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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Can someone explain height to me please?

47 replies

flyingwidow · 24/09/2013 14:31

My DS is 3.7 yo. He is a wee chappie- height approx 95cm, and weighs in at 2stone2lbs. Completely healthy, happy, and developmentally normal!

He is on approximately the 16th percentile for height. People VERY OFTEN comment on how diddy he is!

He was 3 weeks early and measure at 0.4th percentile for height then.

I am 5'2, my husband is 6''2.

Does being short at the age of 3.7 yo mean that you will be short as an adult? Or does it mean that they will have growth spurts later?

Just to add that I am not hugely bothered if he ends up being pint sized- as someone else said, they don't make diamonds brick sized! That is my standard response to others at present!

He does stand a good head shorter than many of his peers at preschool!

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Tee2072 · 24/09/2013 14:34

They say, whomever they is, that if you double their height when they are 2, that is their final height.

I have no idea if it's true!

Original poster

flyingwidow · 24/09/2013 14:36

Better book the horse riding lessons then- as if that's the case, he'd make an excellent jockey!

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Yorkieaddict · 24/09/2013 14:41

Everyone is different. He may stay small all through his childhood, then have a massive growth spurt and end up bigger than your DH, or he may be tiny. I don't think there are any guarantees either way. My DS is tiny, and people seem to think it is fine to comment in front of him. Drives me bonkers, especially as he is starting to notice the comments now (age 5.)

When he mentions it to me I generally point out his body is able to do all the things he wants it to do, play football, run, swim etc, so it is obviously big enough. He seems fairly happy with that for now.

Original poster

flyingwidow · 24/09/2013 14:44

Thanks Yorkie... that reminds me of a recent trip to Ikea. I wanted to leave my son in the creche and had to sign him in as being 3 yo.

The woman at the desk looked him up and down, and said- "are you sure he's 3?"!!!! Using quite a loud and indignant voice! While he's on the petite side, he is by no means unrecognisable as a 3 yo! (and he certainly isn't deaf as he took the right hump with her!!)

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youbethemummylion · 24/09/2013 14:54

Que sera, sera. My DS is tiny he may always be tiny he may grow no one can tell until it happens.

steppemum · 24/09/2013 14:56

I'm afraid the 'double their 2 year old height' is normally pretty close.

Another good indication is size of hands and feet.

but like anything, there are plenty of exceptions to the rule, I had a very tall well built friend at school with diddy size 3 feet!

steppemum · 24/09/2013 14:57

mmmm - that 'I'm afraid' made it sound as if it would be problem if he was a small adult, sorry didn't mean it to sound like that at all

HandragsAndGladbags · 24/09/2013 14:58

My father is a great example of this. Tiny, skinny knock kneed little thing he was. Stayed that way until he was about 17 and whoosh!

6ft3 lanky legged and very broad.

Does have size 8 feet though shockingly...

Original poster

flyingwidow · 24/09/2013 15:05

As I say, not overly concerned about it- more out of interest! Many great actors (Tom Cruise, Robert DeNero) are short men. He is also, of course, incredibly handsome . It is others reactions that surprise me- like it is something that is negative!

He does have small feet. Size 7.

It is just funny. The men in my family typically have height! My DB is 6'2, and my brothers-in-law range from 5'11 to 6'5!!!

He may end up being like me... needing a stool in the kitchen!

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derektheladyhamster · 24/09/2013 15:10

My theory is that boys (I only have boys so can't comment on girls ) mimic their mothers height until puberty, many tall pre pubescent boys have tall mothers, short ones have short mothers. But unless their fathers are tall, when they hit puberty many of the short boys (with tall fathers) shoot up to a similar height to their fathers.

Totally non scientific and based purely on playground observations

bruffin · 24/09/2013 15:23

DH is 6'2 and i am 5'2 and your theory doesnt work in our house derektheladyhamster.
DS 18 was always tall, since he was a toddler and has been 6ft since he was 13.

DD 16 was on the smaller side ie 25th to 50th centile until she hit puberty and is now 5'6 which is much taller than anyone on my side of the family

youbethemummylion · 24/09/2013 15:40

DS1 is on 91st centile Ds2 on the 2nd so we dont follow Dereks rule in this family but DH is tall and DS1 has his characteristics and im small as was my father and DS2 seems to favour our side of family so may well be he stays small.

I agree though OP a lot of people feel the need to comment negatively on his size whereas if he was a girl i think it wouldnt be seen as as much of a problem.

BackforGood · 24/09/2013 16:02

*derek's theory works here - ds was never tiny, but generally in the lowest 10% of his year group. I'm not diddy (5'6") and dh is 6'. When he got to 15 he just started growing - he's still growing and is almost 6' now but with more to go I suspect.

derektheladyhamster · 24/09/2013 16:23

Well there has to be exceptions to prove my rule

Original poster

flyingwidow · 24/09/2013 16:25

'Derek's theory"... It sounds like a posh medical term!!

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aliciagardner · 24/09/2013 16:25

In the red book there's an adult height predictor. It's not quite as simple as double the height at 2 ( but nearly).

Original poster

flyingwidow · 24/09/2013 16:29

I was more interested in real life experience than then red book though! (Rebellious me!).

I'm not a red book fan... In the early days it was easy for life to be all consumed by the dreaded red book!

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matana · 24/09/2013 16:45

Well, if i double my ds' s height at 2, it would be 5 ft 11 which is the same height as his dad. It wouldn't surprise me because he looks more and more like him every day too!

aliciagardner · 24/09/2013 16:45

Ah, ok. Got you. I have no real life experience to offer just yet (3 year old and 5 month old)!

Original poster

flyingwidow · 24/09/2013 16:48

Sorry Alicia- I sounded snippy! I did do the red book predictor... It said 5"10 or something like that... But I would be surprised as he seems too diddy to get to that height currently!

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WhispersOfWickedness · 24/09/2013 16:54

I knew a very slim short boy at school, he was tiny even compared to the girls. After not having seen him since we were 18, I added him on Facebook last year (we're early 30's) and had to do a double take at his photo! He must have shot up in his twenties as he is very tall and broad now, completely unrecognisable!

Idespair · 24/09/2013 17:00

My dd was average height amongst her nursery class at 3yo and now (same class of kids), she is the tallest. You can never tell!

Vijac · 24/09/2013 17:05

My son is nearly 2 and is around 80cm tall. I am 5ft 5 (165cm) and my husband is 6ft 2. Would it be a bit odd if he ends up 160cm or does that often happen?

ShatnersBassoon · 24/09/2013 17:05

Lots of boys do most of their growing well into their teens. It's just a case of wait and see. I don't think doubling their height at two holds much water, growth isn't as predictable as that, and it certainly isn't set in stone within a few months of birth.

Original poster

flyingwidow · 24/09/2013 17:08

Vijac- I'm sure I read somewhere (and the source may be spurious) that boys cannot be shorter then the mothers once they have stopped growing. Might not be true though!

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