People who look younger than they are

[cruisingthrough]

This is by no means a boastful post so please don't think I am.

I've just got back from the shops with my 3dc and whilst paying for the shopping had the check out operator who I see and chat to regularly goes to me "do you mind me asking how old you are" for context I wasn't buying anything that had a minimum purchase age. I replied kinda taken aback and she goes you don't look old enough to have 3 dc.
I do receive comments like this quiet a lot and it makes me feel really awkward for some reason and I'm 34. I even had someone tell me that I hadn't lived my life yet based on the assumption I look younger than I am. I feel if I looked my age nobody would bat an eyelid or suggest I was too young to have 3 dc.
My friends say I should embrace it and be glad but I often feel I'm not taking seriously in life if that makes sense and it gets me down.
I used to joke to people saying must be that new cream I bought but to be honest I think I need something a bit more direct but polite as I would never dream of asking anyone their age. Any ideas what to say that shuts it down or should I just carry on as I am?
Thanks

I'm 35 and my oldest DS is 15, people usually are surprised that I have a son that old, doesn't help that I'm only 150cm tall either.

I have this and tbh it’s not always great. People look down on me a lot because they assume I’ve no idea what I’m talking about.

Examples;

Lady at baby group “oh my hips hurt so badly since I had children!”
Me “oh yes mine too, it’s so bad isn’t it!”
Lady “well it’s alright for YOU. You’re young, you’ll get over it, it’s not like me, I’m THIRTY FIVE!!”
Me “yes love, I’m 36.”

Got on the bus with the 3 kids (I have a car, don’t always drive if it’s just to town)
Old man “bloody underage mums having all these kids”.

Talking about returning to work after maternity;
Me “yes I probably will go back to work, I’ve been there for 10 years and miss it.”
Lady butting in “oh don’t be silly, you were at school then”

Etc etc etc

I’m 54 and I don’t look my age at all. I can pass for 40 and do 🤣. I’m not boasting. It’s genetics. My DF didn’t look his age either. I haven’t and won’t do Botox, fillers etc. Just a dab if Nivea moisturiser is all my skin needs.
Yes I’m lucky.

People always think I’m about 25..... but I have an 18 year old when they find this out you can see them recoil and obviously are counting back to try and work out what’s going on 🤣🤣
I’m actually 37 !

Can be more serious. I went to a new doctor with various symptoms. I'm 63 but look early 40s. No humble brag, it's hereditary my parents both look at least 25 years younger.
She was ascribing these symptoms to perimenopause until I asked her to look at the dob on my records!

I do stay out of the sun, don't drink or smoke but I'd be inclined to do that anyway. I feel I can't really take a lot of credit for lucky genetics

My people! It’s become my small talk now to have the ‘I’ll appreciate it one day!’ Cheery response lined up in advance when I get asked for ID to buy a lottery ticket. I’m 28 and wearing a nurses scrubs but people still seem to think I’m 16/18.

It’s fascinating watching people’s perplexed staring into the distance doing maths in their head when I talk about jobs or holiday experiences I had 10 years ago as they honestly think I was a child then.

It’s just a fact of life I’ve accepted now, but it’s definitely no advantage. People look down on you/treat you unkindly. They don’t see youth, they see me as young, it’s a different thing.

I think it's genetics, I was still being asked for ID for cigarettes when I was 29/30.
It was embarrassing and yes it's great for when you get older, but at the time,not so much.

Oh it doesn't help that I'm only 4"10

Not always genetics, my sister and DM have always looked more their age. Although sister is tall and DM has always been a bigger lady, I think people add age when your big

I'm 30 and everyone always assumes I'm late teens/early twenties.

I often get people assuming I must have had Dd in my teens.

I find people don't respect me and I get patronised a lot. I hate being told I should feel grateful because one day I'll look old.

Sorry I've no advice but I totally get where you're coming from!

I'm almost 50 and my son was mistaken for being my husband. Hes 24.

SIL and I have kids the same age. She's 35 now but constantly mistaken for 21 or younger. So every time she takes dn on the train she's asked for a ticket for him, despite accompanied children under 11 not needing them. I have never been stopped with him or my children once. When we suspected our kids had autism, the difference between how she was treated and me was stark - I rarely get talked down to, she gets it all the time. Taking stuff back to shops - she is perfectly articulate but gets the brush-off - until DP or I emerge from the background and butt in.
I'm really glad to be 5'9, even if I could do without my body looking bloody ancient!

I'm 45 and while I am starting to look a little bit more my years now (people generally assume me to be late 30s) I often used to get people thinking I was about 10 years younger. People still talk about me having a portrait in my attic.

It's good genes, as my dad is 66 and usually mistaken for late 50s and no one ever believes he has a son of 45.

However, it has been a pain in the ass at times. When I was doing online dating, women used to think I was a fake profile because "the guy in those photos is clearly a lot younger than the age you say you are".

"Should have gone to Specsavers"

Until I had the menopause people thought I was 20 years younger, now they think 10. It’s very much down to genetics my Father died at 84 virtually unlined.

People generally assume that I’m about 7 or 8 years younger than my actual age. I don’t really care, but it amuses me that my lack of caring seems to annoy people. It goes like this:

You’re not that old! You can’t be!
I am
You don’t look it
Thanks
You don’t though
No, apparently not
Are you really that old?
Yes
You don’t look it
Sorry. I don’t know what else to tell you

Are you supposed to pretend that they’re the first person who’s ever commented that you look young, and be all bashful and flattered? Because that would get dull for everyone quite quickly, wouldn’t it?
And then the next thing that often happens is that the person goes onto to massively underestimate the age of the person next to you as well, and be even more offended that you aren’t equally astonished by their lack of ageing! But if I know I look a bit younger than my age, why would I be surprised that someone else does? Wouldn’t it be kind of arrogant to think I’m the only one around with this accidental superpower? Is it even possible that the age guesser is just really shit at judging how old people are? A lot of fuss gets made unnecessarily, ime.

I've been shopping with dd in the pram and bought a bottle of wine... not an eyelid was batted. Few days later, was sans child, and tried to buy a bottle of wine for a colleague's birthday at the self check out thingies.

Cue a staff member rushing over (the same from a few days before!) demanding my id, and when I produced it, she called over another member of staff to just confirm that I 'didn't look old enough, and would you have id'd her?' To which other staff member nodded like there was no tomorrow and clarified 'yeah, you don't look over 25' to which I politely said I understood their policy and exited stage left (potentially pursued by an id demanding bear).

To be totally frank, I am 35, and have seen far better days. I have wrinkles and frown lines, my teeth are starting to show their age despite twice daily brushing and flossing, and I have to dye my hair myself (no time or money, single parent). But the inconsistency was astounding. I admit I mostly look like shit but the comparison with buying alcohol (which I really don't do often) when with a child and without one was quite bizarre!