to be frustrated about looking young?

[Gracie123]

Yes yes, I know I should be flattered, blah blah...

This isn't a brag, as I don't think I'm considered particularly pretty, but just young.

I've recently been ID'd and refused sale for vanilla essence, a vegetable knife and on new years eve a bottle of wine.

I'm nearly 30. DH is a year and a half younger than me, but has on more than one occasion been mistaken for my dad.

I wouldn't care so much, except that DH is in a job where we live on site and it's sort of a lifestyle, but when talking about promotion etc... he is frequently told it will be a few more years based on the fact that we are too young and people wouldn't be able to take us seriously. We have in fact been told this by people who took on the job role younger than us, but just looked more mature.

It's really starting to frustrate me, as we don't dress immaturely and have always conducted ourselves with professionalism, but it seems we won't be going anywhere in a hurry because I don't look the part, despite doing my best! Colleagues (with the kindest intentions) say that we will be perfect for the job role, when we are a little bit older.

I get so irritated with people saying 'oh I'd love to look a bit younger' when they have no idea what it's like to be told that you can't be respected and taken seriously!

Why do you have to be 16 to buy vanilla essence? Does it have special properties that I'm not aware of?

Being asked for id when I have some doesn't bother me.

I am almost 37 and do get mistaken as being in my twenties and i mean early to mid twenties.

I get asked for ID frequently, and people think my dd is my sister and I love telling them shes not and that I am 36.

Don't complain, enjoy I love it - and I enjoy a glass of wine and a few ciggarettes

I feel your pain. I work in a university and am frequently mistaken fir a student, especially when turning up to invigilate exams (usually 1st year) and get told to go away because students aren't allowed in yet. Or the time I stood at the front of the class for 10 minutes and they were audibly wondering about who would be taking it despite me busying myself with sorting out handouts etc.

I wear glasses rather than contacts, put my hair up and dress very smartly and it doesn't help. I also get scandalised teenaged mother looks as I'm pregnant with DC1.

Trills - it has alcohol in it

Me too. We should start a special support group. Refused wine in Waitrose...what a hoot....my daughter is 13 and cringed as the Manager was called....

So how does it work..we sit in a circle: 'My name is ...... and I am underestimated in the age department.'

This could get serious.

Goldetc

Totally. I am now 31 and it's not as bad, but for the first couple of years in the job I was repeatedly mistaken for an undergrad, which was annoying. Once I met a student with her mum in town and the mum said, 'Hmmm, you're very young.'

How rude! I got id'd regularly till suddenly about 8 or 9 mos ago. I think I put on weight or suddenly started looking like the gimlet I am or something

That said, please don't be harsh on shopworkers.

OP, to me you are clearly over 20, although I wouldn't have guessed your real age. But I work with lots of people in the 18-20 age group, and those who don't really know many people in that category might mistake you for a teen.

Also bear in mind that shopworkers are encouraged to be super-conservative because THEY will get blamed if they sell you something they shouldn't. When I worked in a bar a student member of staff got fined £80 in a police sting operation for selling to a U18. It was more than her week's wages .

If someone's on min wage and the burden of responsibility lies on them, you can't really blame them. The 27yo doctor I once id'd in the bar might've been annoyed, but she wasn't losing 25% of her monthly pay packet...

I agree, and I'm not annoyed that someone has to ID me when it's their job (especially I they are polite about it) but I get frustrated when people tell me I 'wont be taken seriously' or that it would be hard for older members of staff to respect me. Age (within reason) should have nothing to do with the job role, especially not perceived age! Maybe it is my demeanour that makes me appear young, but then people shouldn't make statements about how they'd like to be able to promote us, but the parents would be upset about it...

Fake glasses? Really??

My mum had a teaching colleague who used to have grey streaks put into her hair to make her look more distinguished -- it worked! (They looked natural too)

I was in hospital last year and was treated like a child throughout my stay.
My friend (50) came to visit and the nurses started talking to her as if she were an authority figure to me!
I was outraged and said to them as such.
I may be 17 years younger than her, but we are equals.
I also pointed out it is my body and my health, and it should be me they are telling the details to.

The second tome I was in hospital (different hospital) they thought I was younger, a couple of the nurses were shocked when I mentioned DD being 9, but they didn't treat me like a child, they treated me with the respect they should have.