Comments on son’s height

[teethsparkle]

DS 11 is very tall for his age at 5”5. He is also very conscious of it. Am sick of the constant comments by other parents, children and even every medical appointment he goes to, from health professionals. One actually commented on his ‘gangly legs’. I’m at the point of lashing out and saying ‘stop commenting on his height’ but really worried that doing it in front of him is embarrassing or I look like an idiot saying it and making it a bigger issue. I don’t think anyone should comment on a child’s body but people seem to think it’s ok. WWYD?

I would respond to every comment with a smile and “I know - isn’t it grand?” And leave it at that. So your DC knows you don’t think any of it. That’s all that should matter

Formulas for boys adult height by adding parents heights together, then dividing by two and adding five inches is nothing better than they are likely going to be tallish, smallish or average. My two sons are 5 inches apart fully grown.

Same with doubling their height age 2 to see how tall they’ll be. DS1 was 1 inch off, DS2 was 3 inches of.

Because they are looking at the growth curves - the weight/height charts go to 18.

DD for example has been tracking at just under the 50th and sure enough is 164cm at 16 same height as me

DS flicks between 98th to 99.6th depending on his groeth spurt to height putting him at 6ft2 to 6ft5 - looking at the information from the OP his growth tracks

we are 5ft 4 and 6ft and DS is already at 12.5 5ft9/10. DD is 5fr4 at 16 he is just tall

DS is also tall and we've also had comments but I have to admit, it's never been anything but admiring - or that's how he's taken it.

Also, if he's sporty, sign him up for basketball. At school, DS was consistently one of the tallest. In his basketball team he's taller than about 2/3 of his team mates but definitely not all. And the tallest players are the best/most revered! It's very entertaining. also i'm considering a new car because driving him and his buddies to matches is becoming a problem

My daughter has always been really tall for her age, but at 14, she was on the 99th centile for height, but only the 2nd for weight, so literally a string bean. She's also dyspraxic and has really long arms so you can visualise what she looked like moving, especially at speed. You can imagine the comments she got!

However, whenever anyone commented, I'd say something along the lines of Oh, I know, legs to die for, wish I had them, I'm so jealous! My daughter is now 16 and loves being tall and wants to grow just a little bit more which she may well do. She's on the 25th centile for weight now though, so looks a little more in proportion.

If you treat it as a compliment, and be positive, even it's the 10th time you've heard it that day, then your son will too.

I first heard of this medical scandal some years ago: an extreme result over negativity over girls' height. [Trigger warning: cancer.]

hormonesmatter.com/des-used-stunt-growth-tall-girls/

Absolutely shocking. I always remember an article in The Sun (my parents bought it not me 🧐) in the 80s when I was a 5’10 fully grown teenager. They had made over a 6’ young woman and were saying how pretty she looked but it was a shame about her height and that if they’d got to her earlier they could of done something to stunt it. Really glad tall women don’t get that message these days.

Dreadful.

Yes, there used to be so much negativity surrounding tall women and girls.

DDs good friend is 6ft3 and she does struggle with her height. At 16 she is the tallest still (boys haven’t quite caught up) and is self conscious about it

Oh just because of this height predictor thing, though very cautious about these things!

Lol haven't read all the replies, but most mentioned are just a bit above average, I have a 6'4 13 year old that is still growing 🤣 apparently only 2 in 10000 will be taller

I remember Tony Bellew saying his son was about the same at 13!

DS has a friend who was 6ft at 10 (I am conscious we have a lot of tall friends given DD has a 6ft3 friend) and is now 6ft 4 at 12 - is on course to be 6ft8!

Do you ever ask him if he’d rather be average height and also much more average ability at sports? My ds friend is like yours but very sporty. His parents would scoff at him complaining about comments and ask him that question and he’d choose sporty every time. He has to put up with the other teams coach in some sports checking he is in the age limit, and is regularly double teamed ie two players from the other team set to mark him which he finds really frustrating, his parents are like you could play really badly and they wouldn’t bother? And he realises he doesn’t want that at all and you can’t just opt out of one aspect of something.

Boys are always taller then their mum

so will be least be 5/10

Boys are always taller then their mum
Boys usually are taller than their mother.

I know a brother and a sister where the sister is taller than her brother. Both parents are taller than average.

I was predicted to be 6ft tall based on those height charts, I'm a very average 5ft 5! 😂

5'5" is taller than average, but not by much.

its going to make her self conscious if people constantly comment…..