Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th
percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember one
point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good kid,
bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle school
he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6 or 7
boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended toward
the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he was
liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to and
from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a bit
shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him that he
is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert!

So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, and more
than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. For instance, I
said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be a little
dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the "l"
word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker. He
is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his
friends.

Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a
liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in
school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)).
Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him?

Sheila

I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some
aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young
person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,
that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.

i

I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some
aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young
person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,
that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.

i

>I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least someaspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong youngperson, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.i

His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it to please
his dad.

Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plus side of
his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-)

Sheila

>I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least someaspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong youngperson, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.i

His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it to please
his dad.

Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plus side of
his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-)

Sheila

"WhansaMi" <whansami@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember
one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good
kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle
school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6
or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended
toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he
was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to
and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a
bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him
that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, and
more than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. For
instance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be a
little dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the
"l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker.
He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest
kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"!
;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? Sheila

How tall is he? truly noticeably shorter than most of the other kids in his
class?
I also have a 14-yr-old (well, he'll be 15 next month) . He happens to be 6
feet tall though. I don't think he and his friends segregate each other
according to height. Among the kids in his grade, there is a *huge*
variation in height, weight , etc. If you're cool, you're cool.
I'd not mention it or make an issue about his height. There isn't really
much you can do about it anyway.

"WhansaMi" <whansami@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember
one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good
kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle
school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6
or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended
toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he
was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to
and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a
bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him
that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, and
more than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. For
instance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be a
little dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the
"l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker.
He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest
kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"!
;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? Sheila

How tall is he? truly noticeably shorter than most of the other kids in his
class?
I also have a 14-yr-old (well, he'll be 15 next month) . He happens to be 6
feet tall though. I don't think he and his friends segregate each other
according to height. Among the kids in his grade, there is a *huge*
variation in height, weight , etc. If you're cool, you're cool.
I'd not mention it or make an issue about his height. There isn't really
much you can do about it anyway.

>> Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I rememberone point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a goodkid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middleschool he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tendedtoward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, hewas liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk toand from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is abit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease himthat he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, andmore than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. Forinstance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be alittle dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the"l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker.He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniestkid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"!;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? SheilaHow tall is he? truly noticeably shorter than most of the other kids in hisclass?I also have a 14-yr-old (well, he'll be 15 next month) . He happens to be 6feet tall though. I don't think he and his friends segregate each otheraccording to height. Among the kids in his grade, there is a *huge*variation in height, weight , etc. If you're cool, you're cool.I'd not mention it or make an issue about his height. There isn't reallymuch you can do about it anyway.

He's about 5 feet, I think. There are probably only 5 or 6 kids in his grade
that were shorter than him. We seem to grow 'em big in our neighborhood! I'm
5'4 and a half, and almost all of them were much taller than me!

I don't think the issue is as much the other kids, at least the ones he know,
as his view of himself.

Sheila

>> Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I rememberone point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a goodkid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middleschool he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tendedtoward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, hewas liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk toand from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is abit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease himthat he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, andmore than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. Forinstance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be alittle dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the"l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker.He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniestkid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"!;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? SheilaHow tall is he? truly noticeably shorter than most of the other kids in hisclass?I also have a 14-yr-old (well, he'll be 15 next month) . He happens to be 6feet tall though. I don't think he and his friends segregate each otheraccording to height. Among the kids in his grade, there is a *huge*variation in height, weight , etc. If you're cool, you're cool.I'd not mention it or make an issue about his height. There isn't reallymuch you can do about it anyway.

He's about 5 feet, I think. There are probably only 5 or 6 kids in his grade
that were shorter than him. We seem to grow 'em big in our neighborhood! I'm
5'4 and a half, and almost all of them were much taller than me!

I don't think the issue is as much the other kids, at least the ones he know,
as his view of himself.

Sheila

"WhansaMi" <whansami@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com...I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least someaspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong youngperson, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it to
please his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plus side
of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-)

Martial arts, perhaps? Very good confidence builder.

"WhansaMi" <whansami@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com...I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least someaspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong youngperson, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it to
please his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plus side
of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-)

Martial arts, perhaps? Very good confidence builder.

In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote:I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least someaspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong youngperson, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it to please his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plus side of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) Sheila

Well, that's great if he likes it!

i

In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote:I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least someaspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong youngperson, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it to please his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plus side of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) Sheila

Well, that's great if he likes it!

i

"Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in message
news:ces1rv$uj7$1@pita.alt.net... In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote:I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least someaspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong youngperson, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it to
please his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plus
side of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) Sheila Well, that's great if he likes it!

Is wrestling an option? He'd be competing in his own weight class, so his
size might be less a disadvantage. Maybe he'd enjoy it.

"Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in message
news:ces1rv$uj7$1@pita.alt.net... In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote:I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least someaspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong youngperson, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it to
please his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plus
side of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) Sheila Well, that's great if he likes it!

Is wrestling an option? He'd be competing in his own weight class, so his
size might be less a disadvantage. Maybe he'd enjoy it.

"WhansaMi" <whansami@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember
one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good
kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle
school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6
or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended
toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he
was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to
and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a
bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him
that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert!

Sheila, your son is incredibly similar to my nephew, who turns 16 next
month. He has also always been at 5th% or less, he's a skinny guy, and very
short. His older brother was short for a while but did get a growth spurt,
but DN (dear nephew) never has. He's likely to be very short as an adult.
He's also bright, polite, a total gamer, big into reading.

I don't have advice necessarily, but I hope it will be comforting to you if
I tell you that being short bothered DN personally for a while, but it
didn't affect in his opinion how others treated him. The girls all think
he's sooooooooooo cute, lol, and the guys think he's a decent human
being...the guys who wouldn't, I guess, don't get much of a second look by
DN, nor anything in return.

DN starts 11th grade next month, and he's adapted very well to high school.
I doubt he's much taller than 5'...maybe by an inch or so. He does go to a
small magnet high school, but kids are kids everywhere, and it is a public
school with local students of all heights, weights, and teenage temperament.
;-)

What would probably really help your son is to stay in touch during the
summer with a friend or two or more, so there's someone to know at the new
school. There are so many opportunities for involvement in high school, and
finding himself a place where he feels comfortable (gaming club, chess club,
computer club, whatever) would, IMO, help him feel comfortable in his body.

Anyway, he's a cutie. :-) From what I know from SD17, that matters more
than height!

Jennifer

"WhansaMi" <whansami@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember
one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good
kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle
school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6
or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended
toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he
was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to
and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a
bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him
that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert!

Sheila, your son is incredibly similar to my nephew, who turns 16 next
month. He has also always been at 5th% or less, he's a skinny guy, and very
short. His older brother was short for a while but did get a growth spurt,
but DN (dear nephew) never has. He's likely to be very short as an adult.
He's also bright, polite, a total gamer, big into reading.

I don't have advice necessarily, but I hope it will be comforting to you if
I tell you that being short bothered DN personally for a while, but it
didn't affect in his opinion how others treated him. The girls all think
he's sooooooooooo cute, lol, and the guys think he's a decent human
being...the guys who wouldn't, I guess, don't get much of a second look by
DN, nor anything in return.

DN starts 11th grade next month, and he's adapted very well to high school.
I doubt he's much taller than 5'...maybe by an inch or so. He does go to a
small magnet high school, but kids are kids everywhere, and it is a public
school with local students of all heights, weights, and teenage temperament.
;-)

What would probably really help your son is to stay in touch during the
summer with a friend or two or more, so there's someone to know at the new
school. There are so many opportunities for involvement in high school, and
finding himself a place where he feels comfortable (gaming club, chess club,
computer club, whatever) would, IMO, help him feel comfortable in his body.

Anyway, he's a cutie. :-) From what I know from SD17, that matters more
than height!

Jennifer

>"Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in messagenews:ces1rv$uj7$1@pita.alt.net... In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote:>I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some>aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young>person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,>that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.>>i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it toplease his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plusside of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) Sheila Well, that's great if he likes it!Is wrestling an option? He'd be competing in his own weight class, so hissize might be less a disadvantage. Maybe he'd enjoy it.

While I understand what you and Igor are saying, basically, DS is *not* a
particularly physical kid. He enjoys fencing because there is a
historical/fantastical element to it (his dad says they might join SCA this
year), but he's never even been the type to wrestle for fun --- much less for
sport!

Sheila

>"Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in messagenews:ces1rv$uj7$1@pita.alt.net... In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote:>I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some>aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young>person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,>that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought.>>i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it toplease his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plusside of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) Sheila Well, that's great if he likes it!Is wrestling an option? He'd be competing in his own weight class, so hissize might be less a disadvantage. Maybe he'd enjoy it.

While I understand what you and Igor are saying, basically, DS is *not* a
particularly physical kid. He enjoys fencing because there is a
historical/fantastical element to it (his dad says they might join SCA this
year), but he's never even been the type to wrestle for fun --- much less for
sport!

Sheila

In article <20040804231257.11031.00002787@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote:"Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in messagenews:ces1rv$uj7$1@pita.alt.net... In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote: >>I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some >>aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young >>person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested, >>that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought. >> >>i > > His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it toplease > his dad. > > Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plusside of > his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) > > Sheila Well, that's great if he likes it!Is wrestling an option? He'd be competing in his own weight class, so hissize might be less a disadvantage. Maybe he'd enjoy it. While I understand what you and Igor are saying, basically, DS is *not* a particularly physical kid. He enjoys fencing because there is a historical/fantastical element to it (his dad says they might join SCA this year), but he's never even been the type to wrestle for fun --- much less for sport!

I am not particularly physical either and teaching me to dance is
impossible. I enjoy sports that require concentration and effort, for
example running and weightlifting.

Your son may also find something that involves physical activity but
fits his personality. Riding horse is also historical, I am sure that
you can come up with more stuff.

i

In article <20040804231257.11031.00002787@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote:"Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in messagenews:ces1rv$uj7$1@pita.alt.net... In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi wrote: >>I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some >>aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young >>person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested, >>that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought. >> >>i > > His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it toplease > his dad. > > Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a plusside of > his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) > > Sheila Well, that's great if he likes it!Is wrestling an option? He'd be competing in his own weight class, so hissize might be less a disadvantage. Maybe he'd enjoy it. While I understand what you and Igor are saying, basically, DS is *not* a particularly physical kid. He enjoys fencing because there is a historical/fantastical element to it (his dad says they might join SCA this year), but he's never even been the type to wrestle for fun --- much less for sport!

I am not particularly physical either and teaching me to dance is
impossible. I enjoy sports that require concentration and effort, for
example running and weightlifting.

Your son may also find something that involves physical activity but
fits his personality. Riding horse is also historical, I am sure that
you can come up with more stuff.

i

WhansaMi wrote:
Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him?

I have read that children usually reach the height or greater of their
parents' heights averaged. So if you're 5'4" and your son's father is 5'9"
your son could expect to reach at least 5' 6". Maybe. I don't think it's an
exact science!

My eldest son has always been on the small side and followed the 25% curve
from his infancy (once he got over being a 10lb newborn, that is). He turned
14 last month and I recorded his height and weight. He's on the 50th
percentile for height and 25th for weight based on the US CDC tables which
we use too. (Apparently US teenage boys are slightly taller and heavier than
Aus. boys.)

I was a bit surprised because although I knew he'd had a growth spurt (4
inches in a year rather the the usual 2) and overtaken me in height recently
I hadn't realised he was dead on average for his age. Most of his friends
are taller than him so the tables are not necessarily relevant to small
groups of kids.

Anyway, my son has never been terribly sporty. This year is the first he's
played soccer for fun in the school yard at lunchtime (although he's had
several years of weekend club soccer). He's never been competitive in
physical pursuits and I don't think that has anything much to do with his
size, it's his personality. He moves quite quickly when he wants to but
lacks the killer instinct... it probably helps that he's so slender,
otherwise he'd have even more reason to spend all his waking hours in front
of a computer screen playing "Halo" or whatever is his current passion.

He likes things like swimming and cycling and has recently mentioned doing
some weight training. I think if you gently steered your son towards
activities that relied more on setting personal goals than measuring himself
against others it might help his self-confidence.

Just as an aside, my son started some orthodontic treatment recently and as
part of the evaluation his mouth and wrist were x-rayed. The Orthodontist
was able to tell him that he was just about to start his growth spurt by
looking at his wrist development. If your son's mouth is costing you a
fortune it's possible his Orthodontist has similar information.

Tai

WhansaMi wrote:
Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him?

I have read that children usually reach the height or greater of their
parents' heights averaged. So if you're 5'4" and your son's father is 5'9"
your son could expect to reach at least 5' 6". Maybe. I don't think it's an
exact science!

My eldest son has always been on the small side and followed the 25% curve
from his infancy (once he got over being a 10lb newborn, that is). He turned
14 last month and I recorded his height and weight. He's on the 50th
percentile for height and 25th for weight based on the US CDC tables which
we use too. (Apparently US teenage boys are slightly taller and heavier than
Aus. boys.)

I was a bit surprised because although I knew he'd had a growth spurt (4
inches in a year rather the the usual 2) and overtaken me in height recently
I hadn't realised he was dead on average for his age. Most of his friends
are taller than him so the tables are not necessarily relevant to small
groups of kids.

Anyway, my son has never been terribly sporty. This year is the first he's
played soccer for fun in the school yard at lunchtime (although he's had
several years of weekend club soccer). He's never been competitive in
physical pursuits and I don't think that has anything much to do with his
size, it's his personality. He moves quite quickly when he wants to but
lacks the killer instinct... it probably helps that he's so slender,
otherwise he'd have even more reason to spend all his waking hours in front
of a computer screen playing "Halo" or whatever is his current passion.

He likes things like swimming and cycling and has recently mentioned doing
some weight training. I think if you gently steered your son towards
activities that relied more on setting personal goals than measuring himself
against others it might help his self-confidence.

Just as an aside, my son started some orthodontic treatment recently and as
part of the evaluation his mouth and wrist were x-rayed. The Orthodontist
was able to tell him that he was just about to start his growth spurt by
looking at his wrist development. If your son's mouth is costing you a
fortune it's possible his Orthodontist has similar information.

Tai

"Jennifer" <JenPam2003@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<MLqdnfqby9sGPYzcRVn-gQ@comcast.com>... The girls all think he's sooooooooooo cute, lol,

No suggestions, since I have petite girls not boys, but I wanted to
make a plea to all the mothers of short-fry boys: please, encourage
your boys to date short-fry girls!

I'm only 5'. I was 4'11" all through high school. I preferred and
wanted to date guys who were 5' to 5'4" because it was much more
comfortable to slow dance with them. But to my chagrin, it seemed like
all the boys in this height range wanted nothing to do with a short
gal. They looked right past me to the taller girls!

So I resigned myself to dating those who would date me: guys who were
taller than 5'8". In fact, most of the guys I've dated are over 6
feet. My ex was 5'11" and DF is 5'10." The few guys who were under
5'4" were the most physically comfortable for me - I loved being able
to slow dance and stare into their eyes or kiss them standing up
without getting a friggin' crick in my neck!!!!

I could never figure this out, until in my 20s I briefly dated a guy
who was 5'2". The reason we broke up? He was quite candid about it. He
said that his mother would *kill* him if he fell in love with and
brought home a girl under 5'5"!!! His mother told him it was up to him
to marry a tall girl so that they could get some tall genes in the
family!!!

That's probably an extreme, but it clicked with me that maybe all
these short guys in high school felt that by dating a taller girl
they'd somehow look taller themselves?? I dunno! I just never
understood it.

So Jennifer & Sheila, please encourage your boys to date us petite
gals!

jen

"Jennifer" <JenPam2003@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<MLqdnfqby9sGPYzcRVn-gQ@comcast.com>... The girls all think he's sooooooooooo cute, lol,

No suggestions, since I have petite girls not boys, but I wanted to
make a plea to all the mothers of short-fry boys: please, encourage
your boys to date short-fry girls!

I'm only 5'. I was 4'11" all through high school. I preferred and
wanted to date guys who were 5' to 5'4" because it was much more
comfortable to slow dance with them. But to my chagrin, it seemed like
all the boys in this height range wanted nothing to do with a short
gal. They looked right past me to the taller girls!

So I resigned myself to dating those who would date me: guys who were
taller than 5'8". In fact, most of the guys I've dated are over 6
feet. My ex was 5'11" and DF is 5'10." The few guys who were under
5'4" were the most physically comfortable for me - I loved being able
to slow dance and stare into their eyes or kiss them standing up
without getting a friggin' crick in my neck!!!!

I could never figure this out, until in my 20s I briefly dated a guy
who was 5'2". The reason we broke up? He was quite candid about it. He
said that his mother would *kill* him if he fell in love with and
brought home a girl under 5'5"!!! His mother told him it was up to him
to marry a tall girl so that they could get some tall genes in the
family!!!

That's probably an extreme, but it clicked with me that maybe all
these short guys in high school felt that by dating a taller girl
they'd somehow look taller themselves?? I dunno! I just never
understood it.

So Jennifer & Sheila, please encourage your boys to date us petite
gals!

jen

"Tai" <tainuiti@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<2ne44aFv7muhU1@uni-berlin.de>...

I have read that children usually reach the height or greater of their parents' heights averaged. So if you're 5'4" and your son's father is 5'9" your son could expect to reach at least 5' 6". Maybe. I don't think it's an exact science! My eldest son has always been on the small side and followed the 25% curve from his infancy (once he got over being a 10lb newborn, that is). He turned 14 last month and I recorded his height and weight. He's on the 50th percentile for height and 25th for weight based on the US CDC tables which we use too. (Apparently US teenage boys are slightly taller and heavier than Aus. boys.)

The curves confuse me. According to the curves, my DD11 is supposed to
end up only 5 feet tall, and DD10 is projected to be taller, maybe
even 5'4." But so far, DD11 seems to be outstripping expectations. Her
feet are the same size as mine and she's already just one inch shorter
than me.

Meanwhile, DD10 is a peanut that's not growing very fast compared to
her sister at the same age. Maybe she'll have a growth spurt soon, but
I dunno. She seems destined to reach only 5 feet, while her sister
easily will top that.

jen

"Tai" <tainuiti@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<2ne44aFv7muhU1@uni-berlin.de>...

I have read that children usually reach the height or greater of their parents' heights averaged. So if you're 5'4" and your son's father is 5'9" your son could expect to reach at least 5' 6". Maybe. I don't think it's an exact science! My eldest son has always been on the small side and followed the 25% curve from his infancy (once he got over being a 10lb newborn, that is). He turned 14 last month and I recorded his height and weight. He's on the 50th percentile for height and 25th for weight based on the US CDC tables which we use too. (Apparently US teenage boys are slightly taller and heavier than Aus. boys.)

The curves confuse me. According to the curves, my DD11 is supposed to
end up only 5 feet tall, and DD10 is projected to be taller, maybe
even 5'4." But so far, DD11 seems to be outstripping expectations. Her
feet are the same size as mine and she's already just one inch shorter
than me.

Meanwhile, DD10 is a peanut that's not growing very fast compared to
her sister at the same age. Maybe she'll have a growth spurt soon, but
I dunno. She seems destined to reach only 5 feet, while her sister
easily will top that.

jen

On 5 Aug 2004 05:35:13 -0700, shinypenny
<shinypenny0001@yahoo.com> wrote:

<Snip>
That's probably an extreme, but it clicked with me that maybe all these short guys in high school felt that by dating a taller girl they'd somehow look taller themselves?? I dunno! I just never understood it.

Well, with a tall girl they could dance cheek to... well... you know. :)

-Tony

--
"If the grass appears to be greener on the other side of the fence, it's time
to fertilize your lawn!"
Want to jump start your marriage? Consider a Marriage Encounter weekend.
Check out http://www.wwme.org for more information.

On 5 Aug 2004 05:35:13 -0700, shinypenny
<shinypenny0001@yahoo.com> wrote:

<Snip>
That's probably an extreme, but it clicked with me that maybe all these short guys in high school felt that by dating a taller girl they'd somehow look taller themselves?? I dunno! I just never understood it.

Well, with a tall girl they could dance cheek to... well... you know. :)

-Tony

--
"If the grass appears to be greener on the other side of the fence, it's time
to fertilize your lawn!"
Want to jump start your marriage? Consider a Marriage Encounter weekend.
Check out http://www.wwme.org for more information.

This height thing is very interesting.

I'm a 51 year old male (so I'm at the other end (in time)
of all these shenanigans). I'm 5'8" which isn't amazingly
tall for a male. I was married for 21 years to a woman who
was about half an inch or an inch taller and I wasn't
really conscious of height then. I think I'm aware now
that physical things just work better if the female is
smaller or same height not taller and I believe average
female height is less than average male height so this
makes sense. In many peoples' minds there is a loose association
between being talk and being a leader and maybe being male
and strong and all that stuff. There's the female liking
for taller men and so on.

Some things about being not as tall as people you are
with - try getting served in a crowd at a bar - they
just look past you.

I'm not attracted to women taller than me (don't
ask how I spent 21 years with one - it was a mistake).

So - the fact that there is some tendency for females to
match with males taller than themself has implications.
If I seek females less than or equal to my height then
that's a smaller number of available females than for
a male who is 6 ft. So when 6 foot males go for 5 foot
females they are making it more difficult for 5 foot
males (unless those males like taller women).

As for the guy who lets his mother dictate what height
girls he dates - well I hope one day he will make his own
choices and tell his mother where to get off. And I
can't understand any female being interested in such
a non self-determining male even if he is yet young.

Yes, slow dancing is lovely, even at 51. Especially
at 51.

bogey

The girls all thinkhe's sooooooooooo cute, lol, No suggestions, since I have petite girls not boys, but I wanted to make a plea to all the mothers of short-fry boys: please, encourage your boys to date short-fry girls! I'm only 5'. I was 4'11" all through high school. I preferred and wanted to date guys who were 5' to 5'4" because it was much more comfortable to slow dance with them. But to my chagrin, it seemed like all the boys in this height range wanted nothing to do with a short gal. They looked right past me to the taller girls! So I resigned myself to dating those who would date me: guys who were taller than 5'8". In fact, most of the guys I've dated are over 6 feet. My ex was 5'11" and DF is 5'10." The few guys who were under 5'4" were the most physically comfortable for me - I loved being able to slow dance and stare into their eyes or kiss them standing up without getting a friggin' crick in my neck!!!! I could never figure this out, until in my 20s I briefly dated a guy who was 5'2". The reason we broke up? He was quite candid about it. He said that his mother would *kill* him if he fell in love with and brought home a girl under 5'5"!!! His mother told him it was up to him to marry a tall girl so that they could get some tall genes in the family!!! That's probably an extreme, but it clicked with me that maybe all these short guys in high school felt that by dating a taller girl they'd somehow look taller themselves?? I dunno! I just never understood it. So Jennifer & Sheila, please encourage your boys to date us petite gals! jen

This height thing is very interesting.

I'm a 51 year old male (so I'm at the other end (in time)
of all these shenanigans). I'm 5'8" which isn't amazingly
tall for a male. I was married for 21 years to a woman who
was about half an inch or an inch taller and I wasn't
really conscious of height then. I think I'm aware now
that physical things just work better if the female is
smaller or same height not taller and I believe average
female height is less than average male height so this
makes sense. In many peoples' minds there is a loose association
between being talk and being a leader and maybe being male
and strong and all that stuff. There's the female liking
for taller men and so on.

Some things about being not as tall as people you are
with - try getting served in a crowd at a bar - they
just look past you.

I'm not attracted to women taller than me (don't
ask how I spent 21 years with one - it was a mistake).

So - the fact that there is some tendency for females to
match with males taller than themself has implications.
If I seek females less than or equal to my height then
that's a smaller number of available females than for
a male who is 6 ft. So when 6 foot males go for 5 foot
females they are making it more difficult for 5 foot
males (unless those males like taller women).

As for the guy who lets his mother dictate what height
girls he dates - well I hope one day he will make his own
choices and tell his mother where to get off. And I
can't understand any female being interested in such
a non self-determining male even if he is yet young.

Yes, slow dancing is lovely, even at 51. Especially
at 51.

bogey

The girls all thinkhe's sooooooooooo cute, lol, No suggestions, since I have petite girls not boys, but I wanted to make a plea to all the mothers of short-fry boys: please, encourage your boys to date short-fry girls! I'm only 5'. I was 4'11" all through high school. I preferred and wanted to date guys who were 5' to 5'4" because it was much more comfortable to slow dance with them. But to my chagrin, it seemed like all the boys in this height range wanted nothing to do with a short gal. They looked right past me to the taller girls! So I resigned myself to dating those who would date me: guys who were taller than 5'8". In fact, most of the guys I've dated are over 6 feet. My ex was 5'11" and DF is 5'10." The few guys who were under 5'4" were the most physically comfortable for me - I loved being able to slow dance and stare into their eyes or kiss them standing up without getting a friggin' crick in my neck!!!! I could never figure this out, until in my 20s I briefly dated a guy who was 5'2". The reason we broke up? He was quite candid about it. He said that his mother would *kill* him if he fell in love with and brought home a girl under 5'5"!!! His mother told him it was up to him to marry a tall girl so that they could get some tall genes in the family!!! That's probably an extreme, but it clicked with me that maybe all these short guys in high school felt that by dating a taller girl they'd somehow look taller themselves?? I dunno! I just never understood it. So Jennifer & Sheila, please encourage your boys to date us petite gals! jen

The curves confuse me. According to the curves, my DD11 is supposed to end up only 5 feet tall, and DD10 is projected to be taller, maybe even 5'4." But so far, DD11 seems to be outstripping expectations. Her feet are the same size as mine and she's already just one inch shorter than me. Meanwhile, DD10 is a peanut that's not growing very fast compared to her sister at the same age. Maybe she'll have a growth spurt soon, but I dunno. She seems destined to reach only 5 feet, while her sister easily will top that. jen

I have two children at opposite extremes. My daughter (13)
is very small and obviously destined to be a small adult.
My son (16) is 6 foot 4 already and growing. They are
both genetically mine. My ex'es family are all
tall, my own family are all small.

Genatic dice play strange tricks.

bogey

The curves confuse me. According to the curves, my DD11 is supposed to end up only 5 feet tall, and DD10 is projected to be taller, maybe even 5'4." But so far, DD11 seems to be outstripping expectations. Her feet are the same size as mine and she's already just one inch shorter than me. Meanwhile, DD10 is a peanut that's not growing very fast compared to her sister at the same age. Maybe she'll have a growth spurt soon, but I dunno. She seems destined to reach only 5 feet, while her sister easily will top that. jen

I have two children at opposite extremes. My daughter (13)
is very small and obviously destined to be a small adult.
My son (16) is 6 foot 4 already and growing. They are
both genetically mine. My ex'es family are all
tall, my own family are all small.

Genatic dice play strange tricks.

bogey

Yes, slow dancing is lovely, even at 51. Especially at 51.

whether its vertical or horizontal.

bogey

Yes, slow dancing is lovely, even at 51. Especially at 51.

whether its vertical or horizontal.

bogey

"WhansaMi" <whansami@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember
one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good
kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle
school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6
or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended
toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he
was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to
and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a
bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him
that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, and
more than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. For
instance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be a
little dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the
"l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker.
He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest
kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"!
;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? Sheila

Sheila,
Everything you have written about your son could be about my younger one.
In 8th grade he showed some interest in theater, and I sent him to a theater
camp that summer. It changed his life. He is now entering his second year
at Rochester Institute of Technology, has more friends than I can count, and
will always keep theater as a part of his life. Luckily he chose not to
peruse it as his life's work (he is a New Media, Publishing major) but as
his life's love. Somehow theater and computer geeks go very well together.
He is an amazing actor, but many of his friends ended up loving the
technical aspects of theater... lighting, sound, set design, special
effects, etc.
So..now at 19, he is 5'11 and weighs in at a whopping 125 pounds (think
Olive Oyl). But he is so comfortable in his own skin.
When he was younger I dragged him to every sporting event his older brother
was in. He had no interest. Life in high school is easier on jocks. But
there certainly will be something that he can love there. Tell him that
this is the opportunity for him to explore all of those possibilities. You
can't make his body grow, but you can certainly aid him in growing his
spirit.
Momma

"WhansaMi" <whansami@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember
one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good
kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle
school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6
or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended
toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he
was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to
and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a
bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him
that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, and
more than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. For
instance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be a
little dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the
"l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker.
He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest
kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"!
;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? Sheila

Sheila,
Everything you have written about your son could be about my younger one.
In 8th grade he showed some interest in theater, and I sent him to a theater
camp that summer. It changed his life. He is now entering his second year
at Rochester Institute of Technology, has more friends than I can count, and
will always keep theater as a part of his life. Luckily he chose not to
peruse it as his life's work (he is a New Media, Publishing major) but as
his life's love. Somehow theater and computer geeks go very well together.
He is an amazing actor, but many of his friends ended up loving the
technical aspects of theater... lighting, sound, set design, special
effects, etc.
So..now at 19, he is 5'11 and weighs in at a whopping 125 pounds (think
Olive Oyl). But he is so comfortable in his own skin.
When he was younger I dragged him to every sporting event his older brother
was in. He had no interest. Life in high school is easier on jocks. But
there certainly will be something that he can love there. Tell him that
this is the opportunity for him to explore all of those possibilities. You
can't make his body grow, but you can certainly aid him in growing his
spirit.
Momma

Sheila:>> Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him?
Tai: >I have read that children usually reach the height or greater of theirparents' heights averaged. So if you're 5'4" and your son's father is 5'9"your son could expect to reach at least 5' 6". Maybe. I don't think it's anexact science!

Yeah... I doubt he's going to be a tall man. That's okay. I just want to help
ease him through this adolesence.

Anyway, my son has never been terribly sporty. This year is the first he'splayed soccer for fun in the school yard at lunchtime (although he's hadseveral years of weekend club soccer). He's never been competitive inphysical pursuits and I don't think that has anything much to do with hissize, it's his personality. He moves quite quickly when he wants to butlacks the killer instinct... it probably helps that he's so slender,otherwise he'd have even more reason to spend all his waking hours in frontof a computer screen playing "Halo" or whatever is his current passion.

LOL! DS plays Halo too. Do you have the online version? They could hook up!
He likes things like swimming and cycling and has recently mentioned doingsome weight training. I think if you gently steered your son towardsactivities that relied more on setting personal goals than measuring himselfagainst others it might help his self-confidence.

He tends to be goal-oriented, although his goals are idiosyncratic. For
instance, he and some of his friends have spent a fair amount of time designing
games. He also sets specific goals for his characters in his computer games,
and works towards that. He hopes to compete in fencing when he is of age (you
can't compete until you are sixteen). He's not a super-confident kid, but he
has a pretty good idea of what his strengths are, and he's very confident about
those. When my DD started middle school last year, he was telling her about
the different cliques. He told her she'd probably be with the popular kids,
but "I'll never been in the popular group because I'm not into pop culture and
I'm too smart. I have to be in the nerd group."

[A small brag: He got back his scores for the state mandated proficency test.
He scored on the highest level in four of the five tests, including the
geometry, which he took in 8th grade. Yayayay!]
Just as an aside, my son started some orthodontic treatment recently and aspart of the evaluation his mouth and wrist were x-rayed. The Orthodontistwas able to tell him that he was just about to start his growth spurt bylooking at his wrist development. If your son's mouth is costing you afortune it's possible his Orthodontist has similar information.

The good news is that he inherited my teeth -- no need for orthodontia! DD on
the other hand..... <sigh>

SheilaTai

Sheila:>> Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him?
Tai: >I have read that children usually reach the height or greater of theirparents' heights averaged. So if you're 5'4" and your son's father is 5'9"your son could expect to reach at least 5' 6". Maybe. I don't think it's anexact science!

Yeah... I doubt he's going to be a tall man. That's okay. I just want to help
ease him through this adolesence.

Anyway, my son has never been terribly sporty. This year is the first he'splayed soccer for fun in the school yard at lunchtime (although he's hadseveral years of weekend club soccer). He's never been competitive inphysical pursuits and I don't think that has anything much to do with hissize, it's his personality. He moves quite quickly when he wants to butlacks the killer instinct... it probably helps that he's so slender,otherwise he'd have even more reason to spend all his waking hours in frontof a computer screen playing "Halo" or whatever is his current passion.

LOL! DS plays Halo too. Do you have the online version? They could hook up!
He likes things like swimming and cycling and has recently mentioned doingsome weight training. I think if you gently steered your son towardsactivities that relied more on setting personal goals than measuring himselfagainst others it might help his self-confidence.

He tends to be goal-oriented, although his goals are idiosyncratic. For
instance, he and some of his friends have spent a fair amount of time designing
games. He also sets specific goals for his characters in his computer games,
and works towards that. He hopes to compete in fencing when he is of age (you
can't compete until you are sixteen). He's not a super-confident kid, but he
has a pretty good idea of what his strengths are, and he's very confident about
those. When my DD started middle school last year, he was telling her about
the different cliques. He told her she'd probably be with the popular kids,
but "I'll never been in the popular group because I'm not into pop culture and
I'm too smart. I have to be in the nerd group."

[A small brag: He got back his scores for the state mandated proficency test.
He scored on the highest level in four of the five tests, including the
geometry, which he took in 8th grade. Yayayay!]
Just as an aside, my son started some orthodontic treatment recently and aspart of the evaluation his mouth and wrist were x-rayed. The Orthodontistwas able to tell him that he was just about to start his growth spurt bylooking at his wrist development. If your son's mouth is costing you afortune it's possible his Orthodontist has similar information.

The good news is that he inherited my teeth -- no need for orthodontia! DD on
the other hand..... <sigh>

SheilaTai

>Sheila,Everything you have written about your son could be about my younger one.In 8th grade he showed some interest in theater, and I sent him to a theatercamp that summer. It changed his life. He is now entering his second yearat Rochester Institute of Technology, has more friends than I can count, andwill always keep theater as a part of his life. Luckily he chose not toperuse it as his life's work (he is a New Media, Publishing major) but ashis life's love. Somehow theater and computer geeks go very well together.He is an amazing actor, but many of his friends ended up loving thetechnical aspects of theater... lighting, sound, set design, specialeffects, etc.So..now at 19, he is 5'11 and weighs in at a whopping 125 pounds (thinkOlive Oyl). But he is so comfortable in his own skin.When he was younger I dragged him to every sporting event his older brotherwas in. He had no interest. Life in high school is easier on jocks. Butthere certainly will be something that he can love there. Tell him thatthis is the opportunity for him to explore all of those possibilities. Youcan't make his body grow, but you can certainly aid him in growing hisspirit.Momma

Momma, I will try to encourage him to do theater again in high school. He did
it for a couple of years in elementary -- he even had the male lead for one
production -- but the stage fright was what, I think, made him decide not to
pursue it further.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Sheila

>Sheila,Everything you have written about your son could be about my younger one.In 8th grade he showed some interest in theater, and I sent him to a theatercamp that summer. It changed his life. He is now entering his second yearat Rochester Institute of Technology, has more friends than I can count, andwill always keep theater as a part of his life. Luckily he chose not toperuse it as his life's work (he is a New Media, Publishing major) but ashis life's love. Somehow theater and computer geeks go very well together.He is an amazing actor, but many of his friends ended up loving thetechnical aspects of theater... lighting, sound, set design, specialeffects, etc.So..now at 19, he is 5'11 and weighs in at a whopping 125 pounds (thinkOlive Oyl). But he is so comfortable in his own skin.When he was younger I dragged him to every sporting event his older brotherwas in. He had no interest. Life in high school is easier on jocks. Butthere certainly will be something that he can love there. Tell him thatthis is the opportunity for him to explore all of those possibilities. Youcan't make his body grow, but you can certainly aid him in growing hisspirit.Momma

Momma, I will try to encourage him to do theater again in high school. He did
it for a couple of years in elementary -- he even had the male lead for one
production -- but the stage fright was what, I think, made him decide not to
pursue it further.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Sheila

"Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in message
news:cerrt1$jf7$0@pita.alt.net... I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested, that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought. i

Better still, if he is interested in that route, would be something for
which a small physique can be an asset, not a liability, like martial arts.

"Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in message
news:cerrt1$jf7$0@pita.alt.net... I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested, that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought. i

Better still, if he is interested in that route, would be something for
which a small physique can be an asset, not a liability, like martial arts.

"shinypenny" <shinypenny0001@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c8cb5319.0408050435.3cd42f78@posting.google.c om... So Jennifer & Sheila, please encourage your boys to date us petite gals!

DrLith, whose DS9 (still in "girls are evil" stage) will probably top out
around 5'6", making a note...

"shinypenny" <shinypenny0001@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c8cb5319.0408050435.3cd42f78@posting.google.c om... So Jennifer & Sheila, please encourage your boys to date us petite gals!

DrLith, whose DS9 (still in "girls are evil" stage) will probably top out
around 5'6", making a note...

whansami@aol.com (WhansaMi) wrote in message news:<20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com>... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6 or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, and more than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. For instance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be a little dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the "l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker. He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? Sheila

How tall is he? Is it really a problem for him or are you just worried
it might be?

I'm neither big nor tall (about 5'8"). It's a liability in some
situations and advantageous in others. I don't see it as a big problem
for me at all. Even in High School when there were a ton of things I
would have changed about myself if I could have, my physique was not
one of them. I'm athletic and overall I preferred being small and
quick over being big and strong.

Maybe what helped is that I've got 3 brothers and they're all big. We
used to play a lot of football when we were young so I got used to
getting knocked around by the bigger kids. I learned the value of
hitting low and I could run circles around most of them. Perhaps
that's why I never felt inferior because of my physical stature, or
lack of it ;-).

If I remember right, I believe you prefer big men and certainly you
aren't alone, but there are plenty of women that seem to appreciate a
"swimmer's build", so from that standpoint I wasn't terribly concerned
either.

JWB has a good idea. If your son's height is playing playing into some
insecurities, martial arts may be a good way to overcome that.

I do think it can be hard for a 14 year old to take advice from his
mom regarding stuff like this. Good luck!

whansami@aol.com (WhansaMi) wrote in message news:<20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com>... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6 or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, and more than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. For instance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be a little dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the "l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker. He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? Sheila

How tall is he? Is it really a problem for him or are you just worried
it might be?

I'm neither big nor tall (about 5'8"). It's a liability in some
situations and advantageous in others. I don't see it as a big problem
for me at all. Even in High School when there were a ton of things I
would have changed about myself if I could have, my physique was not
one of them. I'm athletic and overall I preferred being small and
quick over being big and strong.

Maybe what helped is that I've got 3 brothers and they're all big. We
used to play a lot of football when we were young so I got used to
getting knocked around by the bigger kids. I learned the value of
hitting low and I could run circles around most of them. Perhaps
that's why I never felt inferior because of my physical stature, or
lack of it ;-).

If I remember right, I believe you prefer big men and certainly you
aren't alone, but there are plenty of women that seem to appreciate a
"swimmer's build", so from that standpoint I wasn't terribly concerned
either.

JWB has a good idea. If your son's height is playing playing into some
insecurities, martial arts may be a good way to overcome that.

I do think it can be hard for a 14 year old to take advice from his
mom regarding stuff like this. Good luck!

"bogart" <bogart@here.there.com> wrote in message
news:411232f9$0$88457$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net... I have two children at opposite extremes. My daughter (13) is very small and obviously destined to be a small adult. My son (16) is 6 foot 4 already and growing. They are both genetically mine. My ex'es family are all tall, my own family are all small. Genatic dice play strange tricks.

Was talking to a woman last night who had two sisters. The girls' heights in
her family were 5'2", 5'6", and 5'10". So, yeah, you can take the same genes
and mix up up and get quite a variation.

My kids' dad is quite short (5'4") and I'm on the short side of average for
women (5'5"). Not enough to ensure that they will be short adults, but at 6
and 9 they are certainly not outstripping expectations.

It probably concerns me more, though, that they seem to have gotten their
dad's big teeth and my tiny jaw :-)

"bogart" <bogart@here.there.com> wrote in message
news:411232f9$0$88457$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net... I have two children at opposite extremes. My daughter (13) is very small and obviously destined to be a small adult. My son (16) is 6 foot 4 already and growing. They are both genetically mine. My ex'es family are all tall, my own family are all small. Genatic dice play strange tricks.

Was talking to a woman last night who had two sisters. The girls' heights in
her family were 5'2", 5'6", and 5'10". So, yeah, you can take the same genes
and mix up up and get quite a variation.

My kids' dad is quite short (5'4") and I'm on the short side of average for
women (5'5"). Not enough to ensure that they will be short adults, but at 6
and 9 they are certainly not outstripping expectations.

It probably concerns me more, though, that they seem to have gotten their
dad's big teeth and my tiny jaw :-)

whansami@aol.com (WhansaMi) wrote in message news:<20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com>... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6 or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, and more than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. For instance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be a little dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the "l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker. He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? Sheila

Hi Sheila,
We're on the other end the spectrum. Our daughte was born 95th
percentile in height and weight. Height has been a steady 100% and
her weight is about 85th. I'd kill to have her body. At any rate,
she has always been the tallest in her class (and we put her ahead a
year) and she is still taller than many a year older.

Knowing that she'd probably be tall, my biggest mission with her was
to be proud of her height. I swear to you, when she was a newborn, I
cut out an article on tall girls and put it in her baby book. From
day one I have spoken about how awesome height is. I have foucused on
inner beauty, being smart, being strong and being a good person.

While one day her height might really bother her, she understands (I
think) that there are things that we can change and things that we
can't. We have to work with what we have by focusing on the things
that we really like about ourselves.

I know that you know this Sheila, but from time to time I have to be
reminded of the simplest things. I'll often call a friend with a
"kid" issue and in three seconds, I'll be reminded of something that I
once tried that worked.

I was going to recommend martial arts also but apparently JWB did and
it's not for your son. I do think that it's important that he does
_something_ physical so that he feels empowered with strength of some
sort. Our daughter finally has found basketball as her passion. I
could scream with joy that she has chosen and indoor sport (yep, a
selfish mom :-) She has been playing for a couple of years now, she
was just a ball girl at the WNBA game last week in our state and
attends many of their games. She collects autographs and has this
goal to be one of them. Sorry, I digress.

So that's my take. Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change
for men. Although with all this surgery nonsense can change faces,
breasts, stomachs, etc. our focus with our children has to be on their
beauty. I was not given that as a child and to this day still hear
some of the old tapes.

Also, remember, age 14 is not exactly the age where kids are looking
their best :-) I remember that my son's body was not in proportion
with his head and ears. But they outgrow the gawkiness and turn into
strapping young men :-)

whansami@aol.com (WhansaMi) wrote in message news:<20040804192941.11031.00002772@mb-m02.aol.com>... Okay, here's the deal. DS is 14 years old. He's always been small (5th percentile for height throughout most of his life, although, I remember one point where he was on the 20th percentile line on the graph). He's a good kid, bright, polite, good sense of humor, but not at all athletic. At middle school he was thought very highly of by his teachers, and had a group of about 6 or 7 boys that he hung out with, had lunch with, etc. They, like him, tended toward the computer-geek-type (gamers), although, according to his teachers, he was liked by most of the other kids. I saw this myself as we would walk to and from the school... other kids made it a point to say hi to him. He is a bit shy, but really does get his energy by being with others. I tease him that he is a contradiction --- a shy extrovert! So, next year he goes to high school. He is very anxious about it, and more than one comment makes me think that his height is part of it. For instance, I said something today about our littlest dog thinking, "It's hard to be a little dog" and DS says, "Tell me about it. You don't have to tell me about the "l" word!" He's made jokes that someone might actually put him in a locker. He is, of course, also anxious that he might not have any classes with his friends. Can I help? Being small can be a bonus for girls, but I'm sure it is a liability for boys. As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)). Any suggestions anyone can make about how to help him? Sheila

Hi Sheila,
We're on the other end the spectrum. Our daughte was born 95th
percentile in height and weight. Height has been a steady 100% and
her weight is about 85th. I'd kill to have her body. At any rate,
she has always been the tallest in her class (and we put her ahead a
year) and she is still taller than many a year older.

Knowing that she'd probably be tall, my biggest mission with her was
to be proud of her height. I swear to you, when she was a newborn, I
cut out an article on tall girls and put it in her baby book. From
day one I have spoken about how awesome height is. I have foucused on
inner beauty, being smart, being strong and being a good person.

While one day her height might really bother her, she understands (I
think) that there are things that we can change and things that we
can't. We have to work with what we have by focusing on the things
that we really like about ourselves.

I know that you know this Sheila, but from time to time I have to be
reminded of the simplest things. I'll often call a friend with a
"kid" issue and in three seconds, I'll be reminded of something that I
once tried that worked.

I was going to recommend martial arts also but apparently JWB did and
it's not for your son. I do think that it's important that he does
_something_ physical so that he feels empowered with strength of some
sort. Our daughter finally has found basketball as her passion. I
could scream with joy that she has chosen and indoor sport (yep, a
selfish mom :-) She has been playing for a couple of years now, she
was just a ball girl at the WNBA game last week in our state and
attends many of their games. She collects autographs and has this
goal to be one of them. Sorry, I digress.

So that's my take. Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change
for men. Although with all this surgery nonsense can change faces,
breasts, stomachs, etc. our focus with our children has to be on their
beauty. I was not given that as a child and to this day still hear
some of the old tapes.

Also, remember, age 14 is not exactly the age where kids are looking
their best :-) I remember that my son's body was not in proportion
with his head and ears. But they outgrow the gawkiness and turn into
strapping young men :-)

>bogart" <bogart@here.there.com> wrote in messagenews:411232f9$0$88457$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net... I have two children at opposite extremes. My daughter (13) is very small and obviously destined to be a small adult. My son (16) is 6 foot 4 already and growing. They are both genetically mine. My ex'es family are all tall, my own family are all small. Genatic dice play strange tricks.Was talking to a woman last night who had two sisters. The girls' heights inher family were 5'2", 5'6", and 5'10". So, yeah, you can take the same genesand mix up up and get quite a variation.My kids' dad is quite short (5'4") and I'm on the short side of average forwomen (5'5"). Not enough to ensure that they will be short adults, but at 6and 9 they are certainly not outstripping expectations.It probably concerns me more, though, that they seem to have gotten theirdad's big teeth and my tiny jaw :-)

::: looking into crystal ball::: I see... orthodontia in your future... ;-)

DD is very small... right around 4'9' at nearly 14. She is adopted, and her
birthmother is about 5'3", her birthfather was 5'2" (or thereabouts) *and* she
was diagnosed with failure to thrive, which doctors predict will take up to 3
inches off her adult height. We figure she'll probably top out at about 4'11
or 5'. She'd like to be taller (her best friend is about 5'7") but, I think as
she gets older she will see the advantages of being a short woman.

Fortuntately, both of my kids are slender (although DD has been filling out a
bit this year --- Jennifer, I think you'll be surprised when you see her next!)
so weight isn't an issue. In fact, since you can see every single rib in DS's
back when he's sleeping, I'd like for him to gain a bit!

My DH is 6'6", and one of my friends once said something about "the giant and
his Lilliputian family." ;-)))

Sheila

>bogart" <bogart@here.there.com> wrote in messagenews:411232f9$0$88457$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net... I have two children at opposite extremes. My daughter (13) is very small and obviously destined to be a small adult. My son (16) is 6 foot 4 already and growing. They are both genetically mine. My ex'es family are all tall, my own family are all small. Genatic dice play strange tricks.Was talking to a woman last night who had two sisters. The girls' heights inher family were 5'2", 5'6", and 5'10". So, yeah, you can take the same genesand mix up up and get quite a variation.My kids' dad is quite short (5'4") and I'm on the short side of average forwomen (5'5"). Not enough to ensure that they will be short adults, but at 6and 9 they are certainly not outstripping expectations.It probably concerns me more, though, that they seem to have gotten theirdad's big teeth and my tiny jaw :-)

::: looking into crystal ball::: I see... orthodontia in your future... ;-)

DD is very small... right around 4'9' at nearly 14. She is adopted, and her
birthmother is about 5'3", her birthfather was 5'2" (or thereabouts) *and* she
was diagnosed with failure to thrive, which doctors predict will take up to 3
inches off her adult height. We figure she'll probably top out at about 4'11
or 5'. She'd like to be taller (her best friend is about 5'7") but, I think as
she gets older she will see the advantages of being a short woman.

Fortuntately, both of my kids are slender (although DD has been filling out a
bit this year --- Jennifer, I think you'll be surprised when you see her next!)
so weight isn't an issue. In fact, since you can see every single rib in DS's
back when he's sleeping, I'd like for him to gain a bit!

My DH is 6'6", and one of my friends once said something about "the giant and
his Lilliputian family." ;-)))

Sheila

Caren: >Also, remember, age 14 is not exactly the age where kids are lookingtheir best :-) I remember that my son's body was not in proportionwith his head and ears. But they outgrow the gawkiness and turn intostrapping young men :-)

:-) We haven't yet gotten to gawkiness with him. He still gets offered "kid's
menus" when we go to restaurants. But, I see your point.

It sounds like you've done a great job with your daughter!

Sheila

Caren: >Also, remember, age 14 is not exactly the age where kids are lookingtheir best :-) I remember that my son's body was not in proportionwith his head and ears. But they outgrow the gawkiness and turn intostrapping young men :-)

:-) We haven't yet gotten to gawkiness with him. He still gets offered "kid's
menus" when we go to restaurants. But, I see your point.

It sounds like you've done a great job with your daughter!

Sheila

Then you will appreciate men like me, because I am married to a 5'1"
woman. I am 5'11". My wife, amusingly, is "big boned", and I am "small
boned". So, my wrist circumference is the same as hers, even though I
am 10" taller and male!

I am wondering if my son will be more like me in height, or more like
my wife.

i

Then you will appreciate men like me, because I am married to a 5'1"
woman. I am 5'11". My wife, amusingly, is "big boned", and I am "small
boned". So, my wrist circumference is the same as hers, even though I
am 10" taller and male!

I am wondering if my son will be more like me in height, or more like
my wife.

i

Reading this thread I feel very sad when I see someone who
has been dealt physical cards that make them
physically ugly.

I am also minded that while no two people are the
same, smell, feel, behaviour are different, that
when the lights are out there's probably not
much difference between one person and another
(within reason).

I wonder what's physically attractive to blind people.

bogey
::: looking into crystal ball::: I see... orthodontia in your future... ;-) DD is very small... right around 4'9' at nearly 14. She is adopted, and her birthmother is about 5'3", her birthfather was 5'2" (or thereabouts) *and* she was diagnosed with failure to thrive, which doctors predict will take up to 3 inches off her adult height. We figure she'll probably top out at about 4'11 or 5'. She'd like to be taller (her best friend is about 5'7") but, I think as she gets older she will see the advantages of being a short woman. Fortuntately, both of my kids are slender (although DD has been filling out a bit this year --- Jennifer, I think you'll be surprised when you see her next!) so weight isn't an issue. In fact, since you can see every single rib in DS's back when he's sleeping, I'd like for him to gain a bit! My DH is 6'6", and one of my friends once said something about "the giant and his Lilliputian family." ;-))) Sheila

Reading this thread I feel very sad when I see someone who
has been dealt physical cards that make them
physically ugly.

I am also minded that while no two people are the
same, smell, feel, behaviour are different, that
when the lights are out there's probably not
much difference between one person and another
(within reason).

I wonder what's physically attractive to blind people.

bogey
::: looking into crystal ball::: I see... orthodontia in your future... ;-) DD is very small... right around 4'9' at nearly 14. She is adopted, and her birthmother is about 5'3", her birthfather was 5'2" (or thereabouts) *and* she was diagnosed with failure to thrive, which doctors predict will take up to 3 inches off her adult height. We figure she'll probably top out at about 4'11 or 5'. She'd like to be taller (her best friend is about 5'7") but, I think as she gets older she will see the advantages of being a short woman. Fortuntately, both of my kids are slender (although DD has been filling out a bit this year --- Jennifer, I think you'll be surprised when you see her next!) so weight isn't an issue. In fact, since you can see every single rib in DS's back when he's sleeping, I'd like for him to gain a bit! My DH is 6'6", and one of my friends once said something about "the giant and his Lilliputian family." ;-))) Sheila

x-no-archive: yes

WhansaMi wrote:
:-) We haven't yet gotten to gawkiness with him. He still gets offered"kid's menus" when we go to restaurants. But, I see your point.

My kid, at 9 1/2, is tall for her age. She looks about one to two years older
than she actually is. We have to request a kid's menu anymore, and while they
do give it to us, they look at us very strangely!

beeswing

x-no-archive: yes

WhansaMi wrote:
:-) We haven't yet gotten to gawkiness with him. He still gets offered"kid's menus" when we go to restaurants. But, I see your point.

My kid, at 9 1/2, is tall for her age. She looks about one to two years older
than she actually is. We have to request a kid's menu anymore, and while they
do give it to us, they look at us very strangely!

beeswing

In article <oOudnesEQ-bz0o_cRVn-iQ@telcove.net>, glunk wrote: "Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in message news:cerrt1$jf7$0@pita.alt.net... I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested, that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought. i Better still, if he is interested in that route, would be something for which a small physique can be an asset, not a liability, like martial arts.

Could work too, although if he is not "physical", he probably won't
enjoy it.

i

In article <oOudnesEQ-bz0o_cRVn-iQ@telcove.net>, glunk wrote: "Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in message news:cerrt1$jf7$0@pita.alt.net... I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested, that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a thought. i Better still, if he is interested in that route, would be something for which a small physique can be an asset, not a liability, like martial arts.

Could work too, although if he is not "physical", he probably won't
enjoy it.

i

> So that's my take. Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change for men. Although with all this surgery nonsense can change faces,

So all those men try to increase penis size so they can get
served first in the bar are all wasting their money ?

bogey

> So that's my take. Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change for men. Although with all this surgery nonsense can change faces,

So all those men try to increase penis size so they can get
served first in the bar are all wasting their money ?

bogey

"WhansaMi <whansami@aol.com>" asked about her son, who is not very tall.

Semi-relevantly, I was the second-shortest person in school for *years*,
and don't think I wasn't grateful that Margie Thompson was there to be
the shortest. Then I grew something like 13 inches in 3 years, and now
I'm taller than average.


Under the heading of "maximise what you have", your son should make a
point of not slumping or slouching, because it will only make him look
shorter. If he expresses an interest, you might get him a book on
posture so at least he doesn't look smaller than he is.


Second, under the heading of "do what works", if he likes fencing,
encourage that. You might consider other kinds of weapon sports. Maybe
he'd like to train with a quarterstaff. If he likes to read, he might
look at George Silver's _Paradoxes of Defence_ (1599), which discusses
various kinds of swords and how they match up. It's on the web at:

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/paradoxes.html

Encourage him in the physical activities he likes. If he decides he'd
like to learn the quarterstaff, but that's hard to arrange, you could
see about a martial arts school and learning the bo (the east Asian
equivalent of a quarterstaff), or even the jo, a sword-length stick. I
know a karate instructor whose sensei had the rule that "I will teach
you to use a weapon when you can take it away from me.", on the theory
that one should be able to defend against a weapon before taking it
into a fight, where it might be taken away from you.


Under the heading of "defense in depth", if he's worried about being in
a locker because of his size, he may want to have more ways of staying
out of a locker than just being too big to fit. I offer here a quote
from Lois McMaster Bujold's book _The Vor Game_:

[...] Miles had seen it complete in Metzov's eyes sixty seconds
earlier. It reminded him of that definition of his father's.
*A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind.*
The mind was the first and final battle-ground, the stuff in
between was just noise.

If someone wants to stuff your son in a locker, and your son has a way
to change his mind, that's all the weapons he needs.

There's Dale Carnegie's famous _How to Win Friends and Influence
People_, and now that I'm thinking of it the Bujold books might be a
good choice. The lead character in many of them is Miles Vorkosigan,
who's short and sometimes underestimated, but highly capable. A good
first book here would be _Young Miles_, which includes two books and an
excellent short story, all arranged in chronological order.


Darren Provine ! kilroy@elvis.rowan.edu ! http://www.rowan.edu/~kilroy
"Power is an amazing thing." -- Robert Fulghum

"WhansaMi <whansami@aol.com>" asked about her son, who is not very tall.

Semi-relevantly, I was the second-shortest person in school for *years*,
and don't think I wasn't grateful that Margie Thompson was there to be
the shortest. Then I grew something like 13 inches in 3 years, and now
I'm taller than average.


Under the heading of "maximise what you have", your son should make a
point of not slumping or slouching, because it will only make him look
shorter. If he expresses an interest, you might get him a book on
posture so at least he doesn't look smaller than he is.


Second, under the heading of "do what works", if he likes fencing,
encourage that. You might consider other kinds of weapon sports. Maybe
he'd like to train with a quarterstaff. If he likes to read, he might
look at George Silver's _Paradoxes of Defence_ (1599), which discusses
various kinds of swords and how they match up. It's on the web at:

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/paradoxes.html

Encourage him in the physical activities he likes. If he decides he'd
like to learn the quarterstaff, but that's hard to arrange, you could
see about a martial arts school and learning the bo (the east Asian
equivalent of a quarterstaff), or even the jo, a sword-length stick. I
know a karate instructor whose sensei had the rule that "I will teach
you to use a weapon when you can take it away from me.", on the theory
that one should be able to defend against a weapon before taking it
into a fight, where it might be taken away from you.


Under the heading of "defense in depth", if he's worried about being in
a locker because of his size, he may want to have more ways of staying
out of a locker than just being too big to fit. I offer here a quote
from Lois McMaster Bujold's book _The Vor Game_:

[...] Miles had seen it complete in Metzov's eyes sixty seconds
earlier. It reminded him of that definition of his father's.
*A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind.*
The mind was the first and final battle-ground, the stuff in
between was just noise.

If someone wants to stuff your son in a locker, and your son has a way
to change his mind, that's all the weapons he needs.

There's Dale Carnegie's famous _How to Win Friends and Influence
People_, and now that I'm thinking of it the Bujold books might be a
good choice. The lead character in many of them is Miles Vorkosigan,
who's short and sometimes underestimated, but highly capable. A good
first book here would be _Young Miles_, which includes two books and an
excellent short story, all arranged in chronological order.


Darren Provine ! kilroy@elvis.rowan.edu ! http://www.rowan.edu/~kilroy
"Power is an amazing thing." -- Robert Fulghum

On 5 Aug 2004 08:35:59 -0700, Caren
<caren50@msn.com> wrote:

<Snip>
Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change for men.

That's not what 4 or 5 spams a day tell me! :)

-Tony

--
"If the grass appears to be greener on the other side of the fence, it's time
to fertilize your lawn!"
Want to jump start your marriage? Consider a Marriage Encounter weekend.
Check out http://www.wwme.org for more information.

On 5 Aug 2004 08:35:59 -0700, Caren
<caren50@msn.com> wrote:

<Snip>
Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change for men.

That's not what 4 or 5 spams a day tell me! :)

-Tony

--
"If the grass appears to be greener on the other side of the fence, it's time
to fertilize your lawn!"
Want to jump start your marriage? Consider a Marriage Encounter weekend.
Check out http://www.wwme.org for more information.

WhansaMi <whansami@aol.com> wrote:
As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)).

This is what I'd tell him. Our younger D is also quite short and we
comfort her that DH and I were both late growers and she probably will
be too.

WhansaMi <whansami@aol.com> wrote:
As his dad tells it, he was the shortest, skinniest kid in school until he was sixteen, when he "shot up" (all the way to 5'9"! ;-)).

This is what I'd tell him. Our younger D is also quite short and we
comfort her that DH and I were both late growers and she probably will
be too.

Maybe you could ask HIM what he would like to do. I was skinny in High
School, and I had problems with depth perception so I couldn't play sports
with a moving ball very well. I ended up on the cross country team, the
wrestling team, the track team and during the summer I was on the swim team.

Short boys seem to be better able to beef up from weight lifting. He may
like martial arts (I do now.)

Good luck!

RJ

"Joy" <joydoesntlikespam@nospam.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:10h35kr72rbiq71@corp.supernews.com... "Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in message news:ces1rv$uj7$1@pita.alt.net... In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi
wrote:>I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some>aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young>person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,>that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a
thought.>>i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it
to please his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a
plus side of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) Sheila Well, that's great if he likes it! Is wrestling an option? He'd be competing in his own weight class, so
his size might be less a disadvantage. Maybe he'd enjoy it.

Maybe you could ask HIM what he would like to do. I was skinny in High
School, and I had problems with depth perception so I couldn't play sports
with a moving ball very well. I ended up on the cross country team, the
wrestling team, the track team and during the summer I was on the swim team.

Short boys seem to be better able to beef up from weight lifting. He may
like martial arts (I do now.)

Good luck!

RJ

"Joy" <joydoesntlikespam@nospam.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:10h35kr72rbiq71@corp.supernews.com... "Ignoramus11472" <ignoramus11472@NOSPAM.11472.invalid> wrote in message news:ces1rv$uj7$1@pita.alt.net... In article <20040804193915.11031.00002776@mb-m02.aol.com>, WhansaMi
wrote:>I think that it would be beneficial if he enjoyed at least some>aspects of his physique. So, maybe get him to become a strong young>person, by lifting weights for example. If he can become interested,>that would be excellent, and also good for his health. Just a
thought.>>i His dad drags him to the gym periodically. He hates it, but does it
to please his dad. Now, what he does like to do is fencing. He's even discovered a
plus side of his height -- you are harder to hit! ;-) Sheila Well, that's great if he likes it! Is wrestling an option? He'd be competing in his own weight class, so
his size might be less a disadvantage. Maybe he'd enjoy it.

"Tony Miller" <tony@cigardiary.com> wrote in message
news:slrnch4p8o.ack.tony@home.cigardiary.com... On 5 Aug 2004 08:35:59 -0700, Caren <caren50@msn.com> wrote: <Snip> Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change for men. That's not what 4 or 5 spams a day tell me! :) -Tony

Crikey! At least you are a guy! They are telling me that too. Ack!!
Momma

"Tony Miller" <tony@cigardiary.com> wrote in message
news:slrnch4p8o.ack.tony@home.cigardiary.com... On 5 Aug 2004 08:35:59 -0700, Caren <caren50@msn.com> wrote: <Snip> Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change for men. That's not what 4 or 5 spams a day tell me! :) -Tony

Crikey! At least you are a guy! They are telling me that too. Ack!!
Momma

On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 18:28:16 GMT, Everyboysmomma
<noway@maine.rr.com> wrote: "Tony Miller" <tony@cigardiary.com> wrote in message news:slrnch4p8o.ack.tony@home.cigardiary.com... On 5 Aug 2004 08:35:59 -0700, Caren <caren50@msn.com> wrote: <Snip> Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change for men. That's not what 4 or 5 spams a day tell me! :) -Tony Crikey! At least you are a guy! They are telling me that too. Ack!! Momma

One of them sent me an e-mail saying: "how would you like nine
inches!?!?!?!" I wrote an e-mail back saying: "Why would I want to cut
off three inches?!?!?!" :)

-Tony

--
"If the grass appears to be greener on the other side of the fence, it's time
to fertilize your lawn!"
Want to jump start your marriage? Consider a Marriage Encounter weekend.
Check out http://www.wwme.org for more information.

On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 18:28:16 GMT, Everyboysmomma
<noway@maine.rr.com> wrote: "Tony Miller" <tony@cigardiary.com> wrote in message news:slrnch4p8o.ack.tony@home.cigardiary.com... On 5 Aug 2004 08:35:59 -0700, Caren <caren50@msn.com> wrote: <Snip> Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change for men. That's not what 4 or 5 spams a day tell me! :) -Tony Crikey! At least you are a guy! They are telling me that too. Ack!! Momma

One of them sent me an e-mail saying: "how would you like nine
inches!?!?!?!" I wrote an e-mail back saying: "Why would I want to cut
off three inches?!?!?!" :)

-Tony

--
"If the grass appears to be greener on the other side of the fence, it's time
to fertilize your lawn!"
Want to jump start your marriage? Consider a Marriage Encounter weekend.
Check out http://www.wwme.org for more information.

shinypenny0001@yahoo.com (shinypenny) wrote in message news:<c8cb5319.0408050435.3cd42f78@posting.google.com>... "Jennifer" <JenPam2003@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<MLqdnfqby9sGPYzcRVn-gQ@comcast.com>... The girls all think he's sooooooooooo cute, lol, No suggestions, since I have petite girls not boys, but I wanted to make a plea to all the mothers of short-fry boys: please, encourage your boys to date short-fry girls! I'm only 5'. I was 4'11" all through high school. I preferred and wanted to date guys who were 5' to 5'4" because it was much more comfortable to slow dance with them. But to my chagrin, it seemed like all the boys in this height range wanted nothing to do with a short gal. They looked right past me to the taller girls!
<snip>
jen

Wow. I can't understand this. I'm short and was always interested in
shorter girls. They're just soooo cu..., um, I mean attractive!

shinypenny0001@yahoo.com (shinypenny) wrote in message news:<c8cb5319.0408050435.3cd42f78@posting.google.com>... "Jennifer" <JenPam2003@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<MLqdnfqby9sGPYzcRVn-gQ@comcast.com>... The girls all think he's sooooooooooo cute, lol, No suggestions, since I have petite girls not boys, but I wanted to make a plea to all the mothers of short-fry boys: please, encourage your boys to date short-fry girls! I'm only 5'. I was 4'11" all through high school. I preferred and wanted to date guys who were 5' to 5'4" because it was much more comfortable to slow dance with them. But to my chagrin, it seemed like all the boys in this height range wanted nothing to do with a short gal. They looked right past me to the taller girls!
<snip>
jen

Wow. I can't understand this. I'm short and was always interested in
shorter girls. They're just soooo cu..., um, I mean attractive!

Tony Miller wrote:
On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 18:28:16 GMT, Everyboysmomma <noway@maine.rr.com> wrote:"Tony Miller" <tony@cigardiary.com> wrote in messagenews:slrnch4p8o.ack.tony@home.cigardiary.co m...On 5 Aug 2004 08:35:59 -0700, Caren<caren50@msn.com> wrote:<Snip>>Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change>for men.That's not what 4 or 5 spams a day tell me! :)-TonyCrikey! At least you are a guy! They are telling me that too. Ack!!Momma One of them sent me an e-mail saying: "how would you like nine inches!?!?!?!" I wrote an e-mail back saying: "Why would I want to cut off three inches?!?!?!" :) -Tony

Haven't you figured it yet Tony ? Its *width* that counts!!!!!
(and what other things you do of course).

bogey

Tony Miller wrote:
On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 18:28:16 GMT, Everyboysmomma <noway@maine.rr.com> wrote:"Tony Miller" <tony@cigardiary.com> wrote in messagenews:slrnch4p8o.ack.tony@home.cigardiary.co m...On 5 Aug 2004 08:35:59 -0700, Caren<caren50@msn.com> wrote:<Snip>>Unfortunately, height and penis size can't change>for men.That's not what 4 or 5 spams a day tell me! :)-TonyCrikey! At least you are a guy! They are telling me that too. Ack!!Momma One of them sent me an e-mail saying: "how would you like nine inches!?!?!?!" I wrote an e-mail back saying: "Why would