side. Girls can start tall and stay tall or start small
and stay small, too.
How Will You Measure Up?
Only time will tell how tall you’ll be, but with a bit of
math you can try to predict your future. To do so, take
your dad’s height in inches and subtract five (that’s how
tall he might have been if he had been a girl). Then add
your mom’s height in inches and divide the total number
by two. This is your mid-parental height. Body height isn’t
an exact science, so there is a pretty good chance that
you will be around that height, give or take two inches—
but no guarantee.
(Note: The math is different for boys. If you were trying to predict your brother’s
height, for example, you would add five inches to your mom’s height and then
add that number to your dad’s height and divide by two.)
Sample equation:
If your mom is 5′3″
and your dad is 5′10″,
then you would do
the following math:
5′3″ = 63″; 5′10″ = 70″
70
– 5
65″
65
+63
128″
128
÷ 2
64″
64″ = 5′4″, your estimated
height, give or take 2″.
Taller Than the Boys
Have you ever wondered why many sixth-grade girls are
taller than the boys in their class? It’s because lots of the
girls have been in their growth spurts for a year or two,
and most of the boys have a few years to go. Boys tend
to start their growth spurts around age 11 or 12, and they
usually grow fastest when they are about 13 or even older.
Ouch!
When you are growing so tall so fast, it might feel as if it
hurts, which is where the term growing pains comes from. Especially if you play sports, a common spot for growing pains is on the upper shinbone just below the kneecap. To find this spot, sit in a chair and put three straight fingers below your kneecap. A growing pain is typically right where the third finger rests. This spot hurts because the tendon attaching the kneecap to the shinbone actually tugs on the bone, causing tenderness and sometimes even a visible bump. Doctors call this bump Osgood Schlatter.
You also might feel growing pains in your calves, or the
backs of your lower legs. Here the muscles may feel pulled
or cramped or may have a burning sensation. The pain can
be felt anywhere along the lower leg, and sometimes even
behind the knee.
For any growing pains, rubbing the area can help. So can
ice or heat (get an adult’s help when using heat). If you
still hurt, talk to your doctor about whether to use pain
medicine. After all, you don’t want to miss out on sports
and activities you enjoy just because you’re growing!
If your pain involves more
than just aches and cramps,
such as joint swelling, a
rash, a fever, or weakness,
it’s time to see the doctor.
Snooze Time
Going to bed early may seem like no fun, but getting
your ZZZs boosts your health and helps you grow.
Sleep isn’t just something you do so that you’re not tired in the morning. It also
makes your whole body feel good.
Sleep for height. Did you know that you get taller when you head to bed? It’s
true! While you’re sleeping, your brain releases extra growth hormone, which tells your bones to lengthen. (For more information about hormones, Tap Here.) Your genes and the foods you eat play a big part, too. But if you want to give your body the best shot at growing well, sleep more!
Sleep for health. Sleep is important for keeping you healthy. It gives your body
a break, allowing it to recover from the day. When you’re sick and just want to
crawl into bed and rest, sleep also helps you heal.
Sleep for relaxation. Without enough sleep, your body feels stressed, and it
releases stress hormones. These hormones aren’t good to have around all the
time, and they can even slow down your growth. So get some sleep and give
your body a break.
Sleep for happiness. If you’ve ever gone to bed too late and then had to
get up early, you know how cranky you can be. Without enough sleep, it’s
easy to feel moody, overreact, or lose your cool over little things. Head to
bed, and get happy!
How Many ZZZs Do I Need?
It may seem like a lot, but most growing bodies want at least 10 hours of sleep
each night. That doesn’t mean this will happen each and every night, but the
closer you can get to this amount, the better.
But let’s face it, after-school activities, sports, family dinners, and homework
take up a lot of time. If you are waking up for school between 6:00 and 7:00 A.M.,
in order to get 10 hours of sleep you will need to go to bed between 8:00 and
9:00 P.M. This can be tough! It’s always best to get a good night’s sleep every
night, so when you can, get to bed early. But if your sleep routine falls short,
then you do need to make up the missed hours—usually on the weekends. This
is called “catch-up sleep”: You can sleep in late, go to bed super early, or even
take naps. Though catch-up sleep isn’t as good as getting a consistent good
night’s sleep every night, it will help you feel more energized during the week.
If you’re having problems drifting off to dreamland, don’t be too hard on your-
self. Some girls have trouble falling asleep at night, and then when they realize
how