Why are some children taller than others in their class?

[Fiona2011231]

As you may notice in your own area, some children are (much) taller than others in their class.

Usually, is it because of their genes or is there something that we can learn from so that we can help our own children grow taller?

For example, some say drinking milk helps children taller.

Thanks,

Genetics and a healthy diet.

In my area schools put the children into a pot of compost for half an hour every day.

Genetics /growth spurts are why as long as children eat well and generally healthy they will grow.

Choose a tall partner

In any class some will be nearly a year older than others - that will often make a difference.

Primarily I think it is genetic, although children all grow at different rates, so often even out in the end.

In my area schools put the children into a pot of compost for half an hour every day.

Sounds ideal 😀

1 of mine had a major growth spurt in primary was 1 of those tall lanky kids but now is an average height adult she was over taken in secondary school.

Thank you. Do you think drinking milk every day can help children grow taller, or is it a myth?

Your potential height is genetic. I'm a shortarse from two shortarse families and despite being breastfed then lots of cows milk, given greens and a good upbringing it didn't stop me being a shortarse.

Growth hormone and puberty blockers might have increased my height beyond expected but doctors don't prescribe these unless a child is proven to have an endocrine problem.

Drinking milk as a drink will provide calcium etc but i don't think it will make a child grow.

Genetics.

Eating a healthy diet with plenty of vitamins will help you reach your potential height (determined by your genes), but it won't make you any taller than your potential height. Milk has calcium in, but so do other things.

Girls generally hit puberty first so they grow taller than boys

What's so good about being tall?

Me and my sisters all had daily free milk at school, I am only 5 foot, my sisters are 5 8.

I was one of the tallest in the class until year 7, when I stopped growing (upwards) and everyone else caught up and went past me. Now I'm on the shorter side of average.

DH is tall (6'4") so I expect the dc are more likely to be tall too. DH grew up in dire poverty in Eastern Europe- if height was all about good diet, he would be a very, very short man indeed. I am sure that diet and environmental factors play some role, but it's mostly genetics.

I think height is about 80% genetic (will need to check that though).

But you can’t grow taller than your maximum potential height through better nutrition. Plus kids grow at different rates, my dd was a whopper as a toddler she’s just below average now (she’s 8).

Thank you for your kind replies. It is very useful to understand the issue.

Are taller children better then?

Are you particularly concerned about your child's height?

especially if you're a student or journalist or somesuch after free research. You know you can approach MN if you have a research request?

My DD was one of the tallest at nursery and in infants. She normalised to fairly average in junior school. Now in secondary, she appears to have stopped growing at around 5'3'' and everyone has overtaken her! It's genetics - although DH and I are fairly average (DH 5'11'' and me 5'6'') his parents are both shorter than average (approx 5'3'' and 5'8'') as is my DDad (5'9'') DMum is fairly average at 5'7''. DS on the other hand started out fairly average height wise at nursery/infant, but now towers over his older sister at about 5'6'' at age 12, and he's yet to have his major growth spurt. I suspect he'll end up around the 5'11''-6 foot mark.

So it's just luck of the draw. Of course poor nutrition can cause growth issues, but in general if you feed them a good healthy diet, then they'll grow to the height that they're destined to be.

Only if your kid is underfed or otherwise malnourished would daily milk make a difference. A healthy, balanced diet is what makes the difference.

I do know some kids under fed as babies and infants (due to illness, or parental feeding choices) who didn’t grow much until they started eating a better diet as older children. That went well beyond choices around milk, however.

I see in my family that we have all seem to have a latish growth spurt at puberty.

I also read somewhere that there is a genetic component to the age of puberty so it pays to think about your own family experiences to put your children's growth pattern into context.