Tall and Small Children

"Line up please, tallest children at the back and shortest at the front."  Even when they are in nursery, for some extra tall or extra short children the idea of a teacher calling out these words can be daunting.  "Aren't you tiny!" or "You are so tall!" are phrases they hear again and again.

If your child is being teased about their height or have been made to feel too short or too small, then there are sme things you can say to reassure them.

• everyone grows at different times and at different rates
• no one can do anything about their height so there is nothing they can do
• height has nothing to do with being fast at running (when you're small!), being clever, or good or kind or pretty so they need not worry!

How tall will your children be? It really just depends on genes.  Most children should look to their parents height for a rough idea of how tall they will be.

Remember - do make sure children are in the right car seat for their height and not just their age.  It will effect the suitability and safety of the car seat.

Normal growth - Ensure normal growth by making sure the children eat well and take physical exercise.  While this will not make them taller, it will enable their bodies to develop properly.  Plenty of sleep too will help too but basically if the child has genes which dictates they will be shorter than average there is nothing much you can do to change this.  Do not get them to eat more or give them lots of extra vitamins to get them taller.  It just won't work.

Can being short ever point to a medical problem?
If you are worried go along to your doctor or health visitor to get reassurance.

Real medical issues can be caused by:

• chronic illness (such as liver, lung, kidney problems)
• Malnutrition
• Hormone problems
• Genetic issues