That’s my kid. The tall one that you’re non-whispering about on the sidelines.

Who is that kid? He’s so tall. He must be too old for this league. 

Let me assure you that he is not some interloper brought in from a different age group to crush your small children’s dreams of sports glory. He has not been red-shirted so that he can be the biggest, strongest seven-year-old in the league. He’s not vicious or dangerous and he’s not some genetic freak that we keep locked in the closet and unleash on game day to trample and destroy unsuspecting second graders.

He’s just tall.

I know he looks like he could eat your kid for breakfast. But he won’t. He happens to be one of the sweetest, kindest kids that I know.

We did not lie about his age or doctor up his birth certificate. We are not trying to pull one over on the entire sports community. We don’t harbor dreams of college scholarships or professional sports careers.

Before you point out to me how tall he is, let me remind you that this is not news to me. I make the meals and enforce the sleep and scoop the ice cream and provided half the genetic matter that makes his tallness possible.

I buy the pants that he outgrows so rapidly. I replace the shoes that only last a few months. I launder the socks that swath those sweaty, stinky, man-size feet.

It might be news to you that he is tall, but it is not news to me. So excuse me, if I don’t find his tallness quite as unbelievable as you do.

In fact, I would really like to know. What are you suggesting exactly? Because your insistence in pointing out his tallness makes me pretty uncomfortable. It seems the underlying message is he shouldn’t be here. He’s not like everyone else. There’s something not quite right about him being so damn tall.

Is that what you mean? Or do you like pointing out the obvious? That kid has brown hair. That kid is wearing pink. That kid is running.
 
Next time you see a tall kid, maybe you’ll think twice about opening your mouth and stating what is perfectly clear.

Because I can guarantee that he and his parents have figured it out.

He’s tall.

When Kaly doesn’t have her nose in a book, she wrangles and referees two elementary age boys and blogs at kalysullivan.com about her often humorous efforts to lead a mindful, connected life. She’s the co-founder of Harlow Park Media and recently authored a book about relocating with kids which will be available as soon as she can decide on a title. Her writing has appeared on elephant journal and Mamalode.
Author

Wannabe's are Guest Authors to BLUNTmoms. They might be one-hit wonders, or share a variety of posts with us. They "may" share their names with you, or they might write as "anonymous" but either way, they are sharing their stories and their opinions on our site, and for that we are grateful.

20 Comments

  1. Pingback: he’s so tall.

  2. OMG!! Yes. Same problem but with girls. I know people HAVE to ask if she is tall for her age, but sigh.

    • Big sigh over here too. Glad I’m not the only one who finds it tiring and annoying. I thought I was out on a limb with this one!

  3. Not only is my son tall for his age, he’s tall compared to French people (we live in Paris) so he REALLY stands out. I’ve had the same conversation a million times:
    Person: He’s tall.
    Me: Yep.
    Person: I detect an accent. Where are you from?
    Me: The US.
    Person: Oh, that’s why he’s so tall!
    Me: Maybe. But my husband is French and he’s 6’4″.
    Person: [mind blown, doesn’t know what to say]
    Me: Well that was fun.

    • I have to refrain myself from making smart ass comments like, “I really try to seek out meat and dairy infused with growth hormones. Look how well it’s working!”

  4. My son has a bit of a sucked in chest people always point out when he has no shirt on. It drives me crazy. Back off, step away from mama bear’s cub!

    • I am admittedly (hence the post) a little defensive on the subject but come on – If I made a comment about a child’s body like he was so skinny or so fat or so short or so pale or so dark then I would be strung up from the soccer goal. But for some reason, tall, is an acceptable thing to make a comment about. So yeah, mama bear in action.

  5. Thank you. I have two tall sons. Age 12, 5’10, age 9, 5′. I know they’re tall, they know they’re tall. Aside from the “imposter” issues you raise, I feel that for boys it can be such a status symbol. They did nothing to earn this. They eat a ton, I know, I shop for them. I’d rather they be noticed for who they are as people and their actions, not the fact that they can pick me up and carry me around the house.

    • That is a really good point – I think for boys, being tall, is something they are proud of so hearing it over and over again, it must start to become part of their identity. And then in a few years when everyone catches up…what then?

  6. I may need to prepare myself for this now. My 2 year old daughter is in the upper 99th for height. Her daddy has women in his family well over 6′. I guess people always have to point out the obvious!

  7. It’s like we can’t just be quiet and smile at each other. We have to be toddlers and say what we see. I *sincerely* hope your love can OWN that height with a shit-eating grin.

    • Maybe spending all that time with toddlers has turned us into them? Or maybe people are just annoying? Thanks for reading and commenting!

  8. Pingback: don’t talk about other people’s kids #10yearsaparent

  9. Boiling Man Reply

    As someone whose skeleton was one or two inches shy of its adult height by the time he was 11, I definitely empathize with the aforementioned fellow tall folk. I was nearly 6′ by the time I was 10; trick-or-treating pretty much went down the loo because the majority of parents manning the doors who didn’t know me thought I was a teenager cutting the line. I had to regularly show my birth certificate (which on more than one occasion still wasn’t proof enough) in junior high (6’5″ and built physically like I was a senior in high school) to use student fares, and kept a small number of tokens in case a given driver chose to ignore it. I was assumed on numerous occasions to be in my late teens when I was barely teenage (13-14) and more than a few times so-called ‘peers’ attempted to enlist me to buy them underage beer, since they thought I could pull it off.

    Mind, I get a fair number of requests at the local supermarket from fellow shoppers without quite my reach (6’11” was my maximum, and current, height) to obtain a high-up or far-back item on a given shelf, and it’s a pleasure to know that is one of my regular daily good deeds done. ^_^ So nothing to worry about, save low ceilings, and that’s not so bad if you don’t actually smack your nut into them. Ow.

    Cheers!

  10. Oh I sweriously thought the comments would stop soon!! I’m a little over the comments about how my two year old is towering over their four year old, or about how her speech seems a little behind… no she’s just turned two, she’a good thanks. How does my tall kid make you feel bad about your perfectly normal and healthy kid? Am I meant to feel bad for making your kid look small??

  11. I was just googling “should my child play with older kids” after a whole morning of sideline snipes, comments and complaints about my 5ft 2 nine year old! His coach has told me it’s their problem and not to worry. He’s right, screw them!!

  12. We have sort of the same issue, only in our case, my daughter is quite short for her age. People are so rude-they will comment on her size right in front of her, ask her how old she is and then challenge her answer as though she would lie about it when I’m standing right there, call her names, or talk right over her head at me-“I thought she was only (insert grade/age).” Oh,and my favorite-“How tall is your husband?” This accompanied by a worried look as though they think I’M lying. And these are adults, not other kids! What kind of grown up person teases a little kid about their height, whether they are tall or short? Or implies that there is something wrong about being an unusual height or size? I have begun being quite short (pardon the pun) to folks who do this. My response to one woman’s unkindness was that my daughter is short, not deaf, and I asked another if she would make such stupid and rude personal remarks if my daughter were black, or asian, or biracial. When she said of course not because people are born with the genes they have, I said, “Exactly” and waked away. I have taught my daugbter the whole sticks and stones thing, and if the person ribbing her about her height is another kid, I let her handle it, but I draw the line at adults who should have learned enough manners to mind their own business.

Write A Comment

Pin It