Youthful looks run in my family, thank goodness. When I was younger it wasn’t always appreciated, but now it’s great. It’s fun to get the “drop opened mouth” reaction some people give me when I mention that I have grandchildren. I’ve never been comfortable, however, with the assumption that I must have been a very young teenaged mother. I wasn’t.
I’m 20. Most people judge me to be 24-26. I think this has a lot to do with me being married, well educated, and too serious for my own good. I’m afraid of looking older though. I don’t want to age before my time.
I’m 27… The other day I was out shopping with my mom and my 2 kids. (My son is 4 and my daughter is 4 months) A lady came up to my mom and said, “What a cute baby you have!” My mom told her that both the kids were mine and the lady gave me this sort of disgusted look and said, “You’re… what… 17?”
Now how RUDE is that? Sheesh… should I wear my driver’s license on my shirt?!?
I’ll be 35 in June, but people think that I look younger. Most people seem to think I’m in my mid-to-late 20’s. I color my hair, or that wouldn’t be true, I’m sure. But I do have good skin and a fairly youthful attitude.
I get carded for buying alcohol and my husband’s cigars frequently, but all that proves is that they think I’m under 30 (I belive Florida law says they have to card anyone who looks like they are under 30.) A lot of times, how you’re dressed and your demeanor means everything about how old people think you are. The one time I didn’t get carded recently, I was ending a very long, hard day helping a friend move, I was dressed in old clothes, with no makeup and my hair needed brushing. I had a headache and was probably frowning. I probably looked 10 years OLDER that day… 
When I had been out of college for a couple of years and working, I had someone ask me what highschool I went to. That was amusing as heck. :rolleyes: But at the time, I still only had a few gray hairs, which didn’t really show, 'cause I highlighted. I was wearing jeans and a very young, cheerfully colorful outfit and IIRC, I had a ponytail and no makeup. No wonder they though I was a kid.
Tack, Soda, I take it as a compliment,
and actually I have it hard to belive myself,
don’t feel like it and also don’t act like it either.
Btw, haven’t said it before,
but good to see you back on the boards.
I’m 31. Most people guess early 20’s.
One day, very soon after we’d moved into our new house, my partner’s mother overheard our neighbours talking about us. Mrs Next Door desribed us to Mrs Next Door but One as “a nice quiet couple in their mid thirties, no kids”. We’re 25 and 27.
I suddenly understood why Mrs Next Door had said “Ah, you’re like the Swiss, they leave it late to have kids. Anyway, you’ve still got time” when we were chatting. I haven’t the heart to set her right about it.
I’m just under 25. Yes, I can say that, my birthday is this month. Apparently I look about fifteen or sixteen. If I do not mention to people that I am in college, I get asked what high school I go to. When I was 21 I got carded at the movie theater. (!) I shoved my license towards to teenager manning the window and said, “I can go next door and buy beer, but here you go anyway.”
I don’t mind the looking younger part. I’d like to at least look, oh, 18ish? I kind of like getting carded for alcohol (not that I drink often). And it was a hoot when I got carded in Vegas last year. I don’t dress like a teenager…I don’t get it.
My sister the college professor had the nearly the same problem as you when she was 27 and other professors would still think she was a student and try to kick her out of their lounge.
Must be nice.
Sometimes, when she does the cute-Swedish-chick-Pippi-Longstocking-braided-hair-thing, she looks like she’s twelve.
I go to RN school with students on the average 12 to 15 years younger than me. Not too long ago, I was approached by those who had done the math. 14 YO kid + 18 at least when I had her = 32 and I don’t look near THAT old. I was 24 when I had her and will be 39 this fall. Hair color + good skin = looking 26. And I suppose the 30 YO bf helps, too.
I am 22 but until recently got carded going to see ‘R’ Rated movies(only have to be 17 to see.) I have shown my valid ID going to bars/R rated flicks and STILL gotten dirty looks, as if my ID was a clever fake. My younger brother(aged 19) is always mistaken as my older brother. It has to do with our heights. I am the shortest male on my dad’s side of the family(5’11") and my brother is the tallest(6’5"). Why do people equate heighth with age?
My dad, who is 49, looks the same age as his new wife(stepmom#2), who is 37. Stepmom#1 looked older than her age because of a lot of grey in her hair. My mom looks older than my dad, even though she is a year younger, and even though she dyes the grey. My paternal grandfather just went grey recently at age 75.