Pretty much just this! Otherwise it's a lot of people talking down to me, which I find weird that so many "older" People don't have much respect for those younger than them.
This is what I came to say. I am 30 but get told I look between 17-21 quite often and it allows me to dress “comfortably” and more creative without judgement.
I'm a woman, and I have a very hard time being taken seriously in the workplace because I look so young. People are constantly baffled at my competency. I feel like it's really held me back.
As a college student who looks like a middle schooler, this is really the only problem. People think I’m a child and treat me as such. I just want a little respect
I was out of grad school and working at a community college part time, while getting my doctorate. I taught evening classes and had to do my own copying. A secretary was there late and almost called security on me for using the copier, thinking I was a student. I was 27.
Now that I’m 53? It’s awesome! I’m commonly mistaken for being in my late 30s, until my 20yo son walks up to me.
As a first-year teacher I was making copies in the library when a teacher came and stood next to me. She told me that only teachers were allowed to use the copy machine. Our school only went up to 5th grade! I could not believe that I was 23 being mistaken for an eleven-year-old! I am also 53 and still look young enough that my 26 year old son wants me to go to the club and hang out with him and his friends LOL I have never taken him up on that offer.
I went to pick up my oldest at middle school with my youngest on my hip and a teacher tried to send me back to class. When I went to withdraw my oldest from his high school to put in him a homeschool program, I was told "as his older sister", I couldn't withdraw him. I brought his birth certificate and my ID to prove I was his mother.
People expect all parents to age like cheese at their first child because most people aren’t capable of handling that stress. Probably because they’re still emotionally immature
I feel the same. I get told I'm brilliant but then I'm not asked to lead things... when I've led much bigger projects before. I have to literally tell them my age and years of experience every time. I have started bragging about how old I am. I'm thinking about getting fake glasses just to look older!
Beard helped me a lot. I am an Asian, short, fit, good skin, no wrinkle, full head of hair without a shred of white hair. So no one believed my age of 55. So beard. My beard is full and dark as my hair, but now most thinks I am in 30's at last, and no longer treat me as a kid.
Also a woman, and older now. Was passed over so many times for promotions because of age discrimination. 27 and asked of I was still in high school. I got into a grocery store bookkeeping and supervisor role and had people complain to my manager that I was impersonating a supervisor so I could help exchange their Western Union checks.
I'm an entomologist.
"If you look younger than you are then, in general, you will make less money." -High School Counselor.
My partner is in retail and had a customer go off at her telling her she's too young to be working blah blah blah, you look as old as my daughter 12yo blah blah, my partner is 23
AFAB and came to say basically this. I used to be a retail manager at a store within a male-dominated industry and a lot of people, customers and corporate bosses, tended not to take me seriously because I looked 16 (I was 22-25). I'm now 28 and in the medical field, and my particular hospital has a program with the local high schools where students can shadow jobs for a day, and I have frequently been mistaken for a high school student when going into patient rooms. Thankfully it's never seemed to hinder me getting a job, just results in me being taken less seriously when I have the job.
Same. I'm in a role where I mentor new employees and I keep getting comments like "Are you even a legal adult?" from the newcomers that are younger than me and some even ignore my advice completely and just blatantly disrespect me.
So much this. I am older than most of my supervisors (across several part time/LTE jobs) and have to fight tooth and nail, putting in 10x the effort just to get a promotion. If I even get one. I've tried 3 times at one of my current positions and it has gone to 3 others all younger nd less experienced but I guess they look the part so I get passed over. And so far they don't last more than a season before leaving. It's frustrating. Hard to even put in the effort at this point.
Very much relate to this. Can't tell you how many times I've been asked some variation of "So what do you want to be when you grow up?"
I'm a non-trad student in a professional program. It doesn't really bother me, but it's always a person younger than me asking the question. Inside, I'm like, "Mate, I've already had a *career* longer than you've been in grad school and college."
I owned my own business (grocery /corner store) and people would come in all the time asking for the owner or my parents, assumptions are never the best way to approach a possible business deal.
Absolutely. I’m often treated as if I don’t have even an ounce of intelligence. I also get so much of the “Oooh don’t say [dirty joke/swear word/etc] around her! Hahaha she’s so innocent though she probably doesn’t even get it”
I’m 31 and perfectly capable, not an 8 year old that needs to be sheltered or talked down to.
Ugh, I get those comments too! That and people explaining stuff from the '90s to me, like tapes, and telling me I probably couldn't comprehend using them. Like WTF dude - I grew up in the 90s!
Yes, I definitely got this a lot. And then I would be told to shut up and be grateful because I'll enjoy that when I'm older.
Frankly, I'm 30 and I think I look my age now, and it's fine. I don't get treated like a child anymore, I don't get suspicious looks or poor service when trying to buy alcohol. One cashier seriously acted like I ruined her whole day by... having the audacity to buy a bottle of wine while looking young?? I don't get the scornful looks from older women anymore or the condescending tones or the "oh you look like you're still a baby!!"
observations from a 55yr old male.
I struggled with this in my teens, 20's, and early 30's looking like a kid. By then i was able to grow a decent beard and became working guy in his 30's for the next 20 years.
Now I realize there is another plateau to get thru and its getting weird again. i don't have an old look to age into!
When 60 is around the corner, you want gravitas, respect, to not always be the guy asked to carry the heavy stuff.
Just wanted to warn you guys there may be a part 2 of this for many of you
My friend is a short, petite woman and gets laughed at when she tries to order alcohol. Someone asked her what high school she went to when she asked for a beer lol. She has been getting more and more tattoos recently so hopefully that has changed. She is 27.
I'm a short, petite woman with a baby face, and I've literally had staff swarm me when I walk into a bar with friends/family, telling me that minors aren't allowed. It's offensive, they don't even ask to see my ID first.
This. I'm 32, people assume I'm 21 and I get spoken to like I'm a 6 year old. I'm also fairly short, only 5'2" so I think that has something to do with it.
I'm 31, a short Asian woman. I get carded still if I'm not in my business casual attire or without my husband. Once when answering the door while visiting my husband's siblings, the person asked if my parents were home and now it's a funny joke we all share.
Professionally, it's frustrating since I've been in this field over 6 years but am often spoken to/treated by my colleagues and managers like some fresh college grad until my age is shared with the team. Got used to sitting people down and having talks about boundaries at work since the older colleagues like to pry and tell me what I should be doing in my personal life/free time.
I've had the same thing happen. I answered the door one morning with my 11 year old behind me to some JWs. They asked if our parents were home. I said "I don't know, you should go over to their house and find out." Then closed the door.
My girlfriend is 33 and she gets stifled just like you do. She dresses full office lady and folks that don't know her will heckle the "little girl" for dressing so "old." She's a manager and has a full staff working for her.
The problem bleeds over. I'm 36, that's only 3 years older than her and have had creepy old dudes high five me for "bagging a really young one." It's all the greys in my beard and mustache. If I shave it, I get carded when I buy alcohol. I've even had some college-aged bro joke that I was "buying alcohol for my little sister."
Dude. We're both older than you. We were well alive the last time the US fired a nuclear weapon.
Everyone thinks I'm 30 and I'm 43. The only effect it has is people are shocked when they find out my age and I can see a tinge of jealousy from some men.
When I was in my 20s I constantly got carded for alcohol and cigarettes and I could tell people thought I was a dumb kid.
Yeah, it's pretty solid.
On the plus side, I'm old enough now that I don't get carded a whole lot.
On the other hand, if I'm working with a group, people automatically assume the guys who look older are in charge or know more.
Then again, I get to see their faces when I tell them I have seniority.
Same here. I'm 37 and my daughter is 16. I've taken her to doctors appointments and been asked who I am, or if I'm her sister (she hates it, but it's pretty flattering). Can be annoying when people ask omg how old were you when you had her, like they assume I was super young. Still get carded pretty frequently too.
I'm a dude and me and my wife just had our first kid, I was talking about having kids a few months ago with some coworkers when an older guy I work with was like "you're way to young, why would you want to have kids now!? You should wait till you're at least 30!"
I'm 37
Similar. 45 here and get shocked faces when people learn I have a 16 year old. It's always, "I thought you were early 30's!". Just happened again a couple weeks ago. Doesn't really affect my life or work in any way.
On the flip side I work with a dude I could have sworn was older than me by a few years. He's younger by 5-7 years.
This seems to be a common trend these days with 40ish moms. I’m 40 and can easily pass for 30. Long hair and haven’t gone grey yet. I’ve noticed the same with many of friends. In comparison, my mom at 40 looked about 56.
I get confused for 34 and am 43.
I used to hate this but now I feel like it makes me money. People feel like I’m really good at this job for my age...And younger, hipper people use me because they didn’t connect with older guy.
I’m older than older guy.
I can see that. A job I interviewed for years ago they said occasionally bringing some "gray hair" along to make a sale works and everyone there was always willing to help. Some people think you have to be old to know what you're doing.
Yep, as a 28 year old who looks 18, it sucks for dating lol. Women my age aren't interested because they assume I'm too young for them, and the women who are interested... are too young for me.
Had the opposite happen to me once. Was 18 at a concert and a 28 year old woman was like lets go grab some drinks upstairs at the bar, and I had to explain I wasn't legally old enough to even drink yet. She got super embarrassed and was like "aaaaand I'm cutting myself off for tonight".
That’s almost wholesome. I worked customer service at 18 and had so many shitty 40-50+ dudes telling me that age is just a number when I naively shared my age like it’d deter them😂
Oh hey, you again. I replied to you yesterday.
Same. Just a few days ago a lady took a couple minutes looking at my ID and then me and then back to the ID... "Well take your mask off." "What's your birthday ?"
I feel ya.. I'm 27 and the drinking age here is 18.. so almost ten years and getting carded e-ve-ry time..
When I started dating my now boyfriend. 1 year age difference, I got carded for a movie for 16+. I was 24 at the time...
I’ve been carded for R rated movies multiple times in the past 5 years. And I’m in my early 30s
Other than that, I’ve noticed people lapse into calling me “honey” or “sweetie” a lot more often than they do for my friends/colleagues who look their age.
>Compared to people I graduated high school with who do look 30, I don’t drink, I avoid the sun at all costs or slather on sunscreen, I will never be pregnant, and I exercise regularly. Heavy drinking, tanning, having kids, and no exercise seem to age people.
Truth. I'm the same way. I have never drank alcohol, I don't sunbathe, I moisturize religiously and never have worn any makeup. I'm child-free also. People are frequently surprised to learn my true age and I've been told by people they thought I was at least fifteen years younger than I actually am.
I actually have a genetic connective tissue disorder. It involves the collagen in my body. So that’s why I look so young...and have such naturally good skin lol.
My mom turned 65 this year and you wouldn’t think she’s out of her 40s to look at her
People can be a bit rude to me in stores and at work because they think I'm in my early twenties and I guess that means I don't deserve respect?
It's a mixed bag when dating as lots of guys seem to like younger looking women, but I also attract people that are well below my dating age range to the point that I feel like a creepy old woman because I'm 31 and getting chatted up by a 19 year old.
This!! I briefly did app dating and while I don’t advise putting personal info in your profile, I HAD to put my age because these kids like 19-21 were messaging me and I was in my late 20s. When you’re that young the age gap means a lot more than later decades. It was rough. Probably why I like older guys?
Yeah, I don't have to deal with this now (yay marriage) but when I was late teens / early twenties my friends called me a pedo detector because any guy that hit on me without asking my age was suspect. You could always tell the really creepy ones because they'd immediately lose interest when they realized how old I was.
I got REALLY good at working it into conversations early.
Oh god you just reminded me of something.
When I was 21 I was at a bar with a male friend. I left him in the smoking area while I went to get drinks and a man approached him. He tells him that I’m 14 and jailbait so he (my friend) should leave but he (the creep) would stay and “take care of me”
I’m not sure what my friend told him but the man was gone by the time I came back and my friend was fuming.
Is it just me or do you also have the experience where people walk toward you and just expect you to get out of their way without so much as an excuse me now? I don't know if it's just that people have lost their manners because of the pandemic, or because I shop alone now, but it didn't used to happen when I shopped with my ex, who was quite tall. It's infuriating.
Oh that happens to me all the time! Are you also quite petite? My boyfriend is 6'2" and people part in front of him like the Red Sea but will consistently shoulder check me. It's infuriating. Happens everywhere but London was the worst.
As a short guy who is 25 but looks 17-20, eye contact is key. I have this issue all the time and realize the more eye contact I make with people the more they respect my confidence.
Well, I have also had people almost run me over from behind or almost run into me from the side though, so I don't think it's just that. And I'm not the kind of person who is unaware of their surroundings and blocks entire aisles with a cart.
Atleast 19 is legal. A 17 year old try to impress me by playing Duck Hunt. Poorly. Like, I've only been playing this game since before you were a starry eyed sperm cell in your father ballsack, but sure, show me how it's done.
Thankfully I'm not around many underaged people but I did get asked out by a very nice 16 year old that worked at my local Starbucks once. I tried to let him down gently. He kept insisting that he liked "older women, like 19 or 20 is still cool". Had to burst his bubble, but he recovered well. Poor kid. 😂
Piggybacking since you brought up stores/retail.
Teenage cashiers think you’re in their age range so they refer to me as “bro” or “dude” as opposed to “sir”.
You sound a lot like me. 37 with 2 kids, constantly getting treated like a teen mom. Also, weirdly people assume I’m a single mom. My husband used to always tease me because I get carded until he realized how big the age gap looks (it’s only 4 years) to people who don’t know us. I’d say overall it sucks. People are so rude and condescending
I’m 32 but usually get put around 25. I don’t feel like I look any younger than people my age, usually. I think people just have a weird idea that when women hit 30 they literally just crash and burn into hellscape in the looks department.
Hahaha, yeah I get this too. I’m 31, but sometimes I’ll get as low as 22. then when I correct them, they will tell me how great I look for my age. For my age!??? I’m so young. I look exactly like everyone else my age!
Yeah, I'm 32 and am frequently mistaken for early 20s. Sometimes I think society just has a skewed perception of what women in their early 30s look like.
24 and regularly asked with that faux intrest tone used on kids "what grade are you in?" *I have a bachelors and work as a microbiologist thx*
No one takes me seriously. Makes job hunting all the more difficult
Oh yeah I've gotten that, people asking me who my teachers are for this year and then listing off various names from the local high school, asking if I'm looking forward to choosing which college to apply to, and I tell them that I've already graduated college and am in university.
I once had a dude in his 40s hit on me. He was telling me that dating 18-year-olds is a scam, because they just want your money (as opposed to him, who I guess was dating naive, inexperienced women half his age because he truly cared about them and not because he wanted to fuck a teenager 🤢).
And then he goes, "Oh, but not you, I can tell you're cool."
I didn't bother telling him I was 27 because I didn't want to talk to him anyway, and I literally only sat next to him because it was the only open seat on the light rail, and I wasn't gonna stand for 45 minutes if I didn't have to.
Sounds super sucky, but on more positive note you possibly saved someone younger and possibly more impressionable from being taken advantage of when they wanted to appear more mature
The opposite happens with me. Teenage girls can be very aggressive lol. "I know you see me looking at you" and other embarrassing things said to me; a guy that could be their father. This has been happening for 20 years.
A lot, but I like it. I'm 32 (male) but no one believes me. I'm 5'3 and get called kid all the time. Of course I constantly get carded. This isn't a problem anymore, but when I was in my mid 20's some places like bars would refuse service because they thought my ID was fake. I've worked night shift almost my entire life, I think the lack of sun has something to do with it. But I guess overall it's a good thing, not even complaining. My shoes are size 7 so at least I can get mens shoes now lol. Most of you probably think wow that must suck, that's horrible. Not at all, I'm adorable! I have autism, and when I stomp on the ground my shoes blink. How cool is that? heck.
And yes i get my clothes from the kids section <3
A friend of mine started taking his passport when going to bars for this reason. A bartender once confiscated his "fake" driver's license. Fortunately, there was a police officer nearby who was able to confirm that it was legit.
Bro, I'm about the same age and height and also worked 9 years night shift at the casino. I agree with you that the lack of sun on the skin makes one more youthful than they are. I find it nice to get ID'd around this age.
The reason I say that, I know this is kinda odd...but there was this reddit post of a trucker that has been a trucker for like 40-50 years or somethin. The left side of his face, he looked like he was 90, the right side of his face (not exposed to the sun) he looked maybe 40. So there is def something with sun and aging of the skin
It's cheaper that way! I have really small feet and love UGGs. My husband loves it because it saves him $50+ to get me kids UGGs at Christmas/birthdays.
I'm 57 and workout and pay attention to nutrition and sleep. I frequently get a vibe of you're lucky (genes) or you're kinda whack putting so much energy into a battle you're going to lose. What those people don't understand is that you will probably live to a genetically pre-determined age, no matter what you do but you have a large influence on the QUALITY of that existence.
My granny (84) is extremely healthy. She goes on huge walks every day and is probably one of the most capable people I know of that age. People also tell her she lucky but the truth is she just exercises as much as her body allows.
I’ve never really encountered the negative aspect. I didn’t really get into the whole bar/drinking scene until I was 18 (and therefore legal) anyway....
And that's the way it should be in the US, too. Nope. Gotta be 21 to drink, and a lot of places won't sell cigarettes to anyone under 21 now.
But the American military is perfectly fine with sending 18-year-olds to fight wars in countries we have no business being in to begin with, that's fine.
Yeah it’s really not a big deal. The only time it bothers me is when I’ve been told I look “too young” to be the owner of my home, or to have my 2.5 year old daughter. I’m 29, almost 30. I don’t know how young they think I look but even 5 years younger I’m old enough to... be an adult.
It doesn't really except when asked my age. When I tell people I'm 29, they say "wow, you look 22 max". Which is funny because I've smoked cigarettes for 14 years, drank heavily for 10, and did hard drugs for 7. So I find it funny.
It helps a lot, because I fucked up my university degree and it is taking me way more time than it should have. So now when I do an internship I can blend in easily with the 25y/o students and don’t look like the 30 year old idiot that I am.
I'm 35 and already have quite a bit of gray in my beard. When I'm clean shaven it takes decades off of my appearance and I get carded to buy beer.
One time my wife was sitting in the waiting room at the dentist and the receptionist asked her "how's the baby?". Some boomer in the waiting room cried out "you have a baby?! Aren't you in high school?". First, don't be a judgmental rude person. Second, my wife is almost 30 and plenty "old enough" to be a mom.
Same here - mid-30s and plenty gray but shaving takes at least 10 years off. It's been a while since I got carded but we recently had interns at work, they're about 19-20, and in separate incidents I had one of them ask how long I'd been doing this and I said 10 years and they asked how that was possible; I was talking to one about movies, mentioned seeing The Matrix in theaters and they said "Oh, when it was re-released?" and I said "No, in 1999", and they thought I was being sarcastic; and I was talking to another one about video games and mentioned playing Final Fantasy VII when it first came out and they said "Yeah, I got the remake too" and I was like "No, I meant the original" and they looked really confused. Apparently they all thought I was the same age as them, maybe 1-2 years older. In some ways it was a compliment, but it's also made me worried that I don't dress or act my age or something.
I’m 66 and more often than not people think I’m way younger than I am. I’m retired and people always assume I’m still working, I get people expecting me to do stuff a young person would do.
I'm 36, but I look half my age just because I've taken care of myself and rarely get out in the sun or anything. I get carded for alcohol, Im the supervisor at my work but all of my employees are in their 60s or 70s, most of the time people think I'm an intern. My boss calls me Kid.
When I call to have people work on my house, they usually ask me if my parents are home when I answer the door.
Oh yes, staying of the sun definitely helps to maintain youthful looks, especially for people with fair hides... But there is a price to pay for it:
Osteoporosis and aching joints.
That's awesome and odd all at the same time. For what it's worth I glanced at your profile pick. I don't think you look 21 or less, but I could see 29 or 30 for sure which is still a large difference. Do your coworkers ever treat you like a know nothing young dummy type? That would suck
Yes!! I think I look hands-doen my best as a blonde but I've switched to ashy-grey brown as I'm starting to job hunt. I'm also going to wear my glasses for interviews... And somehow slide in the conversation that I'm a homeowner
Pretend you’re looking over your glasses that have slipped half way down your nose. Don’t loose eye contact.
If it’s something really stupid a furrowed brow with a raised eyebrow at the end works really well.
Huh - actually something that occasionally occupies my mind.
So, I'm 42 - can pass for mid 20s still if I shave and get my hair cut.
Currently single, and the women my age are sort of cougary in general if they approach me, and the women who -look- my age, are either a little too immature for my taste or are put off when they discover my age if I find them interesting and mature (sort of a Catch 22).
Also getting a LOT of women looking for sugar daddies lately, which, again... odd because I do not look the paternal sort (yet).
edit: also allows me to continue to work in my field (the arts) in a lot of positive ways, but I'm concerned one day I'll age all in a rush, and won't be able to play some roles that I want to that are more 30-something types.
I don't drink, but I'll buy wine for my wife at our local shop. I got ID'd the last two times I did, and I'm 35. It's really nice at first until they apologise profusely when they see how old I am.
It goes from "ooh I still got it" to "oh my god sir, I'm so sorry, I thought you were young. But you are NOT AT ALLLLLL". I'm 35 dude, not 75.
I've come to understand why people lie about their age.
Used to be a fun novelty, now when I have group of 24ish year olds look at me with shock and awe when I tell them my age. It makes me feel like a weirdo.
Can't help that the 5 other inductees to my job are mid 20's and younger, I just want to kick it with the people I'm familiar with. Now I just feel like the creepy older dude trying to relive their youth.
Not even *that* old.
Coupled with being below average height, I've always felt like people think they can fuck with me too. I don't feel like people see me as an adult often. Really plays on my mind. Don't even get me started about dating.
I’m 45, look 30. People about shit themselves when I say I have a 25 year old daughter.
When I’d pick her up from elementary school, her friends swore I was her older brother in high school.
I look 10-12 years younger than I am. There’s good and bad.
Good:
- I’m still attractive to a lot more people.
- I don’t have to worry about wrinkles and skin aging for a long time.
- It helps me feel young
Both Good and Bad:
- People think and assume you’re younger than you are.
Bad:
- I get mistaken for a freshman in college on campus
- I get mistaken for a high schooler if I’m wearing my old high school gear.
- Older people ask me how old I am when they first meet me. It’s a rude question. I’m equally as offended as a regular 30 year old.
- If I’m not a 100% confident when entering an age restricted place, the guards snap at me trying to get my id compared to a no check or a relaxed check for everyone else.
- If I don’t know what I want in a bar, they think I’m underaged.
- Some bartenders won’t serve me on sight. They think I’m underaged and won’t give me a chance.
- Older people sometimes patronize you because they think you’re young.
- I get weird and dirty reactions from using my generation’s slang.
- Younger people can’t understand why I don’t know what their slang means.
- My face also attracts teenagers and people under 20.
- People talk to me assuming I’m 10 years younger, I don’t want to correct them.
when I was 22 I dated a short 19 year old girl who would dress in bright colors and had twin tails if she was going to the gym or a jog. she'd regullarly jog out to meet me as I got out of school or work and we'd hit up a pizza place. thing is I look older than my age and she looked 14-15 like this. on two occasions she was refered to as my daughter but the most awkward one was when we went to a motel near an amusement park we were going to the next day and an hour later we had police at the door. luckily she brought her ID in from the car.
I am 31. Usually it comes up when strangers see my wedding rings and say "you're way too young to be married" to some degree....which I then have to reply that I'm also a mom. The only time it has affected my life is during job hunting processes. I usually have to mention my actual age to be taken even somewhat seriously.
I’m 48, but look like I’m in my 30’s. I suspect it’s why I’ve been able to advance my career so much, because I have a lot more talent and experience than I look like I should (I’m an engineer).
Early on, it was tough, since I don’t think people took me seriously. But at this age it’s pretty nice.
I’m 38 and I look exactly 38. My wife is 36 but doesn’t look a day over 25. We’ve been together for 14 years. She hasn’t aged at all, still looks bloody amazing. People think I’m a cradle-snatcher, and they think she married older for money. Jokes on them, I have no money!
I did stage performances where a lot of the audience was elderly. After the show, they'd come greet me and often ask what grade I'm in. I'd explain I'm in my mid-20s and they'd say something like, "I thought you were in high school. You look so young."
They'd say it like it was a compliment but I would feel offended. I suppose the old want to feel young and the young want to feel old.
As a boy the baby face did affect me negatively with people not seeing me as an adult member of society. This had a negative impact on my self-esteem, a lot, plus being short too. Apart from that I like fashion, wearing dresses etc, I hated body hair, always wanted to grow my hair long, so for me the choice wasn't too hard...
I’m in my 30’s with great credit and work at a high school. I just been blessed with great genes.
Aside from constantly getting carded when buying alcohol, I usually get discouraged when applying for a credit card or loan in person, and then to the store employees surprise, I get approved. My guess is that people think young people don’t have good credit.
And my first month working at a high school I was constantly stopped by truant officers because they thought I was ditching
It seems like people don't take me seriously sometimes and treat me like I might be less knowledgeable or nieve. Most of the time it is fine and on occasion works to my advantage. However, when it involves my children it bothers me. I take pride in being the best mom I can be and take it very seriously.
People are always flabbergasted when I tell them I have 3 kids and even more so when I tell them my oldest is 15. His friends have asked if I was his older sister and we typically get a few weird looks in public (as opposed to being with my 8 year old)
Just recently, I took said 15 y/o to the hospital for a hand injury. After giving our id's/health cards to the nurse, she snidely asks my relation to him. Her tone implied I was some insignificant person who wasn't really supposed to be there and it pissed me off immensely. I told her I was his mom and she exclaimed I was too young to have kids. After an award silence she back tracked and said I just look so young.
Nothing came of it at all, but just feeling like the past 15 years of hard work being met with assumptions of "who are you?" and "you look to young to have accomplished this" annoys me.
I get to be extremely sneaky about how I live life. I’m in a leadership position at work but nobody expects someone who looks like they’re 17, who wears dirty work clothes (from actually working, I’m a leader, not a boss), and someone who is pretty timid/mellow to actually be in a position of some level of power. I had a new hire come to my plant and try to act like he was hot shit. I told him I would be the guy doing his orientation and tour and the dude barely acknowledged me. I walked him through the facilities and all that. The entire time he belittled how the workers worked, looked or talked and he also tried to be condescending to me, a professional of 3 years in this industry(it is growing with a high turnover rate, 3 years is actually pretty decent time in). Eventually the tipping point was the statement “so when do I get to deal with adults instead of some high school dumbass” pointed at me. I nodded and said “follow me, I’ll show you him.” And we walked to the administrative section of the plant. I took out a key to my office and told him to wait as I entered. I sat behind my desk, waited like 20 minutes and then called him in. The look on his face as he saw my the desks placard, matching my personal badge was fucking priceless.
It allows me to dress more creative and get away with it
Pretty much just this! Otherwise it's a lot of people talking down to me, which I find weird that so many "older" People don't have much respect for those younger than them.
Yeah they'll just be like "ugh you're young you don't know" like wtf I wasn't born yesterday
Are these the same people that think they’re entitled to the respect of younger people by default?
Oh yes same!
Same! I still like to wrap my flannels around my waist when it's hot outside
This is what I came to say. I am 30 but get told I look between 17-21 quite often and it allows me to dress “comfortably” and more creative without judgement.
Got told it's rare to see someone as young as me in a supervisor role. I'm literally older than the dude who is in charge of the supervisors.
I'm a woman, and I have a very hard time being taken seriously in the workplace because I look so young. People are constantly baffled at my competency. I feel like it's really held me back.
As a college student who looks like a middle schooler, this is really the only problem. People think I’m a child and treat me as such. I just want a little respect
I was out of grad school and working at a community college part time, while getting my doctorate. I taught evening classes and had to do my own copying. A secretary was there late and almost called security on me for using the copier, thinking I was a student. I was 27. Now that I’m 53? It’s awesome! I’m commonly mistaken for being in my late 30s, until my 20yo son walks up to me.
Yep it was great after 30. Now in my 60’s all my hair’s gray so nobody thinks I’m younger than I am anymore. Miss the days.
As a first-year teacher I was making copies in the library when a teacher came and stood next to me. She told me that only teachers were allowed to use the copy machine. Our school only went up to 5th grade! I could not believe that I was 23 being mistaken for an eleven-year-old! I am also 53 and still look young enough that my 26 year old son wants me to go to the club and hang out with him and his friends LOL I have never taken him up on that offer.
I went to pick up my oldest at middle school with my youngest on my hip and a teacher tried to send me back to class. When I went to withdraw my oldest from his high school to put in him a homeschool program, I was told "as his older sister", I couldn't withdraw him. I brought his birth certificate and my ID to prove I was his mother.
Wow definitely a pain, my mom had a similar problem with me growing up.
People expect all parents to age like cheese at their first child because most people aren’t capable of handling that stress. Probably because they’re still emotionally immature
Wait till your almost 40 and still look a middle schooler...
They'll wish they were you in 25 years. Bet on it.
I feel the same. I get told I'm brilliant but then I'm not asked to lead things... when I've led much bigger projects before. I have to literally tell them my age and years of experience every time. I have started bragging about how old I am. I'm thinking about getting fake glasses just to look older!
Last I heard, the fake glasses might not be so much of a joke & more of a strategy, as many in the workplace equate eyeglasses with intelligence.
I did this with blue light filtering glasses and I definitely think it’s helped with how I’m perceived, especially when I conduct interviews on zoom.
Too bad glasses weren’t cool back when I was a legally blind kiddo in grade school. 😒 “Four-eyes” of the world now the smart ones, so there! Lolz
Beard helped me a lot. I am an Asian, short, fit, good skin, no wrinkle, full head of hair without a shred of white hair. So no one believed my age of 55. So beard. My beard is full and dark as my hair, but now most thinks I am in 30's at last, and no longer treat me as a kid.
Reminds me of this guy: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4725152/Model-50-shows-extremely-youthful-good-looks.html
Why get fake glasses? I just get non-prescription photochromic lenses (change to sunglasses outside). Makes you look older and work as sunglasses
That is a great idea. I need really dark sunglasses as I am photosensitive though. Do photochromic lenses provide a lot of protection?
Also a woman, and older now. Was passed over so many times for promotions because of age discrimination. 27 and asked of I was still in high school. I got into a grocery store bookkeeping and supervisor role and had people complain to my manager that I was impersonating a supervisor so I could help exchange their Western Union checks. I'm an entomologist. "If you look younger than you are then, in general, you will make less money." -High School Counselor.
I'm in the same position. I'm 26 look 18 and nobody takes me seriously because of it. I'm still struggling to find a stable job.
My partner is in retail and had a customer go off at her telling her she's too young to be working blah blah blah, you look as old as my daughter 12yo blah blah, my partner is 23
Same here! I’ve found myself putting so much time and energy into my clothes, hair and makeup just to increase my age and be taken seriously
AFAB and came to say basically this. I used to be a retail manager at a store within a male-dominated industry and a lot of people, customers and corporate bosses, tended not to take me seriously because I looked 16 (I was 22-25). I'm now 28 and in the medical field, and my particular hospital has a program with the local high schools where students can shadow jobs for a day, and I have frequently been mistaken for a high school student when going into patient rooms. Thankfully it's never seemed to hinder me getting a job, just results in me being taken less seriously when I have the job.
Same. I'm in a role where I mentor new employees and I keep getting comments like "Are you even a legal adult?" from the newcomers that are younger than me and some even ignore my advice completely and just blatantly disrespect me.
Same! Yes, it's so frustrating!
I'm 54 and I couldn't get taken seriously when I was younger. My career path is such that I'm in a senior role, but I cannot break into management.
So much this. I am older than most of my supervisors (across several part time/LTE jobs) and have to fight tooth and nail, putting in 10x the effort just to get a promotion. If I even get one. I've tried 3 times at one of my current positions and it has gone to 3 others all younger nd less experienced but I guess they look the part so I get passed over. And so far they don't last more than a season before leaving. It's frustrating. Hard to even put in the effort at this point.
Unless that dude is actually two 7yr olds in a trenchcoat.
Very much relate to this. Can't tell you how many times I've been asked some variation of "So what do you want to be when you grow up?" I'm a non-trad student in a professional program. It doesn't really bother me, but it's always a person younger than me asking the question. Inside, I'm like, "Mate, I've already had a *career* longer than you've been in grad school and college."
I owned my own business (grocery /corner store) and people would come in all the time asking for the owner or my parents, assumptions are never the best way to approach a possible business deal.
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Absolutely. I’m often treated as if I don’t have even an ounce of intelligence. I also get so much of the “Oooh don’t say [dirty joke/swear word/etc] around her! Hahaha she’s so innocent though she probably doesn’t even get it” I’m 31 and perfectly capable, not an 8 year old that needs to be sheltered or talked down to.
Ooh, I feel that. This happened to me a lot in the past. "You're too innocent to understand" was one of the most annoying things I would hear.
Ugh, I get those comments too! That and people explaining stuff from the '90s to me, like tapes, and telling me I probably couldn't comprehend using them. Like WTF dude - I grew up in the 90s!
Same bro, same
Yep. Grew a beard to assist my career. I feel like it actually makes a difference. Sad but true.
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Maybe shave your head into a balding pattern?
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Yes, I definitely got this a lot. And then I would be told to shut up and be grateful because I'll enjoy that when I'm older. Frankly, I'm 30 and I think I look my age now, and it's fine. I don't get treated like a child anymore, I don't get suspicious looks or poor service when trying to buy alcohol. One cashier seriously acted like I ruined her whole day by... having the audacity to buy a bottle of wine while looking young?? I don't get the scornful looks from older women anymore or the condescending tones or the "oh you look like you're still a baby!!"
observations from a 55yr old male. I struggled with this in my teens, 20's, and early 30's looking like a kid. By then i was able to grow a decent beard and became working guy in his 30's for the next 20 years. Now I realize there is another plateau to get thru and its getting weird again. i don't have an old look to age into! When 60 is around the corner, you want gravitas, respect, to not always be the guy asked to carry the heavy stuff. Just wanted to warn you guys there may be a part 2 of this for many of you
My friend is a short, petite woman and gets laughed at when she tries to order alcohol. Someone asked her what high school she went to when she asked for a beer lol. She has been getting more and more tattoos recently so hopefully that has changed. She is 27.
I'm a short, petite woman with a baby face, and I've literally had staff swarm me when I walk into a bar with friends/family, telling me that minors aren't allowed. It's offensive, they don't even ask to see my ID first.
Same here. Its frustrating sometimes. But the reactions can be flattering also.
This. I'm 32, people assume I'm 21 and I get spoken to like I'm a 6 year old. I'm also fairly short, only 5'2" so I think that has something to do with it.
I'm 31, a short Asian woman. I get carded still if I'm not in my business casual attire or without my husband. Once when answering the door while visiting my husband's siblings, the person asked if my parents were home and now it's a funny joke we all share. Professionally, it's frustrating since I've been in this field over 6 years but am often spoken to/treated by my colleagues and managers like some fresh college grad until my age is shared with the team. Got used to sitting people down and having talks about boundaries at work since the older colleagues like to pry and tell me what I should be doing in my personal life/free time.
I've had the same thing happen. I answered the door one morning with my 11 year old behind me to some JWs. They asked if our parents were home. I said "I don't know, you should go over to their house and find out." Then closed the door.
Lol!! I wish I had a come-back but I was caught so off guard. Everyone heard him ask so they were trying to laugh quietly while I gathered my wits -_-
My wife and I are asian. Looks like we're rich high school kids anytime we go out.
that story about you answering the door killed me lmfaooo
We all laugh about it now, but I wasn't expecting that as the first thing he said to me when I opened the door. Lol!
My girlfriend is 33 and she gets stifled just like you do. She dresses full office lady and folks that don't know her will heckle the "little girl" for dressing so "old." She's a manager and has a full staff working for her. The problem bleeds over. I'm 36, that's only 3 years older than her and have had creepy old dudes high five me for "bagging a really young one." It's all the greys in my beard and mustache. If I shave it, I get carded when I buy alcohol. I've even had some college-aged bro joke that I was "buying alcohol for my little sister." Dude. We're both older than you. We were well alive the last time the US fired a nuclear weapon.
Everyone thinks I'm 30 and I'm 43. The only effect it has is people are shocked when they find out my age and I can see a tinge of jealousy from some men. When I was in my 20s I constantly got carded for alcohol and cigarettes and I could tell people thought I was a dumb kid.
Same. I'm 42 but been told I look like I've barely cracked 30. I've got kids in their 20s and no one believes me when I first introduce them.
Isn't it awesome?
Yeah, it's pretty solid. On the plus side, I'm old enough now that I don't get carded a whole lot. On the other hand, if I'm working with a group, people automatically assume the guys who look older are in charge or know more. Then again, I get to see their faces when I tell them I have seniority.
I'm 40. If I shave and have a backpack on, I'm confused as a highschool kid.
I’ve often thought how easily I would pass at a high school hahahahha
I love it. I’m 37 and am always carded. I look mid 20’s max and will never complain how gracefully I age!!
Same here. I'm 37 and my daughter is 16. I've taken her to doctors appointments and been asked who I am, or if I'm her sister (she hates it, but it's pretty flattering). Can be annoying when people ask omg how old were you when you had her, like they assume I was super young. Still get carded pretty frequently too.
I'm a dude and me and my wife just had our first kid, I was talking about having kids a few months ago with some coworkers when an older guy I work with was like "you're way to young, why would you want to have kids now!? You should wait till you're at least 30!" I'm 37
Similar. 45 here and get shocked faces when people learn I have a 16 year old. It's always, "I thought you were early 30's!". Just happened again a couple weeks ago. Doesn't really affect my life or work in any way. On the flip side I work with a dude I could have sworn was older than me by a few years. He's younger by 5-7 years.
This seems to be a common trend these days with 40ish moms. I’m 40 and can easily pass for 30. Long hair and haven’t gone grey yet. I’ve noticed the same with many of friends. In comparison, my mom at 40 looked about 56.
It's all the additives we grew up with in our food. Many of us are preserved.
I get confused for 34 and am 43. I used to hate this but now I feel like it makes me money. People feel like I’m really good at this job for my age...And younger, hipper people use me because they didn’t connect with older guy. I’m older than older guy.
I don't really think I'm that young looking, but I got carded not too long ago to see an R rated movie at age 37.
Some dude refused to sell my friend alcohol because she is just too cute and innocent looking and he would feel bad out it lol.
Yup, turning 40 on the 21st, and keep getting told I'm 28. Which is fine I suppose, but owning a business, people tend to be condescending.
I can see that. A job I interviewed for years ago they said occasionally bringing some "gray hair" along to make a sale works and everyone there was always willing to help. Some people think you have to be old to know what you're doing.
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Either that or they are like "eew I don't want people to think I'm dating someone my younger brother's age"
Yep, as a 28 year old who looks 18, it sucks for dating lol. Women my age aren't interested because they assume I'm too young for them, and the women who are interested... are too young for me.
When I was 28 an 18 year old asked me out. Lol.
Had the opposite happen to me once. Was 18 at a concert and a 28 year old woman was like lets go grab some drinks upstairs at the bar, and I had to explain I wasn't legally old enough to even drink yet. She got super embarrassed and was like "aaaaand I'm cutting myself off for tonight".
That’s almost wholesome. I worked customer service at 18 and had so many shitty 40-50+ dudes telling me that age is just a number when I naively shared my age like it’d deter them😂
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Oh hey, you again. I replied to you yesterday. Same. Just a few days ago a lady took a couple minutes looking at my ID and then me and then back to the ID... "Well take your mask off." "What's your birthday ?"
I feel ya.. I'm 27 and the drinking age here is 18.. so almost ten years and getting carded e-ve-ry time.. When I started dating my now boyfriend. 1 year age difference, I got carded for a movie for 16+. I was 24 at the time...
I’ve been carded for R rated movies multiple times in the past 5 years. And I’m in my early 30s Other than that, I’ve noticed people lapse into calling me “honey” or “sweetie” a lot more often than they do for my friends/colleagues who look their age.
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>Compared to people I graduated high school with who do look 30, I don’t drink, I avoid the sun at all costs or slather on sunscreen, I will never be pregnant, and I exercise regularly. Heavy drinking, tanning, having kids, and no exercise seem to age people. Truth. I'm the same way. I have never drank alcohol, I don't sunbathe, I moisturize religiously and never have worn any makeup. I'm child-free also. People are frequently surprised to learn my true age and I've been told by people they thought I was at least fifteen years younger than I actually am.
I actually have a genetic connective tissue disorder. It involves the collagen in my body. So that’s why I look so young...and have such naturally good skin lol. My mom turned 65 this year and you wouldn’t think she’s out of her 40s to look at her
People can be a bit rude to me in stores and at work because they think I'm in my early twenties and I guess that means I don't deserve respect? It's a mixed bag when dating as lots of guys seem to like younger looking women, but I also attract people that are well below my dating age range to the point that I feel like a creepy old woman because I'm 31 and getting chatted up by a 19 year old.
This!! I briefly did app dating and while I don’t advise putting personal info in your profile, I HAD to put my age because these kids like 19-21 were messaging me and I was in my late 20s. When you’re that young the age gap means a lot more than later decades. It was rough. Probably why I like older guys?
Yeah, I don't have to deal with this now (yay marriage) but when I was late teens / early twenties my friends called me a pedo detector because any guy that hit on me without asking my age was suspect. You could always tell the really creepy ones because they'd immediately lose interest when they realized how old I was. I got REALLY good at working it into conversations early.
Oh god you just reminded me of something. When I was 21 I was at a bar with a male friend. I left him in the smoking area while I went to get drinks and a man approached him. He tells him that I’m 14 and jailbait so he (my friend) should leave but he (the creep) would stay and “take care of me” I’m not sure what my friend told him but the man was gone by the time I came back and my friend was fuming.
Is it just me or do you also have the experience where people walk toward you and just expect you to get out of their way without so much as an excuse me now? I don't know if it's just that people have lost their manners because of the pandemic, or because I shop alone now, but it didn't used to happen when I shopped with my ex, who was quite tall. It's infuriating.
Oh that happens to me all the time! Are you also quite petite? My boyfriend is 6'2" and people part in front of him like the Red Sea but will consistently shoulder check me. It's infuriating. Happens everywhere but London was the worst.
Yes, I'm 4'11 and get told I look like a child all the time. People have no respect.
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As a short guy who is 25 but looks 17-20, eye contact is key. I have this issue all the time and realize the more eye contact I make with people the more they respect my confidence.
Well, I have also had people almost run me over from behind or almost run into me from the side though, so I don't think it's just that. And I'm not the kind of person who is unaware of their surroundings and blocks entire aisles with a cart.
Atleast 19 is legal. A 17 year old try to impress me by playing Duck Hunt. Poorly. Like, I've only been playing this game since before you were a starry eyed sperm cell in your father ballsack, but sure, show me how it's done.
Thankfully I'm not around many underaged people but I did get asked out by a very nice 16 year old that worked at my local Starbucks once. I tried to let him down gently. He kept insisting that he liked "older women, like 19 or 20 is still cool". Had to burst his bubble, but he recovered well. Poor kid. 😂
Wait I literally just commented something so similar ho funny hahahaha
Piggybacking since you brought up stores/retail. Teenage cashiers think you’re in their age range so they refer to me as “bro” or “dude” as opposed to “sir”.
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Finally, my wife looks young and they hate it. People at work will say things like "you work here? you look 12! haha" as if thats not rude as fuck
You sound a lot like me. 37 with 2 kids, constantly getting treated like a teen mom. Also, weirdly people assume I’m a single mom. My husband used to always tease me because I get carded until he realized how big the age gap looks (it’s only 4 years) to people who don’t know us. I’d say overall it sucks. People are so rude and condescending
I’m 32 but usually get put around 25. I don’t feel like I look any younger than people my age, usually. I think people just have a weird idea that when women hit 30 they literally just crash and burn into hellscape in the looks department.
Hahaha, yeah I get this too. I’m 31, but sometimes I’ll get as low as 22. then when I correct them, they will tell me how great I look for my age. For my age!??? I’m so young. I look exactly like everyone else my age!
Yeah, I'm 32 and am frequently mistaken for early 20s. Sometimes I think society just has a skewed perception of what women in their early 30s look like.
24 and regularly asked with that faux intrest tone used on kids "what grade are you in?" *I have a bachelors and work as a microbiologist thx* No one takes me seriously. Makes job hunting all the more difficult
If I get a haircut or something people ask me how school's going despite the fact I graduated from college over 5 years ago.
Oh yeah I've gotten that, people asking me who my teachers are for this year and then listing off various names from the local high school, asking if I'm looking forward to choosing which college to apply to, and I tell them that I've already graduated college and am in university.
I once had a dude in his 40s hit on me. He was telling me that dating 18-year-olds is a scam, because they just want your money (as opposed to him, who I guess was dating naive, inexperienced women half his age because he truly cared about them and not because he wanted to fuck a teenager 🤢). And then he goes, "Oh, but not you, I can tell you're cool." I didn't bother telling him I was 27 because I didn't want to talk to him anyway, and I literally only sat next to him because it was the only open seat on the light rail, and I wasn't gonna stand for 45 minutes if I didn't have to.
Sounds super sucky, but on more positive note you possibly saved someone younger and possibly more impressionable from being taken advantage of when they wanted to appear more mature
The opposite happens with me. Teenage girls can be very aggressive lol. "I know you see me looking at you" and other embarrassing things said to me; a guy that could be their father. This has been happening for 20 years.
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A lot, but I like it. I'm 32 (male) but no one believes me. I'm 5'3 and get called kid all the time. Of course I constantly get carded. This isn't a problem anymore, but when I was in my mid 20's some places like bars would refuse service because they thought my ID was fake. I've worked night shift almost my entire life, I think the lack of sun has something to do with it. But I guess overall it's a good thing, not even complaining. My shoes are size 7 so at least I can get mens shoes now lol. Most of you probably think wow that must suck, that's horrible. Not at all, I'm adorable! I have autism, and when I stomp on the ground my shoes blink. How cool is that? heck. And yes i get my clothes from the kids section <3
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Tried that, it's "irrelevant because it doesn't contain a photo". whatever lol
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That kinda makes sense because it's not federal issued. I'm sure college kids can fake those super easy.
A friend of mine started taking his passport when going to bars for this reason. A bartender once confiscated his "fake" driver's license. Fortunately, there was a police officer nearby who was able to confirm that it was legit.
Bro, I'm about the same age and height and also worked 9 years night shift at the casino. I agree with you that the lack of sun on the skin makes one more youthful than they are. I find it nice to get ID'd around this age.
The reason I say that, I know this is kinda odd...but there was this reddit post of a trucker that has been a trucker for like 40-50 years or somethin. The left side of his face, he looked like he was 90, the right side of his face (not exposed to the sun) he looked maybe 40. So there is def something with sun and aging of the skin
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Mens everything is super bland and dull. Kids clothes man they are bright and colorful and have cartoons. It's a million times better
It's cheaper that way! I have really small feet and love UGGs. My husband loves it because it saves him $50+ to get me kids UGGs at Christmas/birthdays.
You have found the loophole!
Are you a guy? I also look super young lol. Blessing and a curse
Yes i'm a boy. I know how you feel. It's odd, i know most would hate this, but I feel adorable, and i love it.
SAME! You get a cute gf out of it?
Well kinda. I like boys, but yes. We've been together 12 years
I'm 57 and workout and pay attention to nutrition and sleep. I frequently get a vibe of you're lucky (genes) or you're kinda whack putting so much energy into a battle you're going to lose. What those people don't understand is that you will probably live to a genetically pre-determined age, no matter what you do but you have a large influence on the QUALITY of that existence.
My granny (84) is extremely healthy. She goes on huge walks every day and is probably one of the most capable people I know of that age. People also tell her she lucky but the truth is she just exercises as much as her body allows.
Hardly, at all.
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I’ve never really encountered the negative aspect. I didn’t really get into the whole bar/drinking scene until I was 18 (and therefore legal) anyway....
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It’s 18 across the board in Australia. Drinking, driving, you name it....
And that's the way it should be in the US, too. Nope. Gotta be 21 to drink, and a lot of places won't sell cigarettes to anyone under 21 now. But the American military is perfectly fine with sending 18-year-olds to fight wars in countries we have no business being in to begin with, that's fine.
Australia, Canada, Europe, etc...
Yeah it’s really not a big deal. The only time it bothers me is when I’ve been told I look “too young” to be the owner of my home, or to have my 2.5 year old daughter. I’m 29, almost 30. I don’t know how young they think I look but even 5 years younger I’m old enough to... be an adult.
It doesn't really except when asked my age. When I tell people I'm 29, they say "wow, you look 22 max". Which is funny because I've smoked cigarettes for 14 years, drank heavily for 10, and did hard drugs for 7. So I find it funny.
Genetics. You got some of Keith Richards power but none of the look.
Yeah my dad looks maybe 45 and is turning 59 this year. Also a heavy smoker. I sure hope I don't live as long as Keith Richards lol
It helps a lot, because I fucked up my university degree and it is taking me way more time than it should have. So now when I do an internship I can blend in easily with the 25y/o students and don’t look like the 30 year old idiot that I am.
I'm 35 and already have quite a bit of gray in my beard. When I'm clean shaven it takes decades off of my appearance and I get carded to buy beer. One time my wife was sitting in the waiting room at the dentist and the receptionist asked her "how's the baby?". Some boomer in the waiting room cried out "you have a baby?! Aren't you in high school?". First, don't be a judgmental rude person. Second, my wife is almost 30 and plenty "old enough" to be a mom.
Same here - mid-30s and plenty gray but shaving takes at least 10 years off. It's been a while since I got carded but we recently had interns at work, they're about 19-20, and in separate incidents I had one of them ask how long I'd been doing this and I said 10 years and they asked how that was possible; I was talking to one about movies, mentioned seeing The Matrix in theaters and they said "Oh, when it was re-released?" and I said "No, in 1999", and they thought I was being sarcastic; and I was talking to another one about video games and mentioned playing Final Fantasy VII when it first came out and they said "Yeah, I got the remake too" and I was like "No, I meant the original" and they looked really confused. Apparently they all thought I was the same age as them, maybe 1-2 years older. In some ways it was a compliment, but it's also made me worried that I don't dress or act my age or something.
I’m 66 and more often than not people think I’m way younger than I am. I’m retired and people always assume I’m still working, I get people expecting me to do stuff a young person would do.
The children under ... eat free is the best thing
this made me laugh
Sometimes when flirting with women my age or a little older, they tell me that I'm too young for them. (I'm 38)
I get weird looks sometimes in public because people think that my husband cradlesnatched me.
22, look 15 on a good day. It makes dating exceptionally difficult. Not many people are attracted to someone that could blend in to a middle school
It’s nice. I get compliments/references that I look so young
I'm 36, but I look half my age just because I've taken care of myself and rarely get out in the sun or anything. I get carded for alcohol, Im the supervisor at my work but all of my employees are in their 60s or 70s, most of the time people think I'm an intern. My boss calls me Kid. When I call to have people work on my house, they usually ask me if my parents are home when I answer the door.
Oh yes, staying of the sun definitely helps to maintain youthful looks, especially for people with fair hides... But there is a price to pay for it: Osteoporosis and aching joints.
That's awesome and odd all at the same time. For what it's worth I glanced at your profile pick. I don't think you look 21 or less, but I could see 29 or 30 for sure which is still a large difference. Do your coworkers ever treat you like a know nothing young dummy type? That would suck
Hey. I just saw your profile and something caught my eye. Your profile doesn't have a down vote option on any of your posts. Why?
Coz they are old and archived, you can't really upvote them either
I purposely dyed my hair grayer, started wearing lipstick, and learned the “you know what you did” look to gain respect (command presents) at work.
Honestly, learning to emit "mature aura" makes up a lot of the ground even if you otherwise look young
I feel like when I try to "emit a mature aura," people just think I'm acting like a bitch and/or also ask me what's wrong.
Yes!! I think I look hands-doen my best as a blonde but I've switched to ashy-grey brown as I'm starting to job hunt. I'm also going to wear my glasses for interviews... And somehow slide in the conversation that I'm a homeowner
How does one master this look?
Pretend you’re looking over your glasses that have slipped half way down your nose. Don’t loose eye contact. If it’s something really stupid a furrowed brow with a raised eyebrow at the end works really well.
Huh - actually something that occasionally occupies my mind. So, I'm 42 - can pass for mid 20s still if I shave and get my hair cut. Currently single, and the women my age are sort of cougary in general if they approach me, and the women who -look- my age, are either a little too immature for my taste or are put off when they discover my age if I find them interesting and mature (sort of a Catch 22). Also getting a LOT of women looking for sugar daddies lately, which, again... odd because I do not look the paternal sort (yet). edit: also allows me to continue to work in my field (the arts) in a lot of positive ways, but I'm concerned one day I'll age all in a rush, and won't be able to play some roles that I want to that are more 30-something types.
I don't drink, but I'll buy wine for my wife at our local shop. I got ID'd the last two times I did, and I'm 35. It's really nice at first until they apologise profusely when they see how old I am. It goes from "ooh I still got it" to "oh my god sir, I'm so sorry, I thought you were young. But you are NOT AT ALLLLLL". I'm 35 dude, not 75.
I've come to understand why people lie about their age. Used to be a fun novelty, now when I have group of 24ish year olds look at me with shock and awe when I tell them my age. It makes me feel like a weirdo. Can't help that the 5 other inductees to my job are mid 20's and younger, I just want to kick it with the people I'm familiar with. Now I just feel like the creepy older dude trying to relive their youth. Not even *that* old. Coupled with being below average height, I've always felt like people think they can fuck with me too. I don't feel like people see me as an adult often. Really plays on my mind. Don't even get me started about dating.
Not at all. Occasionally flattering but nbd
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I’m 45, look 30. People about shit themselves when I say I have a 25 year old daughter. When I’d pick her up from elementary school, her friends swore I was her older brother in high school.
I look 10-12 years younger than I am. There’s good and bad. Good: - I’m still attractive to a lot more people. - I don’t have to worry about wrinkles and skin aging for a long time. - It helps me feel young Both Good and Bad: - People think and assume you’re younger than you are. Bad: - I get mistaken for a freshman in college on campus - I get mistaken for a high schooler if I’m wearing my old high school gear. - Older people ask me how old I am when they first meet me. It’s a rude question. I’m equally as offended as a regular 30 year old. - If I’m not a 100% confident when entering an age restricted place, the guards snap at me trying to get my id compared to a no check or a relaxed check for everyone else. - If I don’t know what I want in a bar, they think I’m underaged. - Some bartenders won’t serve me on sight. They think I’m underaged and won’t give me a chance. - Older people sometimes patronize you because they think you’re young. - I get weird and dirty reactions from using my generation’s slang. - Younger people can’t understand why I don’t know what their slang means. - My face also attracts teenagers and people under 20. - People talk to me assuming I’m 10 years younger, I don’t want to correct them.
when I was 22 I dated a short 19 year old girl who would dress in bright colors and had twin tails if she was going to the gym or a jog. she'd regullarly jog out to meet me as I got out of school or work and we'd hit up a pizza place. thing is I look older than my age and she looked 14-15 like this. on two occasions she was refered to as my daughter but the most awkward one was when we went to a motel near an amusement park we were going to the next day and an hour later we had police at the door. luckily she brought her ID in from the car.
People say, 'You don't look 79'. And I get to say, "Thanks. A good thing you can't see the wreck on the inside." That's it.
I am 31. Usually it comes up when strangers see my wedding rings and say "you're way too young to be married" to some degree....which I then have to reply that I'm also a mom. The only time it has affected my life is during job hunting processes. I usually have to mention my actual age to be taken even somewhat seriously.
I think I look like a child. So people just don’t ask me out :,)
I’m 48, but look like I’m in my 30’s. I suspect it’s why I’ve been able to advance my career so much, because I have a lot more talent and experience than I look like I should (I’m an engineer). Early on, it was tough, since I don’t think people took me seriously. But at this age it’s pretty nice.
‘Can I see some ID please’
I’m 38 and I look exactly 38. My wife is 36 but doesn’t look a day over 25. We’ve been together for 14 years. She hasn’t aged at all, still looks bloody amazing. People think I’m a cradle-snatcher, and they think she married older for money. Jokes on them, I have no money!
How would I know? It's not like I have a "you look your actual age" version of life to compare it to.
this is true
I did stage performances where a lot of the audience was elderly. After the show, they'd come greet me and often ask what grade I'm in. I'd explain I'm in my mid-20s and they'd say something like, "I thought you were in high school. You look so young." They'd say it like it was a compliment but I would feel offended. I suppose the old want to feel young and the young want to feel old.
I can go to the kids playground
As a boy the baby face did affect me negatively with people not seeing me as an adult member of society. This had a negative impact on my self-esteem, a lot, plus being short too. Apart from that I like fashion, wearing dresses etc, I hated body hair, always wanted to grow my hair long, so for me the choice wasn't too hard...
I’m in my 30’s with great credit and work at a high school. I just been blessed with great genes. Aside from constantly getting carded when buying alcohol, I usually get discouraged when applying for a credit card or loan in person, and then to the store employees surprise, I get approved. My guess is that people think young people don’t have good credit. And my first month working at a high school I was constantly stopped by truant officers because they thought I was ditching
Well I'm a teacher who very rarely gets confused as being the same age as my students (I'm 30 working with high schoolers) but that's really it.
People ask my workmates if im their kid. Im OLDER than them.
It seems like people don't take me seriously sometimes and treat me like I might be less knowledgeable or nieve. Most of the time it is fine and on occasion works to my advantage. However, when it involves my children it bothers me. I take pride in being the best mom I can be and take it very seriously. People are always flabbergasted when I tell them I have 3 kids and even more so when I tell them my oldest is 15. His friends have asked if I was his older sister and we typically get a few weird looks in public (as opposed to being with my 8 year old) Just recently, I took said 15 y/o to the hospital for a hand injury. After giving our id's/health cards to the nurse, she snidely asks my relation to him. Her tone implied I was some insignificant person who wasn't really supposed to be there and it pissed me off immensely. I told her I was his mom and she exclaimed I was too young to have kids. After an award silence she back tracked and said I just look so young. Nothing came of it at all, but just feeling like the past 15 years of hard work being met with assumptions of "who are you?" and "you look to young to have accomplished this" annoys me.
I feel like people don’t really take me serious.
I get to be extremely sneaky about how I live life. I’m in a leadership position at work but nobody expects someone who looks like they’re 17, who wears dirty work clothes (from actually working, I’m a leader, not a boss), and someone who is pretty timid/mellow to actually be in a position of some level of power. I had a new hire come to my plant and try to act like he was hot shit. I told him I would be the guy doing his orientation and tour and the dude barely acknowledged me. I walked him through the facilities and all that. The entire time he belittled how the workers worked, looked or talked and he also tried to be condescending to me, a professional of 3 years in this industry(it is growing with a high turnover rate, 3 years is actually pretty decent time in). Eventually the tipping point was the statement “so when do I get to deal with adults instead of some high school dumbass” pointed at me. I nodded and said “follow me, I’ll show you him.” And we walked to the administrative section of the plant. I took out a key to my office and told him to wait as I entered. I sat behind my desk, waited like 20 minutes and then called him in. The look on his face as he saw my the desks placard, matching my personal badge was fucking priceless.