My girls are short

[Barb_]

I have six girls. My oldest is 5-6, but she doesn't really count because half of her genes came from a different pool. My 17yo is 5-1 and my 15yo is about a 1/4 shorter than 5 feet tall. We say she is 5 feet, however because it seems to mean a lot to her. Neither of them will grown any more. The next one down looks to be ready to top out at around the same height. She is only 4-8 and is in the middle of her final grown spurt. The next one will be lucky to hit 5 feet. She is in school this year and as her b-day is Oct 5, she is the second oldest in her class, but the shortest by a lot. One of her friends stands a full head taller. I hope this doesn't mean my son will be a shortie too. I think it's even tougher on boys.

 

I don't know why I'm posting this. Maybe because it was never an issue before, but now that they're in school this year I'm noticing that everyone treats them younger than they are and they don't like it.

 

Can anyone commiserate?

[Sophia]

I'm 47 and 5'1.

Can't say it was ever an issue.

Dh is 6 feet.

[Amy1k]

I can. My daughter is short. She's 10.5 and...well, short. ;) She's shorter than her good friend who just turned 9 and is also short for her age. It's frustrating for her because she is often treated as if she was much younger. She's also developing more slowly than her peers, although that is something that is just beginning to be on her radar.

[KristinaBreece]

DS's best friend is a little girl who is exactly 2 months older than he is. She's 5, and is the same size as his 2-year-old sister. But what she lacks in stature, she makes up for in attitude!!

[Barb_]

I'm 47 and 5'1.

Can't say it was ever an issue.

Dh is 6 feet.

 

You know, my older two don't seem to be having issues regarding their height either. It seems to be more of a problem in the growing up years.

[Amy1k]

I have a half-sister who is 15 and very small. She's probably 5' tall and has very small hands and feet...she actually wears the same size shoe and my daughter. I don't notice it being tough for her, but she's pretty feisty.

[Barb_]

I have a half-sister who is 15 and very small. She's probably 5' tall and has very small hands and feet...she actually wears the same size shoe and my daughter. I don't notice it being tough for her, but she's pretty feisty.

 

My 17yo has giant feet for her size. She wears a size 8 sneaker. I kept thinking that was a sign she hadn't reached her full height but that doesn't seem to be the case.

[Starr]

My 17yo has giant feet for her size. She wears a size 8 sneaker. I kept thinking that was a sign she hadn't reached her full height but that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

I don't think a ladies size 8 is considered giant. ;)

 

I think height does impact young teens more than older. My ds was shorter than all his friends for several years and they made a big deal of it. No one talks about height anymore. :D

[....]

Hi, my kids are Asian and they are really, really tiny. Our youngest turns 4 in a few days and she weighs 28 pounds. She wears like a size 2T pants and even those slip down. My 6 yro and 8 yro are so skinny that their coach was trying to find uniform pants to fit them and she was laughing, "How the heck do you find pants that fit them??" :lol:

 

I don't worry about people treating them differently, but I have wondered if people aren't thinking something like, "That lady's not feeding her kids." You can't do much about genetics. Plus, we homeschool, so they are playing and running around all day. I also think Asian people might have great metabolisms or something. My husband can sit and eat an entire bag of Cheetos and still look like Jet Li. If I eat a bag of Cheetos...it'll go straight to my butt. :glare: Yikes!

[Lang Syne Boardie]

We're on the other end of the spectrum where boys grow to six feet tall by their 13th birthday.

 

I wanted to chip in some commiseration, though, about a young person's size not matching his or her age. My 13yo hates to be treated as if he were 16 to 18 years old. He still thinks like a 12yo, honestly! And every single time he has to explain that he's just 13, he has to listen to the other person being astonished that he's so tall. As if he's never heard anybody say that before.

 

Now, my niece comes from a very tall family but has yet to clear 4'10". She's 16, so she probably is not going to get any taller. I don't know why the whole extended family has to comment on this every single time they see her. And she and my 6ft son don't like to stand side-by-side, because the contrast draws attention.

 

Aren't they supposed to be teaching diversity and understanding in schools these days? Isn't that why they quit focusing on Math and English, to have more time for tolerance training and character development? (tongue-in-cheek) And yet nobody seems to get it that people come in different shapes and sizes.

[Amy1k]

This will maybe shock a bunch on you ;), but one issue that came up recently with my daughter has to do with her very hairy eyebrows. She's very sensitive about them. I've started to take her with me to get them threaded when I'm getting mine done at the mall...out in the open. Usually the mall is fairly empty when we are there. Last Saturday it was packed. It felt very Toddlers and Tiaras with the way people stared who were passing by.

[KristinaBreece]

My 17yo has giant feet for her size. She wears a size 8 sneaker. I kept thinking that was a sign she hadn't reached her full height but that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

I'm 5'3" and wear a size 10 to 10 1/2 shoe. :001_smile:

[LidiyaDawn]

Our fourteen year old daughter is 4'11" ..she's been 4'11" for about a year and is quite upset about that as she figures it means she won't get any taller. I don't actually know what to tell her because she might, she might not. How long do girls usually grow for anyway?

 

She wears a LOT of high heel shoes. :p

 

[it doesn't help that she hangs out with 'tall' friends…one of her same aged friends is 5'10"!]

[Sophia]

You know, my older two don't seem to be having issues regarding their height either. It seems to be more of a problem in the growing up years.

 

This surprises me. I seem to recall girls enjoyed being petite when I was growing up, and it was the tall girls who wished they were shorter. Just a regional thing, perhaps.

 

I never noticed shorter people being treated younger, however, many mom friends have complained that their taller than average children were expected to act older, lol!

[elegantlion]

My ds used to get that. He's always been on the shorter side of average. He just turned 14 and is 5'5". After reading the other thread on height that sounds short. He's well into puberty as well, so it's not lack of development. It does concern me as I didn't grow after age 12-13 and dh is not tall. Each of us has a shorter parent as well.

 

If we chart it out he'll be about 5'9" or 5'10", so I do hope he'll grow to at least that.

 

Last night we talked about nutrition and its importance in the next few years.

 

In ds's case he's always gravitated towards younger kids anyway, although now he prefers to hang out with adults.

[The Girls' Mom]

My dd's would trade :glare: My 11 year olds are TALL, and everyone assumes they are much older. I actually heard the trash men WHISTLING at them the other day. :eek: My 14 year old has horrible posture because she hates being taller than most and slouches.

[Truscifi]

I'm 47 and 5'1.

Can't say it was ever an issue.

Dh is 6 feet.

 

:iagree: I'm 5'1, dh is 6'2. It makes it challenging to practice karate together sometimes. I never found being short to be an issue. And they might appreciate being taken for younger when they are older. :)

[Barb_]

I don't think a ladies size 8 is considered giant. ;)

 

I think height does impact young teens more than older. My ds was shorter than all his friends for several years and they made a big deal of it. No one talks about height anymore. :D

 

LOL, they just look huge on her tiny frame--like a puppy.

[Barb_]

My dd's would trade :glare: My 11 year olds are TALL, and everyone assumes they are much older. I actually heard the trash men WHISTLING at them the other day. :eek: .

 

Oh. well. There is THAT. :::shudder:::

[Truscifi]

Our fourteen year old daughter is 4'11" ..she's been 4'11" for about a year and is quite upset about that as she figures it means she won't get any taller. I don't actually know what to tell her because she might, she might not. How long do girls usually grow for anyway?

 

She wears a LOT of high heel shoes. :p

 

[it doesn't help that she hangs out with 'tall' friends…one of her same aged friends is 5'10"!]

 

I didn't hit 5' til I was 16. I had my last growth spurt that year and went from 4'11 to 5'1. My understanding is it can happen as late as 18 or 19, even later for boys.

[Barb_]

Our fourteen year old daughter is 4'11" ..she's been 4'11" for about a year and is quite upset about that as she figures it means she won't get any taller. I don't actually know what to tell her because she might, she might not. How long do girls usually grow for anyway?

 

She wears a LOT of high heel shoes. :p

 

[it doesn't help that she hangs out with 'tall' friends…one of her same aged friends is 5'10"!]

 

Do her her friends treat her like the mascot? One of Jenna's friends told her that she was so cute she wished she could stick her in her purse and carry her around like a pet. :tongue_smilie: Things like that don't really bother her, but the 15yo who isn't as naturally self-confident sometimes has a hard time feeling like she's being taken seriously.

 

If she hasn't grown in a year, she probably won't grow much more. In our family, a year after the first period seems to be the cutoff.

 

Barb

[ElizabethB]

:grouphug:

 

They need more asian friends and gymnast friends!

 

I am short, but grew up in the Seattle area. I did gymnastics in Middle School, High School, and my first year of College. Plenty of my gymnast friends and asian friends were shorter than me, so I never felt that short.

 

My husband tells me I'm short, but I don't feel short because I am tall for a gymnast!! (My husband is a bit over 6' tall. I guess I am short compared to him.)

[Julie Smith]

We have a friend who was visiting. He finds things effect him easily health wise because he is so tall, ... let me convert for you Americans... 6 foot 8.

[Amy1k]

Do her her friends treat her like the mascot? One of Jenna's friends told her that she was so cute she wished she could stick her in her purse and carry her around like a pet. :tongue_smilie: Things like that don't really bother her, but the 15yo who isn't as naturally self-confident sometimes has a hard time feeling like she's being taken seriously.

 

If she hasn't grown in a year, she probably won't grow much more. In our family, a year after the first period seems to be the cutoff.

 

Barb

 

THAT is something that drives my daughter CRAZY. Her friends like to pick her up. :\

[Barb_]

This will maybe shock a bunch on you ;), but one issue that came up recently with my daughter has to do with her very hairy eyebrows. She's very sensitive about them. I've started to take her with me to get them threaded when I'm getting mine done at the mall...out in the open. Usually the mall is fairly empty when we are there. Last Saturday it was packed. It felt very Toddlers and Tiaras with the way people stared who were passing by.

 

That's pretty funny. Poor kid. Maybe the back room at the hair dresser next time? My 17yo has also been getting hers done since she was 13 or so. She inherited my husband's caterpillars. They look fine on a man, but they aren't so attractive on a preteen.

[SweetPea]

I was always the smallest/shortest in class. I started high school at 5' (14 yrs). The summer between my sophmore and junior year of high school I went from 5'2" to 5'8". You never know where you're going to end up :001_smile:

[Barb_]

I didn't hit 5' til I was 16. I had my last growth spurt that year and went from 4'11 to 5'1.

 

That's good to know!

[Amy1k]

I was always the smallest/shortest in class. I started high school at 5' (14 yrs). The summer between my sophmore and junior year of high school I went from 5'2" to 5'8". You never know where you're going to end up :001_smile:

 

Wow! That's really unusual for a girl, isn't it? Interesting.

[Barb_]

I was always the smallest/shortest in class. I started high school at 5' (14 yrs). The summer between my sophmore and junior year of high school I went from 5'2" to 5'8". You never know where you're going to end up :001_smile:

 

Out of curiosity, were you also later to start your cycle?

[Amy1k]

I just measured my daughter. She's a little younger than your youngest...she'll be 11 in January. She's 4'4".

[LizzyBee]

I can commiserate. I was given a child's menu when my sister took me out for my 25th birthday. :lol:

 

Of course, now that I no longer get mistaken for a teen or get carded, I miss those days.

 

ETA: I am 5' tall.

Edited September 17, 2011 by LizzyBee

[Shawna in Texas]

I'm 5' in shoes and DH is 6'. I have one sister who is just slightly shorter than me. The only bad thing about this height is buying pants. I had one friend in high school that treated me pet-like, but at the time, I didn't associate it negatively with my size because I thought she was giant, so I figured she was just jealous :tongue_smilie:.

 

At family reunions, I'm one of the taller females.

[KungFuPanda]

This surprises me. I seem to recall girls enjoyed being petite when I was growing up, and it was the tall girls who wished they were shorter. Just a regional thing, perhaps.

 

I never noticed shorter people being treated younger, however, many mom friends have complained that their taller than average children were expected to act older, lol!

 

 

I'm wondering if it's regional. I was always smaller/shorter than most people, but I come from a family of short, tiny women and was led to believe that being petite was a good thing. I was a cheerleader all through school, so my size was a bonus. I always compliment taller girls on their height when they seem bothered/insecure about it. I think being tall would be harder for a girl and being short would be harder for a boy. No?

 

My daughter is also fairly small. She hit 30 pounds at SIX YEARS OLD. The kid must have hollow bird bones. It served her well in dance and gymnastics and she has never minded. She's almost 15 and is 5 feet tall.

 

I can see where a boy would have an issue, but I never knew a girl to be upset about it until I moved further north. My husband is 5'10" and he towers over my family. They don't make heels that can make me taller than him.

 

I did manage to gain an inch in my thirties :-) I didn't grow, but I started dancing and the change in my posture gave me a full inch. I wasn't a sloucher before, and was always physically active, but something about gaining a dance posture helped me "grow.". I'm guessing a good yoga class may give the same results.

 

P.S. I have a friend who is 4'11" with a size 9 foot.

Edited September 16, 2011 by KungFuPanda

[Rhonda in TX]

My best friend is 4'10". She definitely wanted her daughters to be taller, but only one of the two is. The younger may not even get to 4'10", which really concerns my friend. I've noticed that her DD has always been treated as younger, and has even acted younger. On the flip side, my DD is always assumed to be older because of her height. I'm not sure that's any better.

[Barb_]

My best friend is 4'10". She definitely wanted her daughters to be taller, but only one of the two is. The younger may not even get to 4'10", which really concerns my friend. I've noticed that her DD has always been treated as younger, and has even acted younger. On the flip side, my DD is always assumed to be older because of her height. I'm not sure that's any better.

 

It must be hard to drive.

[Amy1k]

My daughter does cheer, so her size IS an advantage there. She's also muscular, so it's like she was born to be a cheerleader. ;)

[Rhonda in TX]

Our fourteen year old daughter is 4'11" ..she's been 4'11" for about a year and is quite upset about that as she figures it means she won't get any taller. I don't actually know what to tell her because she might, she might not. How long do girls usually grow for anyway?

 

She wears a LOT of high heel shoes. :p

 

[it doesn't help that she hangs out with 'tall' friends…one of her same aged friends is 5'10"!]

 

I grew an inch after I graduated from high school.

[Rhonda in TX]

It must be hard to drive.

 

It is. She worries about air bags since she has to sit so close to the steering wheel.

[MicheleinMN]

We are seeing an endocrinologist for dd age 11.5 and ds age 10. Dd is now

55 7/16 inches tall, and ds is 48 7/8 inches. My eldest daughter is not quite 5' and it doesn't bother her a bit. My youngest dd HATES being short, and, of course, she is the one who may only make 4' 10" - We are considering growth hormone shots for ds....his bone age is only 8 years old...so maybe he just needs more time.

 

Dh is only 5'8" or so. I'm 5'5" but I am taller than both my grandmothers and my mother and my aunt.

 

Sorry this is such a rambling post...but I'm submitting it anyway. :tongue_smilie:

[swimmermom3]

My ds used to get that. He's always been on the shorter side of average. He just turned 14 and is 5'5". After reading the other thread on height that sounds short. He's well into puberty as well, so it's not lack of development. It does concern me as I didn't grow after age 12-13 and dh is not tall. Each of us has a shorter parent as well.

 

If we chart it out he'll be about 5'9" or 5'10", so I do hope he'll grow to at least that.

 

Last night we talked about nutrition and its importance in the next few years.

 

In ds's case he's always gravitated towards younger kids anyway, although now he prefers to hang out with adults.

 

My guys are in the same boat and it wrecked havoc with swimming around the time they turned 12. It is hard to stay competitive when guys your same age are a foot taller and have the muscle development that goes with the height. My 16 yo just finally made 5'7" and my 13 yo is 5'. It is really tough on boys and can be an occasion for a fair amount of bullying.

 

With girls, I think it is less of an issue, Barb, but I do remember working in a not great part of town in my twenties and watching a 5' 1" co-worker get a lot more hassling than myself (5' 7") and another friend, 5' 10".

 

People most definitely do treat children unevenly based on height. What I can't stand is to have a parent with a taller child talk in a condescending fashion to me as if by the mere fact that they bred a tall child, they should earn a place in the parenting hall of fame, while I, well, I am just a failure as a parent. It is the most bizarre attitude I have ever encountered. It makes me want to pull out phrases like "Twinkie-feed beef cakes that can't run around a picnic table," but that would be stooping to the same level. Can you tell that our football experience left me bitter?:tongue_smilie:

[Sahamamama]

I was the tall student, and it wasn't necessarily better. I have noticed that shorter students are treated as younger, but the flip side is that taller students are treated as older. This might be fine in high school, but can be hard on the tall student who really IS young. Here you are, 7 or 8 years old, but you look like a 10 year old. Or you're 10 years old, but you look like a 14 year old. People expect you to "act your age." They just don't realize that you ARE acting your age.

 

I can see this happening all over again with my daughters. They are all "tall" for their ages, so even as young as they are, people take them as being older. My 6.5 year old comes across as being at least 8, while the 4.5 year old twins sometimes have people convinced they are at least a year older than they really are. Because they all read and speak so well, the teachers at church are convinced they are older. I have to explain, "No, they really are only four and half."

 

Go gently with my children, please.

 

I do hope it all works out for your kids. :grouphug:

Edited September 16, 2011 by Sahamamama

[KungFuPanda]

 

People most definitely do treat children unevenly based on height. What I can't stand is to have a parent with a taller child talk in a condescending fashion to me as if by the mere fact that they bred a tall child, they should earn a place in the parenting hall of fame, while I, well, I am just a failure as a parent. It is the most bizarre attitude I have ever encountered. It makes me want to pull out phrases like "Twinkie-feed beef cakes that can't run around a picnic table," but that would be stooping to the same level. Can you tell that our football experience left me bitter?:tongue_smilie:

 

 

She said "Twinkie-fed beefcake" and someone TAGGED it! :lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

 

My favorite is when people go on about how they are so glad their children are tall TO ME! There I am with my daughter, all oblivious in our tiny cuteness, trying to nod like I understand their tragic concern that their child not live with our affliction. Definite First-World problem.

Edited September 17, 2011 by KungFuPanda

[FO4UR]

I'm almost 5ft. I've always been shorter than all my friends since....jr high...

 

 

I still get mistaken for being very young. I have crows feet and gray hair...and still people think I'm too young to have an 8yo child (whom I birthed at age 24).

 

When I married dh I was 21, and there were some funny conversations about him marrying one of the youth (he was a YP):001_huh::lol: (I was 21!!!)

 

I have to always have a step-stool handy...and :iagree: to the poster who worries about car air bags...I technically don't pass the 5 point test to be ready to graduate from a booster seat.:lol:

 

My feet are small. I can wear Dora shoes that light up.;)

[Stellalarella]

I'm 47 and 5'1.

Can't say it was ever an issue.

 

 

My husband is 5'2" and honestly, it just doesn't bother him. He is very self confident and does his own thing. My dd 10 is very small and it doesn't bother her, either, although sometimes, I worry about it. She is going to be 11 in January and she is 4'2", which means that her 6 yo brother is about to pass her up.

Our family just has a unique look to us, I guess. I'm 5'6" which puts me way over my husband. We have adopted two girls that are both extremely tall for their age. They are going to be taller than all the other 6 of us, I think! :001_smile:

We have loved ones in our life who have struggled with image issues around height. One of them is a 5'8" man and one is a 4'8" woman. Everybody reacts to their body image in a different way and some let it wreck their lives. And then there's my husband and father-in-law who don't let it bother them at all.

[SweetPea]

Out of curiosity, were you also later to start your cycle?

 

 

I was 17, but not regular until 19 when my weight increased to where I looked healthy and not like a stick. Although, I wouldn't mind being a little more stickish now!

[Barb_]

My guys are in the same boat and it wrecked havoc with swimming around the time they turned 12. It is hard to stay competitive when guys your same age are a foot taller and have the muscle development that goes with the height. My 16 yo just finally made 5'7" and my 13 yo is 5'. It is really tough on boys and can be an occasion for a fair amount of bullying.

 

With girls, I think it is less of an issue, Barb, but I do remember working in a not great part of town in my twenties and watching a 5' 1" co-worker get a lot more hassling than myself (5' 7") and another friend, 5' 10".

 

People most definitely do treat children unevenly based on height. What I can't stand is to have a parent with a taller child talk in a condescending fashion to me as if by the mere fact that they bred a tall child, they should earn a place in the parenting hall of fame, while I, well, I am just a failure as a parent. It is the most bizarre attitude I have ever encountered. It makes me want to pull out phrases like "Twinkie-feed beef cakes that can't run around a picnic table," but that would be stooping to the same level. Can you tell that our football experience left me bitter?:tongue_smilie:

 

:lol::lol::lol: I didn't tag it, but I would have if I'd seen it first.

 

It's funny that you mention the part about the hassling. Over the summer, my 17yo stayed with my husband in the outskirts of Chicago for an extra couple of weeks. He was gone at work during the day, so she called and asked if I would mind if she took the train into the city to the museums and whatnot during the week. My first reaction was, "Absolutely not, young lady...you will stay put where it's safe!" But then I realized in another year she'd be in college. Technically she could be at Northwestern in the exact same area where her dad lives and could take the train into the city any time she wished. Well. That was eye opening. So I gave her my blessing, but with many words of warning because she just looks so vulnerable. She was fine, of course :tongue_smilie: She had a great time.

 

Barb

[abbeyej]

Dd definitely gets treat "younger" or like a "doll" because she's always the smallest. I actually think that by the time she reaches her full height (probably around 5'), it won't be much of an issue -- 5' tall is small but not really *noteworthy* among the general population of adult women. ... But yes, in these "growing up" years, it's tough to be the smallest everyone since people *do* assume and act as if she's younger.

[Denisemomof4]

 

Can anyone commiserate?

 

Yes, but for opposite reasons. My kids have always had higher expectations placed on them, even by strangers, because they are SO tall. I remember ds19 started to have girls have crushes on him and stare at him out in public at 8. Yes, he was extremely handsome, but the height made the girls believe he was older. The first week he started high school the girl voted prettiest senior had a crush on him.................... until she found out how old he was. Then she never spoke to him again.:001_huh:

 

I remember the comments, "He talks like a baby!" when he just turned 1.

 

My younger son was 6'3 at 15. His baby face kept people in check.

 

dd11 - if one more boy flirts with her IN MY PRESENCE, I'm going to...........

 

:leaving:

 

(my youngest is HUGE for an Asian girl, but she's not large At All in this family);)

[Meriwether]

My daughter is tall. I think she is beautiful. She has long, long legs like my brother (who is 6'6"). She is usually the tallest in the group unless there are girls several years older. I do sometimes wish I had a petite girl in addition to my tall girl, because I think they are so cute. And I really, really hope Dd8 doesn't top 6'. I think that would be harder than being very petite.

[IsabelC]

Are there any disadvantages to being short for girls?

 

As far as I can see, short kids are cuter, they can get away with things, everything they do people are impressed at how advanced they are, you can always find nice clothes for them, and they can pay kids' prices to get in places until they're about 20! (I'm sure lots of people would be too honest to do that, but I know someone who did.)

 

I was very tall (I think I was the tallest girl in my school by about grade 3), as are my daughters, and this causes a lot of problems. As a child, if you are tall you are assumed to be older and expected to be better at everything than others your age. If you are behind on something, it looks worse, and if you are good at something, nobody is impressed because they just think you're average for the age they assume you are. So you spend your whole childhood with everybody having hugely high expectations.

 

Then you hit the teenage years weighing more than everyone else, and scaring off the boys who are all shorter than you. However this doesn't stop nasty adult men approaching you because they think you're 16 when you're 11. Natural teenage clumsiness is a nightmare because you're forever hitting your head on things, and mucking up in sports looks so much worse when you're bigger.

 

Not that I'm at all defensive or anything :lol::lol::lol:

 

But I sure wish I could buy your dd's shortness, I would LOVE to be 5' instead of 6'!

 

 

ETA: Plus if you are short you can always wear high heels, whereas if you're tall, all you can do is slump over (looks horrible) or try to stand downhill from other people all the time!

Edited September 17, 2011 by Hotdrink