Summer is starting to wind down for many of us moms and with back-to-school time, you may be noticing that your children need some bigger shoes.

Summer is starting to wind down for many of us moms and with back-to-school time, you may be noticing that your children need some bigger shoes and larger clothes. This does happen a few times a year with kids of all ages since they grow so quickly but we as moms tend to notice it a lot more after a long summer vacation. For many, summer is for wearing sandals and summer clothes so when fall and school rolls back around in the early fall, shoes, and jackets seem to have shrunk.

You're not imagining it. Your kids probably did grow a bit over the summer. Climate doesn't necessarily have an effect on kids' growth, but warmer weather has a combination of elements that are conducive to growing. We grow gardens in the summer for a reason and our kids sprout up themselves.

When American kids are sent home from school on summer vacation, they're excited for a hot season of outdoor play, swimming, and staying up later just as the sun does. Historically, the US did their school break in the summer so the many kids that had to help on their family's farm or property could do so. Even though most of us don't have to care for our own land anymore and grow our own food, the tradition of summer vacation has stayed.

Not to mention, summer is the hot season in this region, so it also makes perfect sense to not have kids coming and going to school. When kids return in the fall, they'll all look a little different after a few months off. A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology that school-age kids grow more in the warmer months of spring and summer.

Here are some quick facts and reasons why summer is the season for kids to grow.

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Every parent knows that kids grow fast, and growth spurts are quite common. The whole first year of a baby's life is one big growth spurt and it kind of seems that way until kids get about kindergarten age and start to slow down on their growth. And by slow down, we mean, need new shoes once or twice a year, versus new shoes every season. Elementary-age kids are still growing at a quick rate but have developmental growth spurts that happen at different ages.

Most of these growth spurts are triggered by puberty. So, any preteens who have shot up over this past summer can likely attribute their growth to puberty. Kids tend to grow the most quickly when they're in middle school and early high school, Growth really slows down for girls and girls reach their adult height around the age of 16-year-olds. Boys keep growing and take longer to get there. Boys on average will reach their adult height by 18 years old. As for younger kids, their growth spurts happen in developmental phases.

Summer is a loved season by many, but it does run its course. After a long summer, kids and teens have grown and they're ready to show off their new strength in the classroom. Growth spurts happen at different times for everyone, and we all have different genetics, so remind your kids to be kind. Especially to the kids who seem to be a lot taller than their peers, and a lot shorter.

Source: Cleveland Clinic, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Kid's Health

Larissa Marulli is a mom to two young school-aged kids. She received a degree in journalism shortly before having her first child and is a news and features writer for Moms. The proud mom of two is from Colorado and loves the mountains. changing seasons, and hot coffee all year round. Larissa has seen it all and has struggled with the challenges of motherhood. She is getting better with age and prides herself in using the written word to entertain others as well as educate. Larissa loves books, napping, people in small doses, and her family.