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Teenagers

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

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Original poster

Should my teenager DD be taller?

51 replies

Moonsey123 · 15/12/2021 20:45

Looking for advice as I think my teenager DD is too small for her age. Smallest of all her friends. She is 14 and only got her period 4 months before she turned 14, will be 15 in 6 months. She is not very developed so perhaps she is a late developer. She is 154cm.

I am not very tall (157cm) and both my parents are small; but my husband is much taller and so are his parents so I was hoping that she will grow a bit taller than me. I measured her and she is only 3 or 4 cm smaller than me but somehow seems smaller, maybe because she is not very developed yet.

She is not good with breakfast and stopped drinking milk when she was 3. She eats cheese, vegetables and is in general a good eater; however she doesn't drink milk, doesn't eat eggs, or bananas.

I got the GP to send her some blood tests and everything was fine apart from folid acid which she is taking now. She also takes a child supplement of vitamin D & Calcium. Perhaps I should give her one for teenagers.

Should I check for anything else? or just wait, perhaps she will grow in the next year or 2.

Thanks for any advice

OP posts:

whatnumber · 15/12/2021 21:34

There still plenty of time to grow!
As long as she is eating healthily and getting enough sleep and exercise she will be fine, no matter what her height.

Worstyear2020 · 15/12/2021 21:35

Both of my parents were taller than me so it can happen, I wouldn't worry about it tbh.

RaisinforBeing · 15/12/2021 21:36

Most children are expected to reach a mid- parental height. One of my children has a growth disorder which was spotted when she was about 7 after a GP referred her to an Endocrinologist. There are many reasons children don’t grow properly or reach their genetic potential. The best way to identify this is to track height regularly on growth charts like in the old red book. My child takes medication and is now about 25th percentile. Without the medication she would have been under 5ft. Unfortunately for girls the medication is only recommended until 1/2 yes after periods have started as the growth plates fuse. Boys get longer on the treatment usually to 17/18. I am just adding my experience as there is low awareness of this issue and it is generally considered to be bad luck if you end up short. In some cases it has a medical basis such as a hormone deficiency or a gene missing and can be treated.

Rummikub · 15/12/2021 21:42

Aren’t you half your adult height at age 2?

I think you could reassure your dd about height - whatever it ends up being.

3luckystars · 15/12/2021 21:44

Isn’t it very strange that people compliment parents on their tall children, like they did could do anything about it?

I think this is something you can do nothing about so just accept it all and be a bit nicer to yourself also. Being small is cool!

RandomMess · 15/12/2021 21:56

Boys are usually taller than their smaller parent. The same isn't true for girls.

middleager · 15/12/2021 21:56

I'm 5ft1, my mother 5ft4, Dad 6ft, brother 6ft. DH, 5ft 8.
I have one nearly 16 year old boy who is 5ft 6. It's just genetics.
Don't make a big deal of her height though as it reinforces the stereotype that taller is somehow better. I stopped growing at 13 just after my periods started.

middleager · 15/12/2021 21:57

@3luckystars

Isn’t it very strange that people compliment parents on their tall children, like they did could do anything about it?

I think this is something you can do nothing about so just accept it all and be a bit nicer to yourself also. Being small is cool!

It's a real bugbear of mine. There's lots of 'heightism' about.

luverlybubberly · 15/12/2021 22:07

My dd is about 3cm shorter than me too. (She's 18 and stopped growing years ago)

user1471453601 · 15/12/2021 22:12

My DD is now 51 and 4'11". She was in the school basketball team at school. When I asked the teacher why she was in the team at 4"11, the teacher said "Ah well, no one's ever told her she's too small". Perfect answer.
I was 5/2, but probably two inches shorter now.

It really does not matter. DD is is in a senior management position as was i. Neither of us take any shit from anyone.

It's not how tall you are, it's now you handle yourself

DuckDuckNo · 15/12/2021 22:14

I'm 150 cm and 45. Stopped growing right around the time my period started at 11. I'm shorter than anyone else in the family - sometimes the genetic lottery goes like that. It's just variations of normal.

Mrsjayy · 15/12/2021 22:14

Do Tall children represent "healthy" children or something I do t understand the concern about average sized girls.

RedskyThisNight · 15/12/2021 22:21

@3luckystars

Isn’t it very strange that people compliment parents on their tall children, like they did could do anything about it?

I think this is something you can do nothing about so just accept it all and be a bit nicer to yourself also. Being small is cool!

or even worse my personal favourite with a tall DS and a short DD "at least they are the right way round. It doesn't matter so much if a girl is small as it does for a boy."

Er- what?

Original poster

Moonsey123 · 15/12/2021 22:22

I did read about the mid parental height and this has definitely been the case for all my nieces. So if that was going to be the case DD will 165cm full height. One of my sister is 150cm but her daughter is 167cm as the father is 185cm.

The reason for my sister being so small was diet related and that she was born one year after my oldest sister and wasn't as healthy and didn't exercise much. So there are lots of factors apart from genes.

I believe the doctor checked everything but will double check the blood tests.

Thank you all for the advice

OP posts:

Embracelife · 15/12/2021 22:33

@RaisinforBeing

What do you mean bad luck? Brings bad luck? That being in 1st centile is bad luck?

Of course if growth disorder then medication.

In dd case she has coeliac and wasn't growing ,
diagnosis and diet meaNt she then grew tho still is on low percentile

It is fine
Petite size is not "bad luck"

Sausagis · 16/12/2021 07:48

Is it just on the list of things for parents to worry about randomly?

I'm 5-8 and so is DH

DD1 is 14 and 5-3. She is a super fussy eater and hasn't grown much for a while so I think that's that. I feel guilt for her limited diet playing a part (but sensory processing issues / I tried everything)

DD2 is 10 and 5-5. She just keeps growing and I worry she is too tall! Tallest girl in her class/the school. When will she stop?

I alternate my worrying between the 2 of them.

Mollymalone123 · 16/12/2021 07:57

My DD is 4ft 11 -she was always the smallest-I’m 5ft 2 and DH 5ft 8

She had every test under the sun from about a year as she was so tiny and hardly ate a thing as she got older-she was two years behind growth wise-which meant she carried in growing two years after her peers-so I wouldn’t worry-also there is nothing wrong with being petite you know! There’s plenty of us around 😂 and she’ll always get the bargain shoes in the sales if her feet are tiny!
My DD has always had very tall boyfriends though !

Mydogisagentleman · 16/12/2021 16:05

Our 20 year old DD is just over 5 feet tall, size 4-6 with size 3 feet.
She has been asked on more than one occasion if she is adopted!
DH is 6 feet tall and I am,oratleast, was 5’10”, size 20/22 with shoes size 8 or 9.

Mydogisagentleman · 16/12/2021 16:06

I meant to say, she loves being small

gogohm · 16/12/2021 16:23

My DD's are both shorter than me, one is 5'2 one 5'5. The taller hit puberty at 14 but didn't stop growing until 17, the shorter hit puberty at 16 and grew between 18&19

JustDanceAddict · 17/12/2021 08:53

She may not grow much more - my dd grew about an inch after period started at just 13. She was already much taller than me by then!
In my family re genetics I am the shortest of everyone inc my late parents. My mum’s dad was very short - like 5ft2 - but everyone born since him has been at least 5ft4 and my uncle was well over 6ft. 🤔
My maternal GM was about the same height as my mum too (all within an inch or so of each other, but my dd is about 3 inches taller - my dh is over 6ft and so was my dad).
Genetics is fascinating.

TeenMinusTests · 17/12/2021 09:49

My 17yo DD is this height. She did grow a bit from 14-17 so your DD may have a few more cm to come. DD got 'id'ed at 15 buying a 12 rated DVD. After that she started carrying a copy of her passport, and now has a driving license to prove id.

After a bit people stop just looking at height and look for other markers of age such as body shape, clothes/makeup, maturity of face etc.

middleager · 17/12/2021 10:42

Can I also stop the stereotype that those who are short only eat like birds?

I'm 5ft1 and ate loads during my developing years. Guess what? I still didn't grow!

Change123today · 17/12/2021 16:55

I’m 5.10 & shoe size 6…18 year old pretty much stopped growing at 14 height 5.4 size 3.5/4 feet! Her 12 year old sister is nearly the same height as her and has bigger feet!!
It’s just one of those things my MIL is short so I guess she has taken after husband side of the family as most of the females my side are all around my height.

pinkyredrose · 18/12/2021 13:22

it is generally considered to be bad luck if you end up short.

Say what?

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