How thick are the soles on crocs? How to make a kid grow and inch in 8 weeks?!

[monkeybug]

I just wanted to add that even if your daughter measures 40" in her shoes before you leave, still be prepared that she may not be able to ride. My son was 39" (with shoes, measured at a Dr's office) last year. He passed the first measurement for Kali rapids (with ease), but not the second. After a 35 minute wait (the longest wait of the week) he was turned around at the second measurement. He was one sad kiddo!
This year he is 4 and 40", but we will be telling him that he probably won't be able to go on the "big" rides. I also won't take him on a ride that requires a height check with out a fastpass, no more waiting in anticipation just to be turned away.
We are setting our expectations low, and if he gets to go on any of the rides than that's just a bonus!
I totally get why Disney does things the way they do, but I wish they had level platforms for the kids to stand on, and a fixed measuring device at each ride. The CM at the end of the line at Kali rapids was not on even ground, and I'm pretty sure that's why he didn't make the measurement at the end.
Busch Gardens has platforms like these at the front of the park, someone measures the kids and then gives you a list of the rides they can ride, and a bracelet, they can still be measured again, but it's not someone holding a stick, it's a permanent fixture that measures exactly the same as the ones at the front of the park.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I haven't read all the replies, but in case its not been mentioned, have your daughter ride those 40" rides first thing. As the day wears on, our bodies compact and shrink a bit. Also do prepare her that she may get on something one time, only to be turned away another (as others have testified). That happened to my dd a few times in years past at Disneyland. One thing to do, is to take a picture of her on one of those rides if she does get on, then if she is turned away another time, show the cm the picture in your cell or camera and say "explain this".

I hope she grows! 8 weeks is actually a good bit of time for a kid, you never know when a growth spurt will just kick in.

I do agree that rules are in place for safety reasons, however, when a kid is this close its hard not to want to put them in thicker shoes to get them on, however I agree with another poster that the height on those is really about what it is from the waist or restraint up. My husband is three inches shorter than my stepdad but when they sit down, he's taller since he's long waisted. But they have to come up with some scale and for now its height only. Stinks for the kids and parents who are right on the or below the mark.

Good luck, its so hard when they are so close but so far away!

 

[kaytieeldr]

One thing to do, is to take a picture of her on one of those rides if she does get on, then if she is turned away another time, show the cm the picture in your cell or camera and say "explain this".

Please don't. Please don't challenge a Cast Member just trying to do their job. "Explain this" could have been a parent - NOT THE OP IN THIS THREAD - having done one of those shady moves that can't be posted in this thread but which temporarily increased their child's height, the first time around. The child could have been on the ride the VERY FIRST THING in the morning, before the spine had a chance to compress. The earlier CM doing the measuring could have been less attentive.

 

[kelma]

[QUOTE

Maybe it's because she is the oldest in her preschool class, but the smallest? Just remind her when all the other kids are huge (Amazon-ish) she'll still get to wear all the cute clothes and shoes and they'll struggle to find anything nice.

Maybe it's because a neighbors kid who will be 3 next month is the same height as her? So you neighbor's kid is a monster...

[/QUOTE]

Yikes!!! So, it's OK to make one child feel better about being small by trashing another child for being large My oldest dd has always been huge for her age (and was taller than me by her 10th birthday) and I wonder if you can hear how cruel your comments about a child sound? "Amazon-ish" and a "monster"

We have 4 children and while our dd is very tall for her age, our younger son is very small for his. Our children all understand that they're all perfect in their own bodies and we encourage them to be grateful for strong, healthy bodies that work regardless of the size. It is never appropriate, even in joking, to make fun of a child, especially for something they have no control over. Heck, it's also never appropriate to make fun of an adult for their size. And it's never OK to build a child's self esteem up by tearing down another's.

Now, that doesn't mean that our younger ds didn't get very upset when he got past the first measuring for Star Wars and waited in line only to be turned away at the front - so to the OP. For what it's worth, it did make the next year when he could ride that much more exciting

 

[Tara922c]

Thanks Tara. She has already gotten the "You can't play this game with us because you are too small" at school. She was really upset.

I am going to hope she grows a bit. It's funny, she is dying to get a pair of Pretty Talls and I plan on getting her some, but I have a feeling they would not be comfortable walking around Disney in so I am getting her crocs too.

You're Welcome. Some people just think that if your short, there must be something wrong! My mom is 5'5 and dad is 5'11, but I have great grandmas on both sides that were only 4'10, so that's why I think I am so short. All my female cousins are 5'5 to 5'10, most are 5'9. (I am an only child, so siblings to compare!) I learn to deal with it because I know there is nothing wrong with me, but the short jokes get old. I know I am short, and I don't need to be told on a daily basis!!! I think what I hated most in school was, no one referred to me as "Tara", it was, "you know Tara, the really short girl". I am more than just a short person!

 

[ginnymack]

If she is close, try buying a nice new pair of running shoes with a cushy sole. This is not the best walking in the park strategy since you want shoes that are "broken in" but the longer you wear shoes the more compacted the cushion gets! So maybe she can pull out her "new shoes" for the rides that she is close on. This will not get you a whole inch, but it may get you the few extra millimeters if you are close!

Sorry she has had such a rough time - it can be tough if you are not boringly normal in every way in school. (I had the opposite problem - I was the Jolly Green Giant for years! But my friends mostly caught up and now I like where I am) Maybe she should make friends with Tink!

 

[nicki.momof3]

At 4.5 years old your daughter will not even know about a ride unless you take her to it. When we went last year our 4 year old was also 39 inches (we also have a 6 and 7 year old sons). We as parents made the decision during our first WDW trip in 2006 that if we can not do it as a family we would not even discuss doing it or measureing up adn hoping for the best (that can only lead to disappointment).

We are going in 9 days and this will be everyones first ride on space mountain and so on. It gives us something new to look forward to each trip.

WDW will always be there. If you are concerned about he getting upset just eliminiate it from the famileies touring plans - simple.

You do not have to do everything everytime.

Personal opinion - children will grow when they grow and if they don't they don't. I would never put my child through 2 YEARS of extensive / painful tests at 4 years old. You really started all this obsessing about her height when she was 2 years old. My daughter is on the same height track - 39 inches at age 4 but I would never put her through all that at such a young age. No wonder your child is so sensitive about her height.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I really, really hope you are just joking about this. Saying these kinds of things to kids is what turns them into "mean girls" ~ and yeah girls are much meaner than boys around junior high.

All in good fun, friend. I have two very sensitive blind kids that I work with and one of the things we work on is being able to laugh at ourselves. It makes things A LOT easier on them when someone says something exceptionally biting and mean. I tell the kids that if we can laugh at ourselves outloud, it makes the people who make the comments look bad - plus it helps them brush off the mean. They are okay with who they are, who cares what other people think (but it still doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt sometimes, just helps as a coping mechanism)

DS is a giant for his age, and my daughter is on the tallside too, but with smaller feet. I have worn a size 10 shoes since I was 12 years old, now that I'm older, I wear an 11 and there are NO CUTE SHOES! I joke with my family all the time (which equate my shoe size to foregoing shoes altogether and wearing the boxes instead...) that DD will be able to wear all the shoes I was never able to. I shoes.

I accidentally - but gladly - met someone at Downtown Disney a few years ago I'd only known online until then. We were talking, and I noticed she was wearing fuschia Mickey Crocs when all I could find were the four basic colors (black/red, red/black, pink/pearl, pearl/pink). No, Crocs hadn't expanded their color choices at that time. This woman was lucky enough to fit into girls' Crocs! Life's not fair! Get me my lawyer!

EXACTLY my point! Sometimes little is good. When I went to Europe in high school, a friend of mine was able to buy some SUPER cute Doc Marten boots in the kid's section AND she saved about $30!

When you are FOUR and and around normal height FOUR year olds you can see the difference. My child is short...not BLIND! It makes me sad to read that you said that! Blind people have a sense of height too! My (blind) students compare their heights regularly, and they're in high school!



I am sorry about that comment. I meant no offense to blind people. The PP implied that I was the cause of her size distress as if she could not see that kids her age tower over her and some kids who are still in diapers are the same height.

It's okay! Just remember there are others who are affected by stuff too! One of my best friend's DDs is super petite. She's 16 months and still wearing 9-12 month clothes. She healthy and happy and there's nothing wrong with her, she's just on the little side of the chart. As long as OPs DD is healthy and happy, she can't possibly ask for anything more! If it is such a big deal about the rides and being so close, do you think you could try finding something special just for her in the parks? I'm sure there is something that only she can do!

 

[Andrea73]

Personal opinion - children will grow when they grow and if they don't they don't. I would never put my child through 2 YEARS of extensive / painful tests at 4 years old. You really started all this obsessing about her height when she was 2 years old. My daughter is on the same height track - 39 inches at age 4 but I would never put her through all that at such a young age. No wonder your child is so sensitive about her height.

None of this was initiated by me. She initially started with an endo at 11 months due to hypoglycemia after she went to the ER with a blood sugar of 39! Then she dropped from the 25th percentile in height to the 5th in the course of a year which was cause for alarm with them. She has never caught back up.

I have only allowed testing as recommended by her Physicians. You know, the people who go to medical school for years to learn about pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology. I am so glad that you would NEVER allow your child to get the medical care recommended by his or her Dr's. I presume they don't do painful things like vaccinations since you know more that the professionals!

Excuse me while I pick up my eyes off the floor. They just rolled out of my head!


Be careful with your "I'd never" because you never know what life is going to throw at you.

Oh and the whole family thing is BS. What if you were to have another child? Should your older kids wait until they are 13 to ride Splash Mountain waiting for yet another sibling to grow? This is just stupid!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

This is just stupid!

I don't think you have to name call other people's choices.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Yikes!!! So, it's OK to make one child feel better about being small by trashing another child for being large My oldest dd has always been huge for her age (and was taller than me by her 10th birthday) and I wonder if you can hear how cruel your comments about a child sound? "Amazon-ish" and a "monster"

It is never appropriate, even in joking, to make fun of a child, especially for something they have no control over. Heck, it's also never appropriate to make fun of an adult for their size. And it's never OK to build a child's self esteem up by tearing down another's.

You're talking to someone who has ALWAYS been the biggest (mostly in height, but a couple year's in weight) in her class (until I was in the 8th grade). I've heard everything under the sun and all the other comments and rudeness geared towards me (BOY: "She's too fat to wear that" in 7th grade - I was a size 3 in juniors) and I've learned to laugh at myself. Sure other people's comments sometimes sting, but I was meaning those things lightly so the OP could (hopefully) smile a little that there are people on the other side of the spectrum that face the same thing. There are bonuses to each side and frankly, I never told her to tell her DD to say/think any of that.

Kids grow and not grow on their own schedule. Heck, my dad was 5'8 until he was senior in high school. He's 6'3 now. I was 5'4 in 8th grade and 5'7 now. My brother... well he was always tall... mom can barely see over the steering wheel.

Take it for what it is worth, or not worth. I meant no malice towards the children of the world who are exactly like I was... (and still am to this day) maybe I should have prefaced that post with my personal backstory??

 

[123SA]

Personal opinion - children will grow when they grow and if they don't they don't. I would never put my child through 2 YEARS of extensive / painful tests at 4 years old. You really started all this obsessing about her height when she was 2 years old. My daughter is on the same height track - 39 inches at age 4 but I would never put her through all that at such a young age. No wonder your child is so sensitive about her height.

Interesting...my child went through the testing because the doctor ordered it. Turns out my child is short and I am thankful for that. However, lack of growth can be an indication of medical problems that need to be addressed. My DD for example has always been 5-10%, but she stayed on her own growth curve -- no testing; she is petite. My DS was tested because because at 5 months old he just quit growing, both height and weight. Dropped from 75% to 3% in 7 months. Clearly, this issue had to be addressed.

Without all of the information, I'm just not sure how you can be so sure that the OP's daughter's sensitivity is all her fault.

 

[ginnymack]

I see why you were concerned! My pedi always said it does not matter where they are on the growth curve as long as they stay on (or reasonably close to) whatever curve they are on!

I hope things have stablized for her! I am sure that was a big worry for you all. My friend just went through the same thing with her 5.5 year old. She kept wondering if the testing was the right thing, but did everything the Dr told her. In the end, she learned that her gut was right and her kiddo is just petite. I think knowing for sure everything was ok far outweighed the bad side of the testing!

You know what is best for your child - and don't let anyone tell you any different!

 

[Andrea73]

I don't think you have to name call other people's choices.

Well I don't think she should criticize the medical care required for my child as if I am willingly submitting her to uncomfortable medical tests because I "think" she is too short. Any testing and medical treatment she has received has been based on the judgement of her pediatrician and pediatric Endo.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Please don't. Please don't challenge a Cast Member just trying to do their job. "Explain this" could have been a parent - NOT THE OP IN THIS THREAD - having done one of those shady moves that can't be posted in this thread but which temporarily increased their child's height, the first time around. The child could have been on the ride the VERY FIRST THING in the morning, before the spine had a chance to compress. The earlier CM doing the measuring could have been less attentive.

Its not about challenging a cm doing their job but rather asking the cm to do just that THEIR JOB. If they (cm) refuse to the let the child ride, then the parent has the right to do THEIR JOB (parent their child as they see fit) and simply ask. Its not as if a child will compress two or three inches in a day. I am not advocating cheating the system, putting anyone at risk but rather just asking. I did that once. It was at DL. They remeasured my daughter and she was just fine. By showing them that she had been on the ride before they were able to see that maybe it was worth another quick look and measure. That's it. If the child got on that ride earlier by wearing platform shoes or a Dolly Parton boufant hairdo, then the parent will be called out for that and that is their problem. If the child is measured incorrectly or not standing up straight then that can be taken care of.

You didn't quote my whole post where I say its about safety.

A cast member has the right to do thier job, guests have the right to ask questions or ask for explanations. Nothing wrong with that.

Please do not make it sound like I am telling this OP to get in a cm's face or berate them for doing their job. I really don't appreicate it.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I will measure her in her shoes before we go and see where she is at. She will still get to ride plenty no matter what.

OOOOO... just thought of something. OP, do you have a stick or door trim or something you can measure her on regularly? That way you can show her how much she's grown since the last time??

I started a stick before DS's 1st trip to WDW and we check him on occasion. I was shocked at how much he's grown in the last year (just by the distance between measurements) and he's so proud of himself. Maybe your DD would get a kick out of something like that???

Make it a BIG deal, even if it's just an 1/8". Being that she's been through all those tests and everyone reminds her that she's petite (<--- good word to use...) you have something tangible to show her that she's making progress and she's not as little as she was before.

 

[joannalh]

Personal opinion - children will grow when they grow and if they don't they don't. I would never put my child through 2 YEARS of extensive / painful tests at 4 years old. You really started all this obsessing about her height when she was 2 years old. My daughter is on the same height track - 39 inches at age 4 but I would never put her through all that at such a young age. No wonder your child is so sensitive about her height.

You know, I'm new here, and still don't really know who most people are, but this is the second day in a row that I've noticed a nasty, uncalled for comment from you about someone else's parenting. You might want to get over yourself.

As for the original topic, I agree with those who said that at 4 1/2 I think kids are unlikely to know they've missed out on a ride if you don't let them know. I'd probably either skip even trying to go on that ride or at the very least be very casual about it as someone mentioned: "Let's see if you're tall enough for this ride? No, not yet? Okay, let's do XYZ instead."

 

[PEANUT1]

My 3 year old is 38.5 inches and she couldn't do the 40 inch rides. She didn't know the difference though. When hubby took our 6 year old on Soarin we went outside and played. I did try to take her on but they measured her and it was a no go.

Whatever you decide to do, don't make a big deal of it to her. Don't even mention the height restrictions or that you are making her wear shoes to make her appear taller. I don't think it is a good idea for her to think you are lying to the CM for her to be able to go on a ride. Good luck to you...I hope she grows.

 

[Suellen]

being able to laugh at ourselves.

So you teach laughing at yourself by calling another child a monster??

Glad you aren't my neighbor.

My DD 4.5 is 44.5 inches (measured her last night) and I would never tell her she was amazonish or a monster.

Just like I wouldn't try to make her feel better by pointing out other children's flaws.

I can just see it now... "Don't worry that you are tall honey ~ that little can't even READ yet! So you tall but she is stupid"

I cringe that it sounds like you are a Special Ed teacher.

 

[goofy4tink]

I really, really hope you are just joking about this. Saying these kinds of things to kids is what turns them into "mean girls" ~ and yeah girls are much meaner than boys around junior high.

I would have a serious problem with some calling my child an amazon, monster who can't wear cute clothes.

I don't get trying to make one child feel better by making fun of another.

So true. My dd has always been the tallest in her class. Her friends are all nice, petite little things..they get to wear the cute underwear, the cute clothes..the whole nine yards. But, that's life. Some are short, some are tall. They learn to live with it.

Why is it that every single time this discussion comes up, everyone completely ignores the real reason for the height restrictions?? Two of us have mentioned them, but you all choose to stick with the thicker shoes mentality. Is it really worth it to possibly injure your child on an attraction because that child may be upset about not riding it? If that restraint doesn't fit them correctly, they can slip around, get banged up...all sorts of scenarios. But, I guess that's better than explaining that rules are rules. Go ahead, skirt the restrictions. But, sure wouldn't be a good thing to then complain because some CM allowed your child onto an attraction, when that child was truly too short, and that child got banged up. Your child, your choice.