At the age of 12, most pre-teen children begin to pay attention to their appearance. While girls enter puberty earlier than boys and might be taller than boys’ classmates at this age, boys might be worried they are too short. In fact, the heights vary, but it is necessary to know the average height for a 12-year-old child if your son or daughter is at this age.
In this post below, we will mention everything related to height as well as some of the best methods you can use to help your children grow fully.
What are you looking for? Read on for information, tips, and advice!
12-year-old girls are typically in the middle year of their puberty, while most boys are at the beginning of puberty. When children have a growth spurt, their height might improve remarkably, about 3 inches (8 centimeters) per year.
For boys, the mean height in the 50th percentile is 4 feet 10 inches or 58.7 inches (148.3 centimeters). And if they continue to grow consistently, they might reach 5 feet 9 inches or 69.3 inches (176 centimeters) when they are 20.
At this age, girls tend to grow taller than boys by about 0.7 inches (nearly 2 centimeters). So, the mean height for girls is 4 feet 11 inches or 59 inches (150 centimeters).
Remember that this pattern is common for children in North America and Europe. And depending on where you look in the world, the average heights change slightly. But they do not change too much from country to country.
If you are making sure your child is growing normally, you do not need exact measurements. It is best to check with your doctor once a year to know whether there are any uncommon irregularities.
But if you are serious, it is fine to take measurements once every few months (like once every six weeks) when your children begin to go through puberty and grow fast. Record all the measurements on a chart and compare them with those averages to find out if your kids are growing normally or if they need medical attention.
There are many factors determining a kid’s growth, including genetics, parental height, diet, and more. The most important thing is you need to combine all to support height growth instead of focusing on only one method.
What should you do? Keep scrolling!
The growth of a 12-year-old child is related to puberty, followed by an increase in the number of cells making up the body. Nutrition plays an essential role in this process.
Protein and calcium-rich foods in milk products, fish, and lean meats are vital for accelerating the growth and development of bones and muscles. Zinc has been found to bring a huge effect on the growth of the child, so make sure to add zinc-rich foods like peanuts, eggs, peas, or squash seeds to their diet. Adding high-starchy foods like rice, pasta, or potatoes is necessary to provide a lot of energy.
Milk is indispensable in any 12-year-old child’s diet because it is rich in nutrients necessary for bone growth and overall development. Make sure they drink at least 2 glasses of milk daily as well as consume dairy products like yogurt and cheese.
Many boys and girls at this age prefer fast food, processed foods, and sweets to engaging in healthy foods. Although it is not easy to get rid of pizzas, burgers, or sodas from the menu, it is fine to let your kids consume them occasionally. They need to have three meals daily without skipping any meal. Besides, it is suggested to have two light meals or healthy snacks to prevent mid-day hunger.
Getting an adequate amount of drink plays a vital role in maintaining metabolism and promoting digestion to help reach full growth potential. Boys need to drink about 9 to 10 cups, while girls should drink 8 cups daily. But if they are physically active or the weather is hot, they need to drink more to keep their body hydrated.
A 12-year-old kid needs between 9 and 12 hours of sleep a night and a short nap of 30 minutes if he feels tired. And to ensure he gets enough sleep, make his sleeping environment as calm as possible by reducing loud noises and unnecessary light sources. Also, prevent him from using smart devices or consuming heavy snacks before bedtime.
During deep sleep, the growth hormone is naturally secreted in the pituitary gland. And this is one of the critical factors that might help increase height and support body development effectively.
At any age, staying active is necessary for pre-teen boys and girls to improve their height naturally. Sports like basketball, swimming, or volleyball are popular for boys and girls to play because they help stretch the body and strengthen the spine for a taller and healthy stature. Indulging in yoga is also beneficial in increasing height since it helps lower stress and relaxes the whole body to facilitate the production of growth hormones.
Hunching over or rolling your shoulders might place unnecessary stress on the spine, which might change the shape of the spine as well as bring negative effects on the body. So, avoid slouching when you walk and make sure you are sitting up straight to maintain good posture. That makes you appear taller as well as prevents any long-term health issues.
When you step out in the sun and play, your skin is exposed to the sun to synthesize vitamin D. This nutrient is vital for enhancing calcium absorption to keep your bones and teeth healthy. It is suggested to expose your skin as much as possible to the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to enhance vitamin D production. You should spend about 5 to 30 minutes within this range and always keep hydrated. And if you are going to spend more time, you need to use sunscreen.
If a 12-year-old kid is overweight, it might prevent his chance of reaching maximal height. It is because the heavier a person is, the more stress is put on his spine. And that compresses the intervertebral discs of the spine, thereby affecting height growth. Badly, if he continues gaining weight and develops obesity, he might have serious health issues.
As parents, you need to become role models and help your children maintain a healthy weight by keeping an eye on food intake and encouraging them to have an active lifestyle.
Similar to consuming unhealthy foods, taking steroids, smoking, secondhand smoking, or drinking alcohol or coffee might make your muscles and bones grow improperly. These also affect your sleep quality and prevent the production of growth hormone, which might bring a negative effect on your height.
There are a couple of cases where using supplements might be suitable to increase height in children. At 12, their plates are still growing, and adding necessary nutrients from these products might aid them in getting taller. But be wary of some supplements that claim to be able to make you grow taller miraculously. The best way is to consult your doctor’s advice before considering one of these height-increasing products.
Now you know what the average height for 12-year-old boys and girls is. But this is not a standard formula since some might not grow like the growth chart. You should know that many different factors might affect a child’s height. While genetics plays a critical role here, wellness is necessary as well, and in many nations, is the most determining factor for the height potential of a 12-year-old kid.
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