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Parenting

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Original poster

Tallness!

18 replies

Twinmummyx2 · 26/04/2007 15:44

I have 6 sons who are all slightly under average for their height.....and so much smaller than the boys in their classes...and the girls seem even taller than them!
I also have a girl who is 14 and very tall. Their dad is 6'3....i thought the boys would be tall too! (not that i am particulary bothered)..just wondered if boys tend to grow like this?
Am a bit worried that i may not be feeding them enough, they do eat an awful lot of good food...but they seem to be still continuously asking for more. I tell them to stop being so greedy..but am wondering now whether its my fault they are short!!!

Bit confused! (there has only ever been girls in my family)

I asked DP's mum if he was short as a young lad but she said no-always the tallest in his class!

Anyone??

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Mum2FunkyDude · 26/04/2007 15:57

My brother was the smallest in his class up until about 17, he is now 6'3. I think they tend to grow slower, I can remember as a girl being teased because my feet were bigger than the boys, but they stopped growing when I was 12 and the boys obviously outgrew me. I don't think you should worry, you feeding them more won't make them grow taller, only fatter!

maisemor · 26/04/2007 15:58

I have always been told that boys tend to "shoot up" later than girls, so I would not worry too much about it.

I was one of the tallest girls during the early school years, and remembering back, the boys did not tend to grow taller until the age of 14/15, when my secret crush finally got taller than me, woohoo.

fryalot · 26/04/2007 16:00

My dd1 is 13 and about the same height now as the rest of the girls in her class.

The boys however, are teeny tiny in comparison with the girls.

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expatinscotland · 26/04/2007 16:01

I think boys grow later than girls.

crazylazydaisy · 26/04/2007 16:10

YOU HAVE 8 CHILDREN !!! But i am sure you already know that.
Wow i get the dropped jaw look and i "only" have 5!!! Wont ask the rude questions i get - are they all from same marriage, were they planned, are you MAD? - even tho i secretly want to!!
Anyway, in my experience I was 5 ft 5 at 12yrs and tallest in class, then all the boys grew between ages 13 and 16 and it's same with my daughter. She in all her class schoolphotos is the top of the pyrimid shape (us tallies know what that means lol) and is 14yrs and 5 foot 8, but her boy school mates are catching her up and now she is becoming average in class. You wait - between year 8 and 10 you will be forever buying new trousers

Original poster

Twinmummyx2 · 26/04/2007 18:30

Crazy....LOL..your post did make me giggle.....and i don't mind answering them questions....i always secretly want to know the answers to them sorts of questions when i see a big family too...(not usually bigger than mine..lol)

All from the same dad! but we are not married...haven't had the time...lol
Only 2nd and 3rd baby was planned....the rest were lovely little accidents...usually due to me running out of the pill..and not getting to the doc to get next prescription in time...hey bingo...baby on the way!
2 Sets of twins! so that bumped the number up..so really i have only been pregnant one more time than you!

No twins in the family...so be warned they can spring up anywhere!...lol

do you get the telly question the most? i do!

I can imagine what the pyramid thingy is my daughter turned 14 in January and she is a bit shorter at 5'7. Young twin daughter is very tall too for her age.

Oldest son who is 11...12 in Aug has grown recently..but only his feet and length of arms..he looks very out of proportion...so perhaps he will go upwards soon!..aren't boys strange....!..lol bless!

Thanks everyone for your replies...you've put my mind at rest and i won't be telling them to help themselves in the frdge then!

me.xx

OP posts:

juuule · 26/04/2007 19:30

Of my boys (20,17,14) 2 didn't grow much between the ages of 11 and 13 and then entered a quick grow phase. The 14 yo is still growing quickly. The other has always been on the tall side amongst his peers but grew at a steady rate. However, even he had a burst at around 14.

crazylazydaisy · 26/04/2007 22:12

Twinmummyx2, thanks for answering - i am sooo nosey, but as you say when you find someone else with a big family it's really interesting. Yes we always get the telly question, and you have to answer as tho it's first time you've heard it . It's lovely to see your photos, what happy children you have. Anyway, all the best for your "growing" family (oh what a great pun ). I wont be joining you despite my dh being broody - got the brill implant!! xx

BonyM · 26/04/2007 22:17

My brother was nicknamed "mouse" in school as he was so little. At 16 he suddenly shot up and is now 5'11" which I think is perfectly fine for a man. I on the other hand was always tall for my age, - I'm 5'10". My dad is only 5'7"!

dingolimpet · 26/04/2007 22:25

My two are both really little, but their dad is 6'4, the girls do seem to be a lot taller at a young age, i think its about 12-16 boys shoot up

lillochum · 26/04/2007 22:34

My husband, father, and maternal grandfather were all "the smallest in the class" in their teens, and then shot up in a very short space of time to be 6'3", 6'4", and 6' plus(?) respectively. Apparently my grandfather's nickname at school was "titch", and my father missed a term of school because growing so fast apparently made him quite ill! I have wondered just how tall my son will grow, as there are a lot of tall genes on both sides, but he doesn't exactly stand out from the crowd at the moment, (4.5).

saltire · 27/04/2007 09:58

We are all the opposite. I was tall at school , am now 5'11/6ft. My brother1 is now 6'7 and was also the tallest in his class. Brother 2 (the youngest of us) was really short at school, then shot away and now stands 6'4. My DS1 is 9, anad wearing 12/13 year old clothes. Ds2 is also tall, but not in a noticeable way in his class, he is 7 but wearing 8 year old clothes, so he may shoot away soon as well.
However I don't think feeding has too much (or too little) to with height, obviously a good diet helps, but a lot of it is genetics

Cloudhopper · 27/04/2007 10:04

Oh you lucky devil twinmummy, I really want to answer your OP, but am distracted by that you have 8 lovely children and sound so happy and positive. It makes me feel churlish moaning about my measly two.

Back to the point though. I think at 14, girls are taller than boys for their age, because they have an earlier growth spurt.

I think there is some guideline that says that boys will always grow at least taller than their mum. So if you are fairly tall and your husband is, then there is a very good chance that the boys will be too.

If any of them were premature or smaller at birth, I think it takes till their adolescent growth spurt to finally make up the difference.

Original poster

Twinmummyx2 · 27/04/2007 10:56

Hmmmmm they were all huge at birth...10lb and the twins were 7lb 12 and 6lb 13 and not premature..so they were normal size to begin with.

I am 5'6 and darren is 6'3 so i am sure they will be biggish. It just baffles me how my best mate is shorter than me (5'4ish) and her husband around 5'9ish and her 9 year old son is much taller than my 9 year old son...infact he is very close to being the size of my 11 year old..thats how small mine are...lol
I reakon thats what will happen to mine then..growth spurt at around 14......and shock everyone!!! lol

Thanks for your experiences!!

OP posts:

Cloudhopper · 27/04/2007 10:58

If it helps, I was always a midget at school - the smallest in the class etc. Then in adolescence I grew to normal size.

joash · 27/04/2007 11:00

DS was always short. He's almost 18 now and in the last two years he has shot up and is now at least a couple of inches taller than his dad - which makes him about 6'3". SO being short doesn't necessarily mwean they will stay short.

lovemybed · 28/04/2007 16:44

boys always grow slower than girls, i know from bitter experience cause i was 5'10 when i started high school and have stayed like that ever since but it took all my male friends till we were about 19 to catch up with me. try not to make a issue out of it cause i know to well how much it can hurt when people make comments about something that you have no power over.

christywhisty · 28/04/2007 17:23

I am only 5'2 and remember all the boys being so much shorter than me when we started secondary school, but the equivelent to yr 9 the boys all suddenly shot up and I had already stopped growing.

My 11 yr old DS is already 5'1 so will be taller than me by the time he gets to secondary school, but he is by no means the tallest in the class. There are 6 or 7 boys his height or taller and 2 of the boys are about 5'6.

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