Question:
Hello,
I am 17, I am currently 5’6.5.
I started puberty around 13 and a half at about 4’7. Two years later, I was about 5’1. Six months after that, I was around 5’3. Around a year later, I was 5’5. Seven months after this, I was 5’5. I’ve now managed to be 5’6.5 if I stand as tall as I can in the middle of the day. My dad is 5’8 and mum is about 5’4. I did a Tanner Test and says I’m at stage 4. The height prediction chart thinks I will be 5’9 (with me entering 5’6).
I feel like I’ve never had much of a growth spurt considering at Tanner 3 I probably grew 3-4 inches if that. I don’t see myself growing to 5’9 if growing is meant to be slowing down. What do you reckon I’ll be? My feet have always been huge for my size (size 8 UK), and I’ve always been the shortest person when I was a child and growing up.
Answer:
From your numbers, you had a growth spurt between ages 15 and 16 when you grew 4 inches. A growth spurt is considered any year you grow more than your childhood rate (which is generally 1 to 2 inches per year).
It is typical for boys to grow 1 to 3 inches during the two years they are in stage 4. I agree that you adding 2.5 inches during stage 4 would be optimistic. I would say an inch or more is highly likely so you’ll likely end up around your dad’s height.