Last updated on September 11, 2020
Question:
Hi,
I am 14 years old. I am roughly 5’4.5″ and about 112 pounds. I was always one of the shortest guys in school but just in the last year I’ve grown 5 inches. Is this my big growth spurt or will it be later? This is my rate of growth:
- 11 years old – 4’6.5″
- 12 years old – 4’9″
- 13 years old – 4’11”
- 14 years old – 5’4.5″
Answer:
Yes, you’ve entered your growth spurt and are in stage 3 of development. Between 11 and 13 you were averaging about 2 inches a year. In the last year, you jumped to 5.5 inches in a year. It is possible that your rate of growth will continue to go up for a bit before dropping back down. And your poor parents are going to wonder how to keep you clothed this winter without breaking the family budget.
Question:
All right! Thank you. So does that mean I’m in my big growth spurt then? I know I shouldn’t worry but is it possible I could be 6 feet tall? My dad’s 5’11 but my mom is 5’3, I know Croatians and Germans are somewhat tall — being at an average of 5’11 for males — so I’m just wondering the possibility of that happening.
Answer:
One estimate is the called “The Gray Method” which uses your parent’s average height to guess your final height. That method gives a range from 5’4 to 6’2 for you as a possibility.
Another method tries to use your age as a guess into your development, your weight, and your current height to try narrowing down the range. That method gives an answer between 5’8 and 5’10, but it also assumes that you would have your growth spurt at the age of 13 instead of 14.
So is it theoretically possible to reach 6 feet? Yes. Is it a certainty? No. My guess is that you’ll probably be close to your dad’s height.
Response:
All right. Thank you.