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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

your teens' height

89 replies

sharbie · 10/02/2011 22:27

i posted in chat and am trying here as well.

dd is 13 and seems to have stopped growing at 5'4.ds is nearly 17 and is about 5'8.
i just assumed they would both be taller than me - i am 5'8.
i am taller than my mum and she was taller than hers.
did your teens overtake you and how old were they when it happened?
thanks Smile

OP posts:
ragged · 12/02/2011 16:01

What MentalFloss said is about what I think I've observed, only typically growing 2-3" after periods start. Because the body is putting energy into reproductive capacity, not gaining more height.

missmiss · 12/02/2011 16:18

I grew about 8 inches when I was 13 - from about 5' to about 5'8" - and then another couple of inches until I was 16, when I stopped. My brother just sort of grew gradually until he was 21, and is now 6'5"!

bigTillyMint · 12/02/2011 16:43

ragged I don't think that's right about them not growing after their boobs appear - DD has had hers for a year or so and is now on a growth spurt!

MentalFloss · 12/02/2011 19:58

I think genes can go one way or the other TBH.

My DS1 is the spitting image of my DH and my DH is the spitting image of his father. Seriously its like seeing the same person at three different stages of their life.

Then my DS2 looks so much like my Dad and brother that it is uncanny.

My DD1 looks like my Mother whereas I look like my paternal grandmother. My DD2 is literally a clone of my DH's mother, if you look at pictures of my mother in law when she was 4 and my DD now it is v.v.v scary!

No-one looks like me :( Probably for the best though!

bruffin · 12/02/2011 20:40

I thought girls stopped growing about two years after their periods started which was right for me

Ponders · 12/02/2011 21:28

I went on growing for 4 years (albeit very slowly) after mine started, bruffin - grew 6 inches in the year beforehand & then another 3 afterwards

The only rule about growth is that there is no rule!

SecondhandRose · 13/02/2011 09:08

My DS only really started growing tall in the past year. He is 16 in March. Now 6ft 2". DD has always been petite and is now around 5ft 1".

I am 5 ft 8 and DH is 5 ft 10. I think DD will be shorter than me and DS will grow another couple of inches.

herbietea · 13/02/2011 09:22

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boldredrosie · 13/02/2011 19:56

my step daughter is about 5' 4" but dad is 6' 3" and her mum 5' 8" -- she started her periods at 11 and that but the kybosh on her getting taller. The growing plate in the long bones is lost and growth stops.

TheReturnoftheSmartArse · 13/02/2011 20:05

DD went through "precocious" puberty although didn't start her periods until she was 9. The endocrinologist told us that girls stop growing about 18months after starting their periods and that they grow very rapidly during that time. DD was just short of 5ft at that time and did indeed stop growing about 18 months later at 5ft6in. I suppose it is just a guideline though and everyone us different. I'm a shorty at 5ft and her dad isn't exactly a giant at 5ft8in.

bruffin · 13/02/2011 20:12

I know a girl who was very tall and they pushed her into precoscious puberty to stop her growing

doubleease · 13/02/2011 23:57

My 14 yo DD is 5ft 1 and doesn't seem to be growing much. Her feet haven't grown in 3 years, she's a size 4.

I'm 5ft 3 and her dad is just shy of 6ft but my parents and her dads parents aren't that tall really. And all my siblings are shorter than 5ft 9. That's the boys as well as girls.

DD used to hate being small especially when she started secondary school and used to cry all the time before school. Now, after 3 years of being there she loves being small. Gets called all the cute nicknames by the boys and her best friend is 5ft 11 and sees the other end of the spectrum. She says she doesn't want to grow any more.

Tortington · 13/02/2011 23:59

im only 5 ft and a fart so it didn't take long for them to overtake me

dd 5'7 and five eight for ds both 17 yrs old

both have huge feet - its disturbing

Linnet · 14/02/2011 00:27

Dd1 is 13 and 4ft 11. I'm 5ft 1 and dh is 5ft 5 maybe 6.
dd1 was the smallest in her class through primary but now she's at secondary there are others that are a bit smaller.
I hope that she grows a few inches more as finding clothes for her is a nightmare and shoes are even worse as she's only a size 2.

troz · 14/02/2011 22:36

Height is determined by the male genes.

Both my daughters are shorter than me. This is because their dad is 5ft 4. I am 5ft 8.5!

annapolly · 14/02/2011 22:42

My DM is 4ft 11
My DF is 5ft 5

I am 5ft 2 and DH is 5ft 11.

I have two DDS one is 5ft 5 and one is 5ft 10.

If the calculators worked them my DDs should be the same height.

Sportsmum · 16/02/2011 13:18

Haven't read all the messages, but it really can depend on the genes. In Y6 I went from being the tallest in the year to the shortest in the year and didn't "grow" for another 3 years, at which point I shot up and grew 6" in one term (much to mother's horror!). On set of puberty bore no relation to when I grew.

Megmog2000 · 16/02/2011 15:22

My DS1 is 16 and is only 4ft 8
My DS2 is 14 and is 5ft 5
Mt DD is 11 and is 4ft 6

Im only 5ft, but their dad is 6ft. I really really really hope that DS1 grows to an acceptable adult height for a male. He has suffered incredibly all his school life (and still does) for being the smallest. All of his peers tower above him. He grew fairly normally until the age of 5 when things stopped for a while. The doctors have investigated, and have concluded with constitutional growth, which means he will grow for a longer period (I hope!).

DS2 seems to be growing perfectly normally, as does DD.

I was a late developer, and from what I know of DC father, he didnt get taller until around 15.

Its interesting to read the varying different heights of people. Im not totally convinced that its the male genes that determine height though, my cousin (f) is 6ft, her dad is 5ft 8 and her mum was 6ft so she clearly takes after her mum!

Ponders · 16/02/2011 22:11

wishing lots of growth to come for your DS1, megmog Smile I remember working once with a lad who was very short at 16 (not as short as yours, but still, well under 5'6 iirc) & with late growth he ended up over 6' - I was shocked when I saw him after some time had passed!

My cousin is 6', her DH about 5'8, their DSs about 6'2 & 6'4 so their height is clearly from their mother's side. I don't think it's possible to say any one thing determines eventual height, there are so many variables.

Minda · 19/02/2011 16:20

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bossboggle · 05/03/2011 22:23

My DS is a bottomless pit at the moment and is about 5ft ll inches and he's only 15!! I'm only 5ft 4 inches, dad is 6ft 4 his sisters are 5ft 7 and 5ft 9!! Me little but if I let fly then they ALL get out of my way!! Hee hee!! Comes in handy when you need stuff of the top of the kitchen cupboards or sheer brute strength!! We have a home made chart - it's fun to see how much they have gone up -except when you have to buy them new clothes yet again!! Half mast jeans.........agh!!(smile)And he seems ALL legs!! Help!!

rubyrubyruby · 05/03/2011 22:29

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fitflopqueen · 05/03/2011 23:58

I am now the smallest in our house at 5'6, DH 5'11, DD age 17 5'10 and DS age 13 now at 5'7 has overtaken me since xmas!.

Ponders · 06/03/2011 00:08

it isn't scientific fact, ruby - it's just that most men are taller than most women so it tends to work out like that.

rubyrubyruby · 06/03/2011 10:00

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