Are you taller or shorter than your parents?

Question

Although neither of my parents were tall (mother 5'6", father 6'1"), I ended up so damn short due to Precious Puberty, and probably other things, like malnutrition, a lack of sleep growing up, not getting enough cardio during puberty, etc.

The unofficial formula for height growth is to take the middle of your parents height and add two inches if you're male and subtract two inches if you're female. Meaning a 6'2" father and a 5'6" mother with two kids growing up under healthy circumstances, should end up with a 6'0" son and 5'8" daughter, respectively. Ideally, you would want a tall mother and a tall father, with not that much range between the two, if you were to end up tall. Those who don't end up tall with a tall father, usually have their short mothers to blame.

Of course, parents only determine your potential height range, and those with taller parents have a larger potential height range they could end up in. Environment determines what your final height will be, and whether you will meet the expected height (average of your parents, +2" or -2" inches for gender), surpass it, or fall well below it. Nine to ten hours of sleep nightly, a diet healthy with plenty of vegetables and protein, and daily cardio, is what maximizes one's height potential. This is why student athletes end up so tall. Not because of the sports itself, but because of their lifestyle surrounding it, especially cardio-heavy sports like basketball and volleyball (much less so with football or wrestling, which relies more on muscle).

I'm an inch below what the height formula predicts, but six inches below what my height should've been (two tall grandfathers; both were 6'5" and I still ended up a shrimp).

Did you end up shorter or taller than your parents?

WhiteSteve · Accepted Answer

My dad and I are both 6’2. My mother was 5’7. I have two half-brothers, I don’t know if their mother was short or tall or what, but those guys are both like 6’4, 6’5.

Where do you draw the line for tall, man? Aren’t you like 5’11? That’s average at least, and I’d say bordering on “regular-tall”, which I usually think of as like 6’0-6’3. But I barely think of 5’11 guys as even being shorter than me. Face-to-face, it’s a pretty negligible difference, I’d only notice if we made a deliberate side-by-side measurement. Definitely don’t beat yourself up about 5’11, bro.

Sun_Kim-Ai · Accepted Answer

Shorter - I am 162cm tall, my father is roughly 170cm tall and my mother is around 175.

LovingLoverReturned · Accepted Answer

None of those... I am a girl significantly taller than mom... and well perhaps 1/4 of a cm taller than my dad or same height.. might be the hair... I don't know but my dad isn't any noticeable taller than me.

Lucy68 · Accepted Answer

Both my parents are taller than me. Mom by 2 inches, my dad by 2 inches as well. The only time I'm the same height is when I wear either platform or anything with a heel

God_of_Thunder · Answer

My mother is 5'7"

My father is 5'11"

I am 6'4"

In fact, I am the tallest person on either side of my family, as far back as we know the heights of people. If I didn't look like my father, I would assume I was adopted.

I also started smoking when I was 16, am an insomniac, and have a shitty diet, too, so for all I know, I could have stunted my growth a little.

Apulu_Imback · Answer

My parents are pretty short. My mom is of 5'3 and dad is of 5'5. I'm taller than my mom and like 1 millimeter shorter than my dad yet I look longer because of my long legs and skinny body. My height is 5'5.

TheUniqueOne96 · Answer

I'm 159cm and I'm taller than my mum, but shorter than my dad.

I think my Mum is shorter than 5ft, as she's a few inches shorter than me and my dad is a few inches taller than me, probably around 5'7, but I'm not 100%.

Sirenboobzilla · Answer

My mom is 5'9. I'm 5'11. My little brother is 6'1 and my dad is 6'7.

backdoorman · Answer

I'm 6' 3", my dad is 5' 11" and my mom is 5' 2". My maternal grandfather was about my height so I'm guessing I got mine from him.

DizzyDesii · Answer

My parents are 5’8. My maternal and paternal grandmas are like 5’2. My paternal grandpa is like 5’2 and my maternal grandpa is like 6’3. My sis is like 5’8+

Aerissa_Jade · Answer

I'm the same as my mother, we all here... guys like my dad, girls like my mom. None of us are taller or shorter. The next generation though, seems to be taller.

Kayla45 · Answer

I'm ever so slightly taller than my mom, papa is much taller than my mom and myself. I'm 170.18 centimeters, and papa is 187.96 centimeters respectively. 🙂

douride2 · Answer

With your formula I should only be about 5' 3". I am taller then both my father & mother.

Graci_e · Answer

My mums 5’6 and my dads 6’2. I’m 5’7 and my 14yr old brother is 6’2.

ShadezMcgee · Answer

About a hair taller than my old man. To be fair he has shrunk as he aged though. He was around 5' 9 to 5' 10 when he was my age

moonpie89 · Answer

Shorter than both. I'm 5'4. Mom is 5'8 .. Dad is 5'10

Marianna546 · Answer

I am taller than my mom and shorter than my father.

Pudsmucker · Answer

I am my father were the same height of 5 ft 10 in my brother was 6 ft 2 in. My one sister was 4 ft 11 in. One sister was 5 ft 4 In and my younger sister was 5 ft 7 in. My grandmother was 5 ft 2 in and my grandfather was 5 ft 11 in. My mother was 5 ft 4 in. It can also go back two generations on heights.

Sonorous · Answer

Biological father (who I've never met) is 5'9-10 & my mother is 5'7 while I'm 6'0 But I'm probably only taller than them because my mother's male family members are tall. Her uncles are like 6'2+

Berethor · Answer

I am taller than both of my parents, and above average in my country.

xJayleenx · Answer

Yeah im pretty short my dad is 5’10 and my mom is 5’6 I’m only 5’1 or 5’2

Apple1996 · Answer

I'm much shorter then my parents. My dad is like 6ft and mom is 5'4. I ended up being 4'10 but both my grandma's are under 5ft so prob got it from them.

Chris_8036 · Answer

I'm a bit shorter than my dad was. My son is just about my height now. That girl in the picture shouldn't be so thrilled, short women are hot to me.

jengeorge26 · Answer

I just met a guy, he sent me a private message saying he was 5’2” and asked me if I would still like him.
I told him “Size doesn’t matter” if the chemistry is good between a man and woman it just doesn’t matter, not for me

Are you taller or shorter than your parents?

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