Is it true that boys always grow up to be taller than their mothers?

[ElectraInExcelsis]

Or is it an urban myth?

well I'll be very shocked if mine don't - but then I am only 5ft, and DS1 (just turned 8)is already closing the gap

I'd say it's an urban myth.

"Always" is a very strong word. Of course there are cases where they don't. But normally, assuming no underlying genetic condition and assuming they don't have a 5'0" father and a 6'2" mother, you would expect the overwhelming majority of boys to grow up to be taller than their mothers.

It isnt true.
There is a formula for working is out - which depends on both parents hights.
If you had a short father and a tall mother for example then you wont necessarily be taller than the mother.

I think most probably do, but certainly not all of them. If a tall woman marries a short man, then her sons are not likely to be taller than her.

I do hope it is true (am shortarse).

I have 7 sons all but the youngest (and he is just 9) are taller than me and the older 4's father is no taller than me (we are both 5ft 2in) I am assuming that its come from previous generations as all my older boys are all over 6ft its very strange being surrounded by them, on the other hand my oldest daughter is just slightly taller than me

maggy, how may children do you actually have ??????????

I hope my son is taller than me. I am 5ft 10 so I don't really want to tower over my own son!

His dad is 5ft 11, so I'm really not sure how its going to work (he is 8).

My dd13 takes after me and is very tall already, she may overtake her dad!

I've just googled and found this site which shows how to estimate children's height from their parents' heights. It's in the US so uses feet and inches, which is fine for oldies like me

For sons - average of dad's height and (mum's height + 5 inches)

For daughters - average of mum's height and (dad's height minus five inches)

So, eg for anyfucker
5 ft 10 + 5 inches = 6 ft 3

DS would be average of 6ft 3 and 5 ft 11, so you could expect him to be about 6ft 1

5ft 11 - 5 = 5 ft 6

DD would be average of 5ft 6 and 5 ft 10, so she'd only get to about 5ft 8 by this calculation...

But obviously it's only an estimate so if she's already very tall and still growing, then it maybe not that accurate...

I've only got a DS, and his height comes out of this as ((5ft 7 + 5) + 6ft)/2 which is actually 6ft... and his growth chart shows him reaching about 6ft 1.

Certainly not true in my ds's case...

(he has dwarfism)

sorry that was a bit of a threadkiller then wasn't it

God I hope so. I'm 5'3.

Thanks for the link to imperial measurements! According to that site ds will be 6ft. But I should be three inches shorter than I am, based on my parents' heights (both shortarses).

Son far ds seems to be taking after his very athletic paternal grandfather". Mini-babybell is strong, tall and full of muscles. I've always suspected dh should have been even taller (he's 6ft, but his parents are/were 6'4" and 5'6") but suffered severe childhood asthma.

(I have no proof that severe childhood asthma stunts your growth, is just odd that dh is shorter than his father despite having two relatively tall parents.)

my ds(15) is taller than me now and i'm 5ft 6

Isnt it add your heights together/ divide by two. then add 2cm for a boy and minus 2 for a girl?

That's odd the HV did a calc for DD when she was younger - she was worried DD was growing too fast (& might need treatment)

She did something with her hands/feet & asked about all DH & my close relatives then said DD would be about 5 11 or 6 foot

That site reckons she will be about 5 7 - that is a big difference

ooh thanks AMIStletoekiss, that was very kind of you to go to the trouble of doing that calculation

Anyfuckerformincepies (love the name) I actually have 9 children 7 boys and 2 girls

I think its probably more accurate going by the measurement charts in the red HV books and doubling their height at 2 (know this is for boys not sure about girls) than the calculations.

With the calculations I've read somewhere that it is accurate within 5 inches either side!! Not very helpful necessarily

< salutes maggymay >

Says my son will be 6'4 and daughter 6'1

Wow

DS is enormous already - he's 3.10 and looks about 6 yrs old, has size 13 feet and enormous hands. DD is still a dinky baby, but I'm nearly 6 foot and DH is taller, so she's not going to be a short arse.

at age 11, most boys are a littlebit shorter than there mothers, and have the same shoe size. this maynot be valid for everyone,but was in ds's year six class.
agree withthe comment, that assuming the father is not five foot, whilst themother is 6 2, and no underlying genetic condition, andno serious malnutrition or illness, then boys should grow to be tallaer than there mothers.

DS2(age 7) takes a size 4 shoe and will probably be in a size 5 soon = same as me. Nice if his feet don't grow again until age 11, will save me a fortune. He is tall - 98th centile when I last looked. Dad is 5'10" and I am 5'6" so not especially tall.

DS1 was one of the smallest in his year age 15 but seemed to grow almost overnight and now is 6'1" and possibly still growing (age 19).

These calculation thingies are just a guide. All you can do is wait and see...

well according to that chart my dd should be 5'5"

she would be delighted as she is 5'3" and is convinced she has stopped growing..she's 17 next week