How to Accept Being Tall As a Teen Girl

Steps

1. Be fortunate. Be fortunate that you are tall. There are many people shorter than you who would love to be taller. Some people are really short because they have dwarfism and are sometimes as short as two or three feet. Remember, tall is beautiful. Look at models who are all 5'7 or over. 
2. Think about the advantages. You can reach high stuff many people can't reach. Your natural height can be helpful in many sports, such as basketball. Also, you probably look older than most of your friends, which in the teenage years is a big advantage, especially when it comes to dating.
3. Think about the disadvantages. What don't you like about being tall. Yeah, you bang your head on stuff once in a while. Your classmates might make fun of you because they are jealous. But, in reality, being tall isn't really as bad as you think it is. Besides, once your friends hit puberty, the height difference will diminish.
4. Accept being yourself. If you haven't already, accept that you are who you are. You can simply say, "I am who I am." When you say those five words, think about the qualities of yourself that you are proud of. Maybe you don't like being tall, but maybe you are really smart or are a good listener. If you can't think of any good qualities of yourself, you need to improve your self esteem.
5. Accept that you are tall. Once you have accepted who you are, you have accepted that you are tall. How? Since you are you and you are tall, you accept both of them. To reinforce it, simply say to yourself, "I accept that I am tall," and mean it when you say it. Don't do this until you actually have accepted it though. It may take a while, but eventually you will.
6. Take advantage of being tall. You can wear things that other girls can't because they'll look stumpy or heavy. Shop stores that offer tall sizes and check online for stores that offer extra tall sizes. By having good fitting clothes you'll feel less self-conscious about your appearance and less awkward about ill-fitting pants and shirts. Be confident and don't be afraid of heels. Embrace your height and wear the same hot shoes as the other girls. You'll be a head-turner.

Tips

• Talk to other tall girls about how they deal with being tall.
• If your friends make fun of you for being tall, tell them to stop. If they don't, they are not real friends. Find new friends.
• Shop online for tall fitting sizes. Many mall stores have tall sizes that are only available online and not in the stores. Try the pants on in the store to check for waist fit but buy the super long version online.
• Some teachers will not understand what it's like to be tall and teased by peers. Since you're tall they may not give you the same sympathy as someone overweight and short being teased. Explain that it's just as hurtful and shouldn't be dismissed.
• Take modeling classes even if you don't want to model or be prissy. The classes will help you learn a graceful walk and get rid of the slouch. You'd be shocked how many "ugly ducklings" really became swans when someone who understands tall people can polish and coach them.
• Don't slouch! It's tempting because you speak to so many people shorter than you or you do it because you want to appear shorter. Don't! It just makes you look timid and afraid of your own skin and that makes you a target for teasing.
• Have a serious conversation with your parents about shopping for appropriately sized clothes. Go online and show them the pricing difference and ask them to be sympathetic. Explain that many department and discount stores don't offer the appropriate sizes and you may be required to spend more on jeans and pants(if your legs are longer) or more on shirts (if you have trouble finding sleeves long enough). Be prepared to compromise and tell them you will shop for the things that will fit locally and not ask for overpriced items in exchange for some staples in the correct lengths purchased online.
• Explain to your parents that by ordering the appropriate length you may be able to wash and dry regularly without the fear of ruining clothes. This will save money in the long term.
• Get used to the fact that some styles of jeans and will not be available for tall girls. The stores may only stock the larger collections in tall sizes. They also limit the colors in pants to blacks, browns and grays.
• You may not be able to wear the latest style in everything. Don't try to buy things and hope to hand wash them forever. It's not worth it in the long run. Buy what fits and avoid everything else.
• Some stores styles will change from year to year. Gap may have jeans long enough this year but next year you may have to switch to Aeropostale'.

Warnings

• Don't try anything that could be harmful to yourself to make yourself shorter. It's not worth it.

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Accept Being Tall As a Teen Girl. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Back to Tall Style Articles