Line up shortest to tallest!” the teacher calls out. “Can those who are taller stand at the back please for the photo,” suggests the photographer.
You can hear some of the children groan ‘oh boy not again!’ Yep they have to stand at one end or the other!
For most height isn’t something that can change. But for many youngsters it’s kind of important.
Whether they are too short for something or too tall for another. It may be that a girl feels clumsy when taller than a boy her age, or a girl who is shorter than her friends can feel somewhat the focus of attention for the wrong reason.
Perhaps some really tall boys may not like all that height and some shorter boys get tired of all the jokes while their mates are overtaking them with height!
In a recent article it was interesting to read that one of the most emotional issues, among many cultural beliefs about success and happiness, is the height of a child. Primarily, there are three aspects that revolve around height: the social construct, the emotional aspects and medical aspects.
David Sandberg, a paediatric psychologist at the University of Michigan’s C S Mott Children’s Hospital, says at one point in our evolution, height was an important feature of attractiveness because it was a sign of good nutrition and physical health.
Having spent 18 years looking at the psychosocial aspects of short stature, Sandberg’s research shows stereotypes about the disadvantages of being short do not hold up.
“There are very strong stereotypes associated with height, some based on outdated preferences explained by anthropology,” he says.
This is some what of a good news to me, as one of my girls seems to think that she ‘needs to be taller.’
It has been seen that children tend to become more concerned about their height around the age of 10 or 11.
“The real issue is not the height, but the level of comfort children feel about their stature in comparison to their friends and classmates,” says clinical psychologist at The LightHouse Arabia in Dubai Dr Daniela Salazar.
She says for children who are short, being compared to their taller peers can have an impact on their personality, which could also linger on into adulthood.
People consciously or subconsciously tend to associate physical qualities and abilities with social value and judgement.
“This type of attributional phenomenon is a powerful influence in the development of a child’s personality, especially in the development of self-perception, self-esteem, and most importantly, how they relate to others.”
Studies show that children as early as five years of age can have common stereotype/personality traits associated with other people’s body types and even behaviours.
Different everyday practices, says Dr Salazar, such as lining up children by height at school, only reinforces such stereotypes. It makes short children, or tall ones feel singled out.
“Even if we think about how we talk about girls and boys. Comments like ‘she is cute’ or ‘she is petite’ are positive remarks regarding girls, whereas these comments associated with boys are not taken in the same positive way,” says Dr Salazar.
Culture is a large factor when it comes to expectations for girls and boys that is true. And this needs to change.
Reem Antoon is a former GDN news editor, she can be reached on clanmun4@gmail.com