my 12 year old son is nearly 6ft tall

(11 Posts)
exexpat Sat 08-Dec-12 12:02:12

I think children often follow similar growth patterns to their parents so if your DH stopped growing at 13, it's highly likely your DS will stop around that age too. I think it would be very unusual for a boy who hit puberty at 10/11 to still be growing fast in his mid-late teens.

DH & I were both tall for our ages, hit puberty early and stopped growing earlyish at average heights (5'5" and 5'9" respectively), so despite having been taller than all our friends for years, we ended up shorter than many of them.

Likewise, DS has always been tall for his age, and also hit puberty early - voice broke at 12, shaving at 13. He's now 14, close to 6ft (we're not a tall family, so he's taller than I expected) and his growth is tailing off, while friends of his who still looked like little boys last year are suddenly shooting up and sprouting hair. DS is still just about the tallest of his group of friends, but I'm sure some of them will end up towering over him.

DS1 is 13 (today!) and is a little over 6ft. Rather than take after his biological father, who wasn't short but wasn't very tall either, I think it has skipped a generation on my side; my dad is 6ft 6.

DS1 isn't showing any signs of stopping just yet.

DH (not his bio father but is DS1's dad) is a 6ft-er too, so when we're out and about, people will say "oh don't you take after your dad." We don't bother explaining it, we just nod and say, "yes he does."

DS1 loves it. It's great for his rugby!

Those formulas didnt work for us. Our DS is supposed to be 5ft 11" according to it but he can just about get under a standard door frame and is 6ft 4.5" this week.

GreatUncleEddie Mon 03-Dec-12 09:07:04

Sounds like he just takes after his dad. My 12yo is nearly 5 foot tall and I feel for him too! It will all even out by the time they are 15.

christensen50 Mon 03-Dec-12 08:58:31

Yes, my son sounds very similar to yours, secret squirrels, in all respects, including emotional maturity, and that has been the case throughout his life. Thanks for all the reassuring answers.

longingforsomesleep Mon 03-Dec-12 04:14:17

if your son's not bothered then why are you? Tall is great! DS1 is 18 and 6ft 7" - he looks fantastic and uses his height to his advantage in sport. His 13 year old brother is 6ft and looks great too.

downgoesthefence Sun 02-Dec-12 21:12:06

My DS was 6ft at 12. He's now 18 and is 6ft 4" - he's gorgeous smile. His DF and I are 5ft 11" and 5ft 9" respectively. DS used to be a little self conscious about this height until he got to about Yesr 10, then others seem to catch him up.

I think the best thing you can do is not make an issue about his height. If he's into sports his height will be seen as a positive in most. Next are quite good for long trousers.

basildonbond Fri 30-Nov-12 18:26:19

Chances are he's almost done growing but it's just happened earlier than average

One of ds1's friends towered over the rest of the boys in Y6, now they're in Y11 he's still one of the taller ones but lots of the others have caught up or are in the process of growing so he no longer looks ridiculously tall in comparison

I seem to recall hearing that the later they start their growth spurt the longer they go on for in the end but that might have been something said to cheer up non-growing (at the time) ds ....

Yes DS1 (now almost 17) was exactly the same. Full on puberty at primary school. He was 6' with size 11 feet at 12 and hasn't grown a great deal more since. He is now 6'2" and feet still size 11. He was by far the tallest through to about Year 10, by which time most of his friends had caught up with him.

Problems? Well he was a little self concious for a while but once his friends started to grow he was pleased to be ahead as he saw it. He was always a little big for his age and just as when he was 2 years old people thought he was a babyish 4 year old the same applied when he was your son's age. In other words they are physically much more mature than mentally.

I never saw it as a matter for a GP.

Katisha Fri 30-Nov-12 07:54:50

How tall are you and your DH? There is some formula which predicts the height of your children somewhere.

christensen50 Fri 30-Nov-12 07:53:54

I'd be interested to hear of any others with exceptionally tall sons. My son started his puberty growth spurt at 10, his voice had broken by 11 and a half, and he now stands at almost 6ft (he is 12 and a half now). Can I expect him to be near the end of his upward growth? His dad was fully grown at 13. I do really feel for my son towering over his peers, but he appears unbothered, as does my GP.

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