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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask what’s made you think “I’m getting old” recently?

617 replies

overstimulatedhermit · 14/09/2025 15:56

I’ve noticed I’ve got a favourite seat in the living room and it’s accumulated a few of my things on and around it like my handbag, sweets, book, medication (because it’s the only thing that helps me remember to take it) a couple of letters that I opened and haven’t put away yet and a pack of baby wipes.
Dh is watching the game just now and I’ve sat down in my spot and accidentally knocked my medication off the armrest. I turned to dh and said “ do you know what would be handy, a little table next to me so I can put all my bits and bobs on” 🤦🏻‍♀️ my life flashed before my eyes before the words finished leaving my mouth. I’m 41 by the way how has nobody told me about this monumental moment.

OP posts:
JaceLancs · 15/09/2025 09:07

Finding out I’m going to be a grandmother next spring!

SybTheGeek · 15/09/2025 09:06

DarkPassenger1 · 15/09/2025 08:52

A really lovely chap served me in a bar the other afternoon, he was probably late teens. I found myself saying to friends after he left 'what a nice young man'. I'm in my late thirties.

I try to avoid saying "young man" out loud, worried I may appear less like a kindly mother figure and more like one of Harry Enfield's old ladies 😬

DarkPassenger1 · 15/09/2025 08:52

A really lovely chap served me in a bar the other afternoon, he was probably late teens. I found myself saying to friends after he left 'what a nice young man'. I'm in my late thirties.

justasking111 · 15/09/2025 08:50

Lifeinthepit · 15/09/2025 08:40

Tiny writing on all labels?.IYKYK

Especially prescription details 🤬

justasking111 · 15/09/2025 08:45

My DIL bought a DVD player, started hunting for dvds in charity shops for the children. I produced a wallet of 100 plus DVDs that we, and our children used to watch. So now they're watching baddies favourite ones.

I'm glad I kept them.

DIL has now cancelled their streaming services. They have movie nights instead.

Lifeinthepit · 15/09/2025 08:40

ThriveAT · 14/09/2025 20:50

Is this a thing?

Tiny writing on all labels?.IYKYK

hididdlyho · 15/09/2025 08:40

Having a big declutter and realised there's no point keeping DVDs as I no longer have anything to play them on. Also stumbled across some cassettes I remember listening to as a teenager and felt like a dinosaur!

ParanoidGynodroid · 15/09/2025 08:36

This morning, my hands. DD (15) pointed out some dimples on hers so we looked at mine for comparison. They looked like prunes.

My son recently visited, and he now has some grey hair!

Realising that, at 56, I'm 2 years older MIL was when I met her 36 years ago, and I thought she was old then! It also seems that it was such a short time between then and when she died a couple of years ago, making my own mortality seem all the more real and impending! (sorry to be morbid)

justasking111 · 15/09/2025 08:32

PistachioTiramisu · 15/09/2025 08:23

I've never been able to do my bra up that way - even when I was young and thin! I have to do it up at the front and slide round!

Me too. But I can undo it that way

Robyn847 · 15/09/2025 08:30

When I realised I'm actually older than Geoff from Biker Grove was.

PistachioTiramisu · 15/09/2025 08:23

Abracadabra12345 · 14/09/2025 22:05

When I was 64 I could happily do up my bra. In the last two months something has happened and I can’t easily stretch my arm up behind my back to do up the strap 😱

I've never been able to do my bra up that way - even when I was young and thin! I have to do it up at the front and slide round!

unsurewhattodoaboutit · 15/09/2025 08:22

@WearyAuldWummanyes I had this recently in my gp surgery. The practice nurse greeted me across the room ‘is this THE Mrs Unsurewhattodo’ then she told reception staff I was her teacher a long time ago 🥰

JustineRobots · 15/09/2025 08:21

AhBiscuits · 14/09/2025 19:08

My dad would always shout
'Come on Grandad, put your foot down!' when stuck behind slow drivers. He was still saying it up to the day he died when he was 76 with 8 grandchildren of his own.

This reminds me of my grandmother, who’d say things like “I was talking to this poor old dear on the bus”, even though she was over 80 herself 😄

theressomanytinafeysicouldbe · 15/09/2025 08:21

Osteoarthritis diagnosed at 45 I've started walking with a limp, constantly swapping from my distance to reading glasses, bought a 13" screen ipad because i can't see my phone, listening to Radio 2, i go to bed to read every night before 9pm,,,,,,I now pick comfort over style!

StupidRules · 15/09/2025 08:09

DoraSpenlow · 15/09/2025 07:54

Reading the thread on here about full stops at the end of texts being passive aggressive. I haven't got the patience for all that crap. Why is everyone looking to be offended all the time? Just can't be doing with it.

We employ several young people and yes, it's a minefield. Who knew texting style was so loaded with covert meaning? And so many of these young people seem terrified to answer the phone or have face to face conversations with actual human beings. It's a customer facing role and I have to constantly remind them to, you know, actually speak to the customers and look at them. It's like pulling teeth.

DoraSpenlow · 15/09/2025 07:54

Reading the thread on here about full stops at the end of texts being passive aggressive. I haven't got the patience for all that crap. Why is everyone looking to be offended all the time? Just can't be doing with it.

justasking111 · 15/09/2025 07:51

StupidRules · 15/09/2025 07:44

And how we used to have to wait for the telly to warm up after we turned it on. Sometimes if the reception was dodgy we used to have to whack the side of the telly really hard. I'm not entirely sure how this helped, mind you. 😂

And I've just realised, reading this back, that there will be a whole generation of people thinking 'the side of the telly? TVs had sides ?'

Yes folks, TVs used to be about 3 feet deep and they weighed about the same as a washing machine. At least it felt that way when you needed to move one.

Edited

And the smell it gave off. Mind you they lasted, you had them repaired.

StupidRules · 15/09/2025 07:44

And how we used to have to wait for the telly to warm up after we turned it on. Sometimes if the reception was dodgy we used to have to whack the side of the telly really hard. I'm not entirely sure how this helped, mind you. 😂

And I've just realised, reading this back, that there will be a whole generation of people thinking 'the side of the telly? TVs had sides ?'

Yes folks, TVs used to be about 3 feet deep and they weighed about the same as a washing machine. At least it felt that way when you needed to move one.

PyongyangKipperbang · 15/09/2025 01:30

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2025 01:21

When you retire and go to a cafe with your DH and find yourself greeted by a middle-aged woman who greets you warmly as her former teacher...and then she introduces you to her grandson.

Oh mate......thats harsh!

I was at work when a lad of about 10 ish wanted a glass of water and I heard his dad say "no, ask the old lady at the bar". Thanks for that.

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2025 01:21

When you retire and go to a cafe with your DH and find yourself greeted by a middle-aged woman who greets you warmly as her former teacher...and then she introduces you to her grandson.

PyongyangKipperbang · 15/09/2025 01:18

JudgeJ · 14/09/2025 23:20

When you have a second 18 year old grandchild and later this year the first grandchild will be out of her teens.
Realising that we are a quarter the way through the 21st century yet we only celebrated the Millennium a couple of years ago, surely.

Well you are wrong. My millenium party was in January and it was 1985 five years ago.

HTH!

PyongyangKipperbang · 15/09/2025 01:13

RaffiaworkAttachment · 15/09/2025 00:46

When you are putting your year of birth in on a rolley thing online and you keep going and going and going.

Oh fuck yeah, the scroll of doom.

And it taking far longer than it should to realise that you can hit the year to change it instead of going back 50+ years month by month.......

PyongyangKipperbang · 15/09/2025 01:11

The legend that was Victoria Wood put it perfectly.

In her early stand up she said that you know you are ageing when you look at Dr Scholls and think "ooh they look comfy". 20 years later she said "You know you are old when you look at Dr Scholls and think "oooh no, bit racey"!

LivingTheDreamish · 15/09/2025 01:08

I purchased a magnifying glass.

Bones101 · 15/09/2025 00:57

I'm a physician and had an itch down there. Told a colleague and she said ah 37.. now the haemorrhoids appear 🥲🤣