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Teenagers

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

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Original poster

Question for those w a tall DS

24 replies

JustDanceAddict · 08/12/2020 08:27

DS is the tallest in his school year (year 12) - he was saying yesterday that he gets comments on his height every day from his peers and it’s ‘really annoying’ - tbh we prob did the same to the tall guy in our class too at school (who was really nice & took it w good grace). DS says his return comments depend on his mood - I can imagine!!
If you have a v tall DS or DD do they get this ‘grief’ too?
Things like ‘what’s the weather like up there’ ‘how tall are you really?’ He’s quite a striking lad w his height and looks (says his mum 😆 but he has had girls after him) so he’s never going to blend in to the background. I don’t want him to get a complex though.

OP posts:

FortunesFave · 08/12/2020 09:24

My nephew was 6.4 by year 12 and had it all the time. He'd get the same comments...just tell him that short people get the same...but that unfortunately, because of the world we live in, it's WAY worse for short men who get comments.

They get nasty comments. The things people say to him are usually admiring...people love tall fellas.

He's going to get it all his life.

clary · 08/12/2020 09:29

Yh ds1 is 6ft 6 and very skinny so looks even taller. He gets a lot of "what's the weather like up there?" he just shrugs it off. At least he can walk faster than the little ppl (he has to watch it going into any old buildings tho, esp ye olde pubs!)

CamdenLurker · 08/12/2020 09:29

My son is 6.3 (17 years old) and gets comments everywhere from all sorts of people, he does get fed up with it, although he has an athletic build so doesn't look as tall as his friend who is the same height but about 4 stone lighter. He also has size 13 feet and gets just as many comments on that tbh.

One of the oddest comments he's had is when someone said that if he wasn't so tall he would be fat - we still laugh about that one.

RedskyAtnight · 08/12/2020 09:32

People comment on anything, don't they? I have a tall DS and a short DD. They both get comments. If anything, DD finds them more annoying (as "tall" is generally considered to be desirable, whilst "short" isn't). DS tends to just call the other person "shortie" back when the gets such remarks.

Twizbe · 08/12/2020 10:08

I'm 6ft and have been since about 12. My DH is 6'7. Our son is already top of the charts for his age. Our daughter seems to be plodding along at average for the time being.

Between us we have heard every comment under the sun.

I hate the way people seem to think that's is ok to say these things because were tall and somehow can 'take it'.

We plan to show our kids the joys of being tall and make it as normal as possible. We have made our home tall friendly as well.

I'm sure someone (short) will be along soon to tell us to just get over it or that they'd love to be this tall ...

Twizbe · 08/12/2020 10:09

@CamdenLurker one of the best I've had was in the Cambridge branch of Dorothy Perkins. I asked if they stocked the tall range and got told no, but they had maternity ..... 16 year old me did not find that one helpful.

LadyPenelope68 · 08/12/2020 10:11

Both my sons are very tall, eldest is 6’ 6” (he’s 21). They got jibes about it all the time or the “I bet you play basketball don’t you” comment as well. They just ignored them, as they said it was boring.

CamdenLurker · 08/12/2020 10:31

@Twizbe - ds has similar when (trying) to buy shoes, when he asks if they have a size 13 and the guy comes back with a size 11! He now just shops online

Obviously at 6.3 he isn't extremely tall, but as he's very broad most clothes don't fit him, he tried on some jeans at the weekend and couldn't get them over his thighs.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 08/12/2020 10:40

yes - when they tower over the staff at the start of year 7 you know there is no hope!

For us the really important thing is to just keep an eye on posture, tall people often stoop or only look down because their friends are small so we are trying really hard to teach our child to stand up tall and try to be proud of their height.

Pikachubaby · 09/12/2020 08:23

DS in y11 is 6ft4 and still growing

Yes, he gets jibes, but he also knows most boys wish they were tall, and girls like it, and whilst you don’t always want to stand out at age 15, it’s ultimately not a negative thing as such

I’ve told him he can move to Holland if it all gets too much We go there every year to see family and he enjoys blending into the crowd for a change

They just need to get used to it, they’re a bit like Bambi at 15

Life is much harder for short boys I reckon

EwwSprouts · 09/12/2020 08:32

I'm surprised he gets many comments at school. DS yr12 is 6'3 and not the tallest in his year by quite a few and most of the other boys are around 6'. Agree just teach him to shrug it off.

Original poster

JustDanceAddict · 09/12/2020 14:14

Thanks all!!
He is nudging 6ft4 snd v slim so that doesn’t help as he’s so lanky.
At least he won’t get any comments re maternity clothes, that is dreadful.
He gets the comments cos he is the tallest - he’s always been on the tall side but it’s been more obvious since puberty when he overtaken quite a few peers. His close friends range in height from about 5ft6 to 6ft.
Def agree that tall is more desirable for a guy, he’s good at getting things down from cupboards for a start which is always a good attribute 😆

OP posts:

clary · 09/12/2020 15:39

haha yes we call those "tall person jobs" - ds1 can you get this lightbulb out/open the loft/reach the curry powder from the top shelf/ get me that bottle of wine? 😂😂

couchparsnip · 09/12/2020 18:24

www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/news/a40799/tall-teen-business-cards/

These cards might make a good present. Might be easier than having the same conversation 10 times a day.

movingblues · 11/01/2021 20:06

My DS is 18 and 6’ 9” so yes he’s had all the comments all the way through growing up. Even people staring at him and muttering when he was younger which never bothered him but used to upset me. We’re a tall family so he’s always had a positive view of his height. Now at uni and realising that girls love tall guys!😀.

TarnishedSilver · 12/01/2021 00:41

One of my friends was 6ft 7in - he wore platforms to make himself even taller!😂

wingsandstrings · 12/01/2021 18:32

DS age 13 is 5 ft11 and one of the tallest in his year. He does get a lot of comments, including from teachers and other adults, but they are complimentary. His height tends to be an advantage in sport - which boys seem to particularly peg a sense of 'coolness' to. I would say a below-average height boy would be much more likely to get a complex than a tall boy.

Amyflano · 13/01/2021 06:50

My son is 14 and he is 6ft 8 with size 14 feet I'm just wondering should I be concorned at all?? He has always been a big lad since he was about 6 months old! But there's no sign of him slowing down an im just abit worried that hes gonna have a massive growth spurt when he reaches 15 already costing a small fortune to keep him in clothes an trainers lol but from a medical point of view should I take him to see someone???

MountainPeakGeek · 13/01/2021 06:58

@Amyflano - How tall are you and his father?

Amyflano · 13/01/2021 13:26

I'm 5ft 6 and his dad if 5ft 11

MountainPeakGeek · 13/01/2021 17:43

I'm not medically trained but that sounds unusual to me. If I were you, I'd get him checked out, but it's probably not anything to worry about.

Nonamesavail · 14/01/2021 09:31

My husband is 6'6 and has been the tallest since year 5 or 6 and has had all the jokes but he said they do kind of fizzle out as you get older. He said he now prefers being tall to short :-)

Nonamesavail · 14/01/2021 09:33

Its hard to stand out from peers but in a work environment it won't even be so bad

TarnishedSilver · 14/01/2021 10:46

He'll broaden over the next couple of years. DS was incredibly skinny in Year 12 - we have only noticed he has put on muscle and his hips and back and shoulders have widened because his Year 12 suit no longer fits him. I think it's pretty normal for the body to grow upwards first and then start growing outwards - my brothers were the same. As long as he is eating well, he'll get there! And the joke will never stop - but it's mostly people just wanting to say something mixed with a wee bit of envy - being tall is a positive thing.

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