!! Wow 😱

That's completely unevidenced for boys of 15

Of course, I know that.

Quite. It’s a perfectly decent height! I would hope no GP would suggest that.

My GS has just had a little growth spurt at 18 so don't give up!

Like you say, the only way of knowing is a bone age scan and he doesn’t need it. Bone age can be over two years behind and it doesn’t matter, just means they will grown for longer. Boys often grow late as the PPs have said - sometimes the growth spurts come to very late teens. And the fact he’s not got other puberty signs means his main growth is still to come. I do understand though, boys seem quite obsessed with height nowadays and it’s hard not to take it on. As an adult I rarely take much notice of other people’s heights and struggle to recall how tall people are when I’ve met them.

But you seem surprised you may have a short son in a short family? Why?

DH didn’t start shaving until he was nearly 20. He’s six four.

I still feel cheated, my dad is 6ft1 and my mum is 5ft5 but I only made 5ft4

Yes, to clarify: for posters who think growth hormones are handed out willy-nilly to anyone unhappy with their height, this is not how it works. Growth hormones are given if a consultant - not GP - of endicronology has run a vast range of tests and agreed the hormones will help child achieve a near normal adult height.

We are talking about this being the issue IN ANY WAY.

I don't feel surprised. I'm coming on here to talk about my feelings about it.

You shouldn’t have ‘feelings’ about it you should accept him how you made him. You’re projecting and he will pick up on it.

I'm 5'7, my husband is a shade shorter. He's small but perfectly formed. I come from tall stock, my dad was 6'3. Tall men are ok I suppose, but having had relationships with two 6' + men, I prefer a compact man, he doesn't snore isn't clumsy, Eats a normal amount, he is entirely perfect. I hope you don't project your height bias on to your son and make him feel insecure. Not all of us want a hulking oaf.

My sons dad had height issues so I hope he doesnt inherit them but not much i can do. 25th centile isnt tiny ! Adult males tend to be 5 foot 8 on that centile.

Yes sorry my post wasn’t a criticism of you, I think you’re taking the right approach. I was more talking about all the ‘he’ll still grow’ posts.

I can have feelings about what I want, thanks. No one gets to tell anyone how to feel. How I manage those, yes. That's down to me.

I don't have height bias. I've married someone who is not deemed tall.