14 Year Old DS

[HermiioneSnape02]

I'm a bit concerned about DS14. He isn't really growing? No puperty in sight either.

I normally don't fetch him from school but did yesterday and its been playing on my mind. I knew he was quite short, but in comparison to his friends, (since I last saw them they have all shot up and grow immensely) he is tiny.

No spots, no hair, ( I have asked and jokingly checked his pits), but he is putting on weight though, too much if I'm honest, he is constantly hungry. I'm having to talk to to him repeatedly about healthy choices and filling food rather than crisps and chocolates.

Do you think its too early for a trip to the dr's?
Thanks x

[Fizziage]

Thank you @gegs73

[gegs73]

DS1 was 5 foot 6 so small adult height, but 6.5 stone and very young looking until he was about 15.5. In the space of just under a year he grew to 5’11, weighs 9 stone and looks like a young man at last. He still has some growing to do so will likely be 6 foot +. I was really worried at the time, as he was conscious of it, but he was just a late bloomer.

[Fizziage]

I know this is a really old thread but out of interest, how tall did all your sons end up? Ds14 is quite small yet older ds is very tall so just wondering whether any other kids had a late growth spurt?

[sandgrown]

My DS has always been stocky but at age 12 he put on weight ,which he was very conscious of, and it affected his confidence. Since he reached 13 he has started growing quickly and the weight is dropping off. It is lovely to see him so much happier .

[bigTillyMint]

They all hit puberty at different ages. I know a couple who were 15/16 before they grew. I think it is tough for a boy, but he will grow

Snow, DS's feet haven't grown since he was about 13, I think they grow first!

[TheSnowFairy]

DS1 (14) is 5ft 9 with size 12 feet.

I am very much hoping his feet don't grow a lot more, his shoes are so flipping expensive

[Clavinova]

Definitely take your ds to the GP if he is worried. There is a simple x-ray (wrist) that he can have which shows his bone age - if that is younger than his actual age then he has several more growing years than his peers. If you decide not to take him then please be aware that growth plates can close as early as age 16 in boys although usually around age 18/19. Best to be on the safe side and check.

[ridingabike]

My son is the same, he's 13 and has always been very small. He still is, but not quite as out of proportion to the other boys of his age as he used to be if you see what I mean. The girls tower above him though ;) He had an undescended testicle that had to be removed when he was 7 so it is something that I need to keep an eye on. I'm not sure if he's 7 stone yet.

But my father was always called titch at school but made it to 6 foot, and although I thought I had reached my adult height at 13, I was looking at a photo of a holiday when I was 13 and I was a good bit smaller than my mum, we are the same height now. So I think late puberty or at least late growth runs in the family.

[derektheladyhamster]

He just coming up to 16 now. He grew about an inch just in December! I wish I'd set up a height chart, it had been quite an amazing 18 months....

[HermiioneSnape02]

Thanks Derek. Maybe light at the end of the tunnel. It's just not fun being the last I suppose.

[HermiioneSnape02]

Katedotness1963.

Thanks for that calculator. It states he'll be 5ft 10. And my daughter will be 5ft5. Our respective heights.

My DD's 20 & 16. Are both 5ft 2. So not too accurate.

I think the difference is in how each child feels. My DS is bothered although I wish he wasn't. He doesn't even have a light moustache. No signs at all.

[derektheladyhamster]

DS shot up between 14 & 15. He went from the shortest in his class to second tallest by the end of yr 10

[Katedotness1963]

www.parenting.com//height-calculator

[Katedotness1963]

My youngest is 14 and he's baby faced and just broke the five foot mark. He's getting chubby, but doesn't seem to be eating more than usual and finally has a very light "mustache". He doesn't seem bothered about it though, which is good as I'm only 4'11" so I doubt he's going to be very tall anyway.

I remember seeing some formula for working out your child's adult height based on mum and dads height...

[flowergirl456]

I think you're right, taking him to the Doctor is a good idea, just to put his mind at rest as much as anything. It's obviously worrying him, and it may provide some reassurance. Incidentally it might be of comfort to know my husband was taken to the Doctor at that age for the same reason, we're obviously a family of late developers...anyway he was paranoid apparently he wasn't growing and didn't have the usual signs of puberty like hair on his legs etc (you noticed more in those days because of the communal changing rooms following PE!) He was told not to worry, and of course eventually it worked out. He laughs about it now, but still good to be reassured.

[HermiioneSnape02]

Thanks flowergirl456

It's really getting him down I didn't realise this until I started the dialogue with him.

He has since our discussion asked if I can still take him to the Drs just to see if they will do anything. I've told him to wait and think on it over the weekend and if still wants to go then I will take him.

[flowergirl456]

I think the timing of puberty varies massively. My daughters were late - still looked like children aged 13-14 which is unusual for girls, but I wasn't too bothered because I also was late growing. But I know from personal experience it's no joke when you're in the middle of it, its horrible being the last one and being smaller or more childlike than everyone else, and teenagers don't appreciate that puberty is like a bus - it'll turn up eventually. You can fairly reasonably calculate his final height by the height of you and his Dad and looking at family members, so by the sounds of it he'll get there eventually, probably over summer when he can sleep in!
Incidentally I remember reading that with girls at least they have to be 7 stone before puberty kicks off (which is why puberty is reaching children earlier these days) I'm not sure what it is with boys but it must be something in the body clock that sets it off. It's a good sign he's eating so much, even though it's junk...

[JustDanceAddict]

The eating thing is probably him having to put on weight to grow upwards. I am waiting for DS to hit puberty. He'll be 12 next month and he is the skinniest thing - but tall - so am hoping he will massively fill out. Apparantly my uncle was like that and he ended up well over 6 foot and big built, so you never know. I know some boys of 12/13 who are well into puberty and others of 13/14 who aren't - just really varies.

[mudandmayhem01]

My dh always says how he finished y11 as the smallest boy in the year, he then spent most of the summer either eating or sleeping and grew 6 inches by the time he started 6th form.

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

Aww, that's good (well not the name calling) it really sounds like its all about to happen. I'm sure I read somewhere that the late starters often end up taller. He should be looking at being at least as tall as you but probably closer to his dad if not taller. My DH who is 6'2 said that when he left high school at 16 he was Mr average with a lot of his peers taller. He bumped into some of them in the pub a few years later and he was by far the tallest. He was the tallest in his family. He attributes it to having an outside job and drinking loads of milk.

[HermiioneSnape02]

Update.

I spoke to my DS last night and asked if he was concerned. He was. He got quite upset and admitted people had been calling him names like umpa lumpa and munchkin. Soooo after he'd calmed down I asked him if his penis had changed or if he had hair down there yet, as the nhs website stated the dr would check this as an indicator of puberty starting. He replied yes.

So long story short I think I'll have to see how he gets on. He's obviously started maybe he's just a slow grower?

I thank god after last night that we have such an honest open relationship that I asked him this question and he didn't bat an eyelid when answering.

I have said he needs to report people calling him names but he said he is trying to ignore and has promised if it gets any worse he'll report it then.

Thanks for all your input.

[19lottie82]

Check out mandmdirect online for trainers in big sizes at decent prices. I think they had adidas superstars and Stan smiths for £30

[endofmytethertake100]

I think they grow out then up. DD put lots of weight on but showed no sign of puberty then in the space of about 4-6 months she changed completely , sadly so did her behaviour

[PirateSmile]

I know how you feel OP. DS is also 14. His feet haven't grown for years, he has no hair under his arms and his face is the same as it was when he was very young.

He's lucky though in the sense that he is still tall, despite not yet having his main growth spurt. DP was a little later to start puberty so I suppose that explains it. It's incredibly variable and it worried me too as I started a similar thread a year or so ago. I have toyed with the idea of a visit to the GP but I think that make make DS feel self conscious so I'll leave it for the time being.