I don’t know what’s going on, but my sons are short. My 16 year old is 5’7” and my 14 year-old is steadily growing—he’s 5’9” now, up from 5’7” a couple of months ago. His voice hasn’t cracked yet, so I think he has another growth spurt left. My 14 year old was always taller than average so not sure why his growth isn’t matching that now, while my 16 year old was always shorter. My 17-year-old daughter is barely 5’6” and has always been tall—she was 5’4” at 12. My 12 year old daughter is 5’2”, and my 10 year old daughter is taller than my 17 year old was at that age. I’m 5’4/5’5” and my husband is 5’9”, so I’m not sure why my sons are shorter.

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Anonymous wrote:In the DC private school world, parents definitely skew tall.

There aren’t any Asians or Indians in the DC private schools? There must be a lot of blondes from Northern Europe.

No they just happen to be tall Asians (yes India is part of Asia). Tallest girl my daughter has competed against at high level soccer is of Indian descent.

Anonymous wrote:In the DC private school world, parents definitely skew tall.

There aren’t any Asians or Indians in the DC private schools? There must be a lot of blondes from Northern Europe.

Completely agree with previous posters that you need to see where he is at in terms of puberty, look at his growth curve with the pediatrician. I have 2 sons. One is 15 and is about 5 10 1/2. I have an older son who is off the charts & was just looking at his health record to see where his brother is at in comparison.

At 14, he was 5'9. Always 95th percentile or higher growing up but he was a late bloomer. In MS shorter friends shot up around him. His next visit at the doctor was at 15 & 1/2 (covid during that time) and he was 6'3. By 17 he was his full height, 6'7. Genes are weird. So many things can come into play. People always ask how did he get so tall. We are 5'7 & 6'1. Grandparents are 5 feet, 6 feet, 6'1 & 5'6. We also order from American Tall especially since he was very thin through hs.

Anonymous wrote:Agree that where you take your sample influences your outlook.

My kids spends all his time with his rowing teammates. They look like a massive wall of young men. But they can’t see it because they are in it. They each feel typical in that setting.

Then I take my kid to the airport and he starts slouching and saying he feels awkward. Suddenly, that same exact body feels giant.

NP here. Funny you mention rowing- my cousin is 6'5" and he rowed in college, as well as played basketball in HS. He made a comment once that because he played tall people sports, he didn't know there were short people (which is ridiculous since both his parents were short, as was his girlfriend, etc).

Agree that where you take your sample influences your outlook.

My kids spends all his time with his rowing teammates. They look like a massive wall of young men. But they can’t see it because they are in it. They each feel typical in that setting.

Then I take my kid to the airport and he starts slouching and saying he feels awkward. Suddenly, that same exact body feels giant.

IMHO the “average heights” seem relatively accurate unless you are among a very particular group (certain sports heavy group, ethnicity etc)

I’m 5’5”, my DD is 5’4”, and the vast majority of women seem to be somewhere around our heights.

My DH and older DS are both 5’10” and the vast majority of men seem to be somewhere around their height.

Younger DS is 6’1” and he is visibly/noticeably taller than most other men.

But I’m talking about random places with a mixed variety of people- the airport, mall, a restaurant etc. . Not a sports tournament (our family is not into team sports), traveling to a different country, around only one particular ethnic group or anything like that.

So many people fudge their heights, or hang out in heavy sports circles etc which may skew their perspective. I think that is the root cause of so many misconceptions. The truth is the vast majority of American men probably fall into a narrower height range than most people think…5’7”/5’8”- 5’11” probably?

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Anonymous wrote:Your son will def be taller than 6'1 OP. I don't care what people say, 6'0 at 14 is extremely tall. I am 6'0 and I am 52. I don't come across a lot of people taller than me and I am not even super tall.

Where do you people live and hang out?

Multiple men in my regular life social circle or taller than 6 feet. Many. Not a few.

I do think this forum is weirdly tall obsessed for boys.

Google the percentage of men who are over 5'11. You will be surprised. Your circle is not a representative sample. But I am sure you know that already.

14% of American men are 6 feet or taller. You must not know very many people if you DON’T know multiple men over 6 feet…

No they aren't. 14% of American men might THINK they are 6ft or over

This is why I love DCUM. Classic—mommy makes up her own science based on feels and vehemently dies on her hill of ignorance.

DP- but this data is available on CDC and NHANES data sets. For men 72 inches is the 85th percentile, 73 inches is the 90th, 74 in is the 95th. Which means that ~15% of the US Adult male population is 6' or taller.

But that only includes data up to 19. It excludes all the DCUM sons who grew on and on several inches in college or later. There are so many who grew well beyond the teen years, if their mothers are to be believed.

In the DC private school world, parents definitely skew tall.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your son will def be taller than 6'1 OP. I don't care what people say, 6'0 at 14 is extremely tall. I am 6'0 and I am 52. I don't come across a lot of people taller than me and I am not even super tall.

Where do you people live and hang out?

Multiple men in my regular life social circle or taller than 6 feet. Many. Not a few.

I do think this forum is weirdly tall obsessed for boys.

Google the percentage of men who are over 5'11. You will be surprised. Your circle is not a representative sample. But I am sure you know that already.

14% of American men are 6 feet or taller. You must not know very many people if you DON’T know multiple men over 6 feet…

No they aren't. 14% of American men might THINK they are 6ft or over

This is why I love DCUM. Classic—mommy makes up her own science based on feels and vehemently dies on her hill of ignorance.

DP- but this data is available on CDC and NHANES data sets. For men 72 inches is the 85th percentile, 73 inches is the 90th, 74 in is the 95th. Which means that ~15% of the US Adult male population is 6' or taller.

Yup and PP doesn’t believe it because she’s apparently never seen a tall man. Lol.

Reference:
Fryar, C. D., Carroll, M. D., Gu, Q., Afful, J., & Ogden, C. L. (2021). Anthropometric reference data for children and adults: United States, 2015–2018 (Vital and Health Statistics, Series 3, No. 46). National Center for Health Statistics. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/100478

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your son will def be taller than 6'1 OP. I don't care what people say, 6'0 at 14 is extremely tall. I am 6'0 and I am 52. I don't come across a lot of people taller than me and I am not even super tall.

Where do you people live and hang out?

Multiple men in my regular life social circle or taller than 6 feet. Many. Not a few.

I do think this forum is weirdly tall obsessed for boys.

Google the percentage of men who are over 5'11. You will be surprised. Your circle is not a representative sample. But I am sure you know that already.

14% of American men are 6 feet or taller. You must not know very many people if you DON’T know multiple men over 6 feet…

No they aren't. 14% of American men might THINK they are 6ft or over

This is why I love DCUM. Classic—mommy makes up her own science based on feels and vehemently dies on her hill of ignorance.

DP- but this data is available on CDC and NHANES data sets. For men 72 inches is the 85th percentile, 73 inches is the 90th, 74 in is the 95th. Which means that ~15% of the US Adult male population is 6' or taller.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your son will def be taller than 6'1 OP. I don't care what people say, 6'0 at 14 is extremely tall. I am 6'0 and I am 52. I don't come across a lot of people taller than me and I am not even super tall.

Where do you people live and hang out?

Multiple men in my regular life social circle or taller than 6 feet. Many. Not a few.

I do think this forum is weirdly tall obsessed for boys.

Google the percentage of men who are over 5'11. You will be surprised. Your circle is not a representative sample. But I am sure you know that already.

14% of American men are 6 feet or taller. You must not know very many people if you DON’T know multiple men over 6 feet…

No they aren't. 14% of American men might THINK they are 6ft or over

This is why I love DCUM. Classic—mommy makes up her own science based on feels and vehemently dies on her hill of ignorance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your son will def be taller than 6'1 OP. I don't care what people say, 6'0 at 14 is extremely tall. I am 6'0 and I am 52. I don't come across a lot of people taller than me and I am not even super tall.

Where do you people live and hang out?

Multiple men in my regular life social circle or taller than 6 feet. Many. Not a few.

I do think this forum is weirdly tall obsessed for boys.

Google the percentage of men who are over 5'11. You will be surprised. Your circle is not a representative sample. But I am sure you know that already.

14% of American men are 6 feet or taller. You must not know very many people if you DON’T know multiple men over 6 feet…

No they aren't. 14% of American men might THINK they are 6ft or over

What? That's an actual study - the self reported # is much higher of course.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your son will def be taller than 6'1 OP. I don't care what people say, 6'0 at 14 is extremely tall. I am 6'0 and I am 52. I don't come across a lot of people taller than me and I am not even super tall.

Where do you people live and hang out?

Multiple men in my regular life social circle or taller than 6 feet. Many. Not a few.

I do think this forum is weirdly tall obsessed for boys.

Google the percentage of men who are over 5'11. You will be surprised. Your circle is not a representative sample. But I am sure you know that already.

14% of American men are 6 feet or taller. You must not know very many people if you DON’T know multiple men over 6 feet…

No they aren't. 14% of American men might THINK they are 6ft or over