I've noticed in many of my friend's and cousin's houses that they've done the same thing. Kept a running chart of their kids measurements. Compared how one child grows to another. However, being the nomads that we are, aside from the yearly well checks, we haven't kept track of how tall the kids have become, nor lived in any one place long enough to start our own wall.
Luckily, years ago my dad had enough foresight to realize this, and start charting our kids on this very same wall.
Every time we come to visit, the kids immediately run into the laundry room and ask to be measured. They know they need to stand perfectly still, with their head straight and feet together touching the base of the wall.
Sure this method may not be as scientific as a chart from the pediatricians office, where we can see their exact measurements and percentages compared to other kids their age. But I'd be willing to bet that this wall chart is better. Because it compares the kids to me AND to my brother's heights from the very same ages!
But the best part? Last year my parents spent many painstaking hours transferring this exact height chart onto a large roll of butcher paper so that when we move into our new house, we can transfer the kids heights onto their own wall.
Pretty amazing, eh?
So here are some interesting stats ...
I am 5 feet tall. My brother Scott is 5'10''. My brother Randy is 5'3''.
Riley at age 8 is the exact same height as my brother Scott when he was the same age. She is the same height as my brother Randy when he was 12, and the same height as me when I was 11.5.
Sheridan at age 6.5 is the exact same height as my brother Scott when he was the same age. Sher is the same height as my brother Randy when he was 9, and the same height as me when I was 8.5.
Grady at age 2 is the same height as both Sheridan and my brother Randy when they were 3.5.
I've always had one wish for my kids ... it's that they're taller than me. It looks like there's hope!
12 comments:
Oh honey, that is priceless. I love it. Your dad rocks.
Also, your girls are tall.
That is totally awesome! We have a wall in our house. Sure, we move, but the paint job was bad enough it would have to be painted over anyway when we leave. The kids love being measured. Grandpa added them on his wall here, with all their cousins, this R&R :)
My parents did this too, on a thin width of wall space in the kitchen. When they gutted the house 15 years ago, they saved that chunk of wall, which is now unceremoniously shoved in some corner of the basement. Still, it's such a cool thing. I love that they did it. And I love that yours is now transportable.
Well you always were one of the shrimpier ones in SK so how tall is Matt? ;0) Mine's almost the same exact height as me and she's 13. Will pass me shortly. Very cool post. <3
That is awesome! We started that very same thing in our house and there was MUCH discussion between my husband and I as to which wall to do it on.
It ended up in a closet that I have jam packed with stuff right now and we are behind on taking the measurements. I plan to have my girls help me clean out the closet next week while their brother is at Lego camp. It's mostly packed with their old bedding, stuffed animals and toys.
So cool! Your dad rocks to have recreated it for you. Sounds like all three kids are going to be a *tad* taller than you! YAY! I have the same hope for my kids - even though I have four inches on you. Matt is a full foot taller than I am - so there's definitely hope. We never did this at my house - at least not forever - maybe just when we were young. I like the idea of starting this tradition for our three kids though! Great read, Jill!
This is so cool!
We had one growing up ... and I started one here in India. When we recently swapped out bedrooms though, I think it got painted over. Husb reassures me that it was saved/recreated on another piece of wood, but I haven't seen it anywhere.
LOVE your dad for doing that ... and on the butcher paper!!
This is so amazing. Lovely.
That's really great!
Wow, your parents didn't just mark a few heights on the wall - that is one heck of a serious height chart! And way to go Grandma and Grandpa on copying it over, what a cool gift :),
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