Hey Brandon! I’m a girl and six feet tall, which makes me a lot taller than most kids my age. I’m really lonely up here and I don’t know what to do. My friends bully me because I’m so tall and often make jokes about me “reaching things” and “being a giraffe!” Plus, no boys want to hang out with me. Hope you can help!
Big Friendly Giant
Hey Big Friendly Giant,
Oh man, this is so hard. I’m sorry you’re feeling lonely. This is one of those things that a) you have ZERO control over and no way to change, and b) isn’t even a bad thing. But, it can still make you feel so different. And being different can feel like one of the WORST things at our age.
The guys around you are going to shoot up over the next few years, though if you’re six feet tall, you’ll probably still be taller than some of them, and you’ll probably always be taller than most women. So I think you definitely need to find a way to be comfortable in the body you’ve got, because you’ll be in it for a long, long time.
Try to think about things you like about being tall. You can ride all the carnival rides. It gives you an advantage in sports. Not just basketball, either—volleyball, rock climbing, track, and ballet are all great for tall people. And did you know that studies show tall people actually earn more money than shorter people? We associate height with strength and power, which means tall people are more likely to get promotions and respect in the workplace. That doesn’t help you a lot now, but it’s still pretty cool!
As for how guys feel about tall girls, the ones who insist on being taller than you do that because of their own insecurities. They’re intimidated by a taller girl. They’re totally in the wrong here, and their insecurities are THEIR problem. You deserve someone who cares about you because of the awesome person you are, and not because of your height. (And in the same way, you should not think you need a guy who’s taller than you are, because then you’re doing the same thing they are by making height a factor in deciding who to spend time with.)
If guys are being rude about your height, you can totally use their insecurity against them. A well-placed, “I’m sorry you’re intimidated by me” will go a long way. 😀
If your friends are giving you a hard time? I think you should tell them sincerely that you wish they’d stop. That there’s nothing wrong with being tall, but you feel insecure when they tease you. But if you don’t feel comfortable being honest about that, you could point out that being tall is working out pretty well for these ladies:
- Taylor Swift (5’11”)
- Kate Middleton (5’ 10”)
- Blake Lively (5’ 10”)
- Nicole Kidman (5’11”)
- Brooke Shields (6’)
- Tyra Banks (5’ 11”)
- Venus Williams (6’1”)
- Jordin Sparks (6’)
- Michelle Obama (5’ 11”)
- Aisha Tyler (6’)
- Kendall Jenner (5’10”)
- Karlie Kloss (6’2”)
- And lastly, Nikki Russell, the illustrator of Dork Diaries (5’11)
I hope that helps. You are awesome, every inch of you!
What’s something you feel insecure about, especially if you have ZERO control over it? How do you overcome that insecurity? Tell us in the comments!
