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Teenagers

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

Original poster

Dd worried about her height

82 replies

Dancergirl · 29/07/2016 14:57

She is 13, just finished Year 8. She's always been on the short side. She did have a bit of a growth spurt at the start of puberty but it wasn't as dramatic as she'd expected.

She is now about 4'11". Periods started about 6 months ago, she's convinced she's not going to grow much more. I've heard most growth occurs before periods start, but 13 seems very young to stop growing.

OP posts:
fuctifino · 29/07/2016 14:59

How tall are Mum and Dad?

Floralnomad · 29/07/2016 15:03

My daughter definitely stopped growing at about 12/13 , she is about 5'4" with size 4 feet , which is tiny for our family - I'm 5'8" , DH is 6'3" and DS is 6'4" .

ShatnersBassoon · 29/07/2016 15:07

I stopped growing when I was 12 (about a year after starting periods), but I was taller than my mum by then, so not short by my family's standards.

How tall are you and her dad?

sonlypuppyfat · 29/07/2016 15:11

My friend had to give her son growth hormones she was told he'd only be 4' 11"

ChocChocPorridge · 29/07/2016 15:14

I'm an inch taller than that - I don't think I've grown since I was 12. I was worried, I went to the doctor, got referred, then, after discovering all the risks of the hormones I could take to give my body a chance to grow more (which you can only take apparently if certain things haven't already happened - they took an x-ray of my hand to see if whatever these changes were had happened) I decided that I would just cope with being short.

I don't regret that decision 25 years later (I just got a tall boyfriend to get things from the high shelves :) )

Gatekeeper · 29/07/2016 15:15

My daughter stopped growing at 13 as well. She is about 5'1 with tiny feet and hands.

I always thought she would be taller than me as I was with my mother. I'm 5'8, dh 6'1 and my nephews range from 6'2 to 6'6. Shes now 14 and resigned to being a ' little dot' 😊

Helenluvsrob · 29/07/2016 15:16

You have on average a year growth after your periods start.

Most 12 yr olds well established in puberty have pretty much reached adult height.

Both my dds are a bit over 5 foot. It's not that short in comparison to their peers - they are 23 and 17 now. Youngest didn't grow in secondary school really at all.

It's honestly ok but it'll take time for her to realise that. It is also very likely that it's way too late for any intervention too

Gatekeeper · 29/07/2016 15:17

Stopped growing at 12 that should have said

Hockeydude · 29/07/2016 15:17

After starting periods, there is usually one or two more inches height increase. How tall are you and her dad?

Original poster
Dancergirl · 29/07/2016 15:24

I'm 5'3" dh is 5'7". We're not a tall family!

OP posts:
titchy · 29/07/2016 15:30

13 very normal age to stop growing. I stopped at 11 Sad. She might have an inch left...

NotAQueef · 29/07/2016 15:33

I had a massive growth spurt the summer between yr9 & 10 and grew just over 3 inches in that time.
I started my periods more than 18 months prior

Gatekeeper · 29/07/2016 16:08

DD started her periods age 10 and all growth stopped by 12. I started at 13 so it gave me a chance to grow a bit more

WankersHacksandThieves · 29/07/2016 16:11

I started my periods at 12 and was about 5'1. I'm now 5'10. I stopped at about 14/15 - or so I thought, then I had another small spurt of an inch or two when I was 16.

WankersHacksandThieves · 29/07/2016 16:13

My feet did stop growing at 12 though. I have size 6 feet which seemed big when I was 12 and 5 foot odds, but now are relatively small,

Thornrose · 29/07/2016 16:18

My dd started her period at 10. I'm about 5' 9" and her dad was about the same.

She didn't seem to grow in height much after that and is about 5' 3" at a guess. That is average for the women in my family though, I'm the odd one out!

However she definitely did grow very gradually taller way after her periods had started so I wouldn't rule it out.

shabbs · 29/07/2016 16:19

My Mum is 5ft 2in and my Dad was 5ft 7in. In my last year at primary I was 4ft 11in - we did graphs at school to find out how tall we all were and I was the tallest girl in my year.......I am now almost 60 years old and 4ft 10in lol. I didn't grow after primary and have shrunk an inch since I finished the menopause!!

I like being little - just wish I wasn't so wide lol

Original poster
Dancergirl · 29/07/2016 16:20

Thanks all, so another few inches may be a possibility.

helen what do you mean by intervention? Growth hormone? Dd saw a paed on and off when she was younger about her short height. He said she was healthy just short.

I do worry though because she is, and always has been, very difficult to feed. She has dyspraxia and sensory issues (although we didn't know this when she was younger) and has a very limited diet. Is diet related to growth or is it just in the genes?

OP posts:
chocdonutyy · 29/07/2016 16:31

I wonder about my dd, always have as shes always been on the small side and had normal but slow growth (around 9th centile)
She started her periods about 18 months ago and is currently 4'10/4'11.
She had a little growth spurt this year but seems to have stopped for a little while but I don't measure her often, I just know she come up to my nose!
I'm 5'2 1/2 and her dad is about 5'10.
Time will tell I guess

frenchfancy · 29/07/2016 16:49

My DD was very short at 13, probably about 4'11 . She started her periods at about 13 but she just kept growing. Only small amounts, no real growth spurt, but at 17 she is now (just) 5'4". She is still growing now at about 1cm/year.

She is also behind on her teeth, the molars that normally come out at 12 yrs are just coming out now. No idea if there is a link.

PenelopePitstops · 29/07/2016 16:52

I was 5ft at 13 and now I'm 5ft 5 in late 20s. I grew loads from 16 to 17 and I have no idea why. I was the shortest girl in the year at one point and now I'm average!

Dachshund · 29/07/2016 16:57

I got my period at about 14, and all through secondary school was tiny and skinny. I looked like a child until I was about 17 when I had a late spurt and gained a few inches and some boobs. Dad's 5"7 and Mum's 5"2 so I was resigned to being small. I'm 5"1 now.

I used to make the best of being the little cute one tbh!

mrsclooneytoyou · 29/07/2016 16:57

Dd2 is 5 ft 2 with size 1 feet.
She stopped growing age 12/13. She is now 19 and loves being petite

dancemom · 29/07/2016 16:58

Interesting to know about periods and stopping growing.

Dd has always been tall, head and shoulders taller than her peers. She started her periods about 9 months ago and she was 5'1 then and 9 years old. She's currently 5'2 or 5'3 and I always thought she would be 5'10 + but if she follows the pattern then she may only grow another inch or two and be a shorty like me!

LatinForTelly · 29/07/2016 17:03

Growth is partly in the genes (and v complex at that) and partly in nutrition. Was she born small, Dancergirl?

As far as I understand interventions, children with recognised growth disorders can be given growth hormone and also meds to delay puberty, but this would all happen before growth stopped (and bones fused).