to get a bit annoyed with people thinking I'm really young?!

[matchstickpopper]

So I am 26 and it's not unusual for me to get mistaken for much, much younger. I have a 16 yr old sister and when we're out together people often mistake me for the same age as her or even younger. DH is 30 and my next door neighbour mistook him for my FATHER ffs! He has a beard so possibly looks a little older than he is but even so, to think he was old enough to be my Dad was ridiculous.

I get comments all the time from people such as 'oh my god, you look like you're still at school!' which I don't find complimentary at all, it just makes me feel stupid. Maybe I will appreciate it when I'm 50 but I don't appreciate it now. It would be incredibly rude for me to say to someone 'my god, i can't believe you're 30, I thought you were in your forties!' but apparently it's fine to say anything the other way round?!

anyone else had similar experiences? how do you deal with it?

It's not always a compliment. Lots of clients in my current and previous jobs do not take you seriously at first. I'm usually mistaken for a receptionist or a trainee, and I've had people say they think I look too young. I once delivered a training course to front line housing staff and one woman said she wouldn't listen as I looked too young to know anything and she couldn't take me seriously.

I was tutted at by an older lady last month when I was heavily pregnant and walking down the road at the same time as all the school kids.

I was refused entry at the swimming pool a few years ago because it was over 16s only, and I had to protest that I was over 10 years older than that.

Combined with sexism, looking young can be really crap for a woman at work, especially when you work in an industry dominated by middle aged men.

I find it frustrating when a youthful look undermines your life experience, for example my colleagues tend to assume I'm an NQT and are astonished that it's over 10 years since I trained. Also when my students take me for a mug when I'meeasily old enough to be a parent.

Now I have 2 DCs, it has settled somewhat, but if I bought party nibbles and drinks without them in the supermarket, I'll still get IDed and it's reached the stage where there's alot of blinking and ssquinting at me and my ID.

I've had the DH/ father issue too.

I got a bus fare without asking at 29, despite feeling like death from "morning " sickness! I didn't realise until I sat down. Thought tge single fare sounded rather cheap!

When I go out with my mum who's 64, people often think that she is both mine and DSs mum I'm 31 and my DS is 12. My mum is very good though, if a shop assistant or anyone starts talking to her about DS as if she's the parent, she always firmly but politely says that she's the GM and I'm the mum. Alot of people have told me I look about 25 (fine by me )

I get this....when I was in my twenties I always got asked for ID. I hated it. I'm now 42 and whilst I don't get asked for ID any more, people often think I'm way younger than I am (usually late twenties). I am very very grateful now for my youthful looks and doing my best to preserve what's left....the time will come OP when you are too!

Agree with others this can be rude. I have been told lots of times I look too young to do my professional job. Sometimes it is jokey or a compliment, but I have previously had someone when I laughed it off say "no you look 13" in a manner clearly not intended to be complimentary. As with lots of things context/tone etc is important. Agree with you OP it can get very frustrating.

I systematically get asked for ID when I buy wine or beer. I'm 34 and loving that (except when I've forgotten said ID at home)!

I do get the comments at work too - I don't think it has yet worked against me, but fingers crossed... I can understand the frustration if it happens, I would be fuming.

I got it when I was young- I just wish that I did now!

I used to get this all the time. It annoyed me when I was in my 20s and 30s as people honestly thought I was late teens/early twenties. I'm short too so that never helps. I've had people confessing that they thought I'd had dd when I was about 13, as I didn't look old enough to have a 10/11 year old.
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You will start to enjoy it though when like me you're nearly 50. People are gobsmacked when I say I'll be 50 this year. They think I'm joking but I enjoy the compliment now as they think I'm 40 rather than still a teenager.
However I do occasionally get people telling me I'm lying about never having had any work done on my face. Someone told dh that I had most definitely had plastic surgery and I was lying to him and everyone else when I denied it. I just think she's a jealous twat though.

Dh got this in a job 28.he was employed as a senior member of the team and a manager ignored him all week then on the Friday asked what school he was from (she thought he was on work experience). He was so pissed off. Now he's 34 and we have 3 dds there's much less confusion and he finds it funny. We also moved to a village where everyone assumed we were brother and sister and didn't question our hand holding and kissing for months until someone commented we were very close siblings and dh explained I was his wife (to the village gossip so everything was rectified very quickly).

NI have always had this, had 3 kids at 30 and people thought I was still a teenager! Now 40 and still apparently look young can't see it myself so have just got used to it!
Friend of mine has it even worse-she still gets asked for ID in pubs or shops and is 38!
You'll get used to it and will definitely appreciate it as you get older!

I met a 21 year old today that I honestly thought was mid teens. I was as she mentioned her school and I asked what year she was in: she replied that she works there! I apologised and she was lovely about it.

Are you me OP? I have a 17 year old sister and a 15 year old brother who both look older than me, I'm 26.

I got told by one of my Rainbows mums that she needed to talk to an adult as she pushed past me to talk to my 16 year old young leader young leader's face was brilliant.

On the upside charity collectors in the street don't stop me as i look too young, door to door salesmen go away when i tell them my parents aren't home and the man from the window cleaning company DH had booked knocked on my front door, asked if my parents were home then when I said no gave me an invoice and asked me to get my Dad to pay it, strangely my Dad was not so impressed with this idea.

My DD is coming up for 29 and looks the same age as her pupils. I think the only way anyone coming in to her school would know she was teaching staff is because she doesn't wear uniform.

It. makes a massive difference depending on how you dress.

Trainers, jeans, a Bench jacket and no make will make you look loads younger than if you wear heels, a well cut trench coat and some slap.

I used to have this problem, not that much anymore... unfortunately!

When I've no make up on I can pass for 16 or so. I too was told I didn't look old enough to be driving. I was wearing a hoodie with the name of my old uni on it too which made me smile all the more. Someone recently - a year or so ago also asked for ID before she would sell me paracetamol.

It's also usually assumed I'm a new graduate (my job fairly obviously requires a degree/some level of higher training) when I'm 27.

I was recently not asked for ID in a pub and was quite upset though. Must have been the make up

My 33 year old friend got asked for id tonight. She was ecstatic I haven't been asked for id for years... Make the most of looking young

Enjoy it while you can. I was asked for ID in a bar in NY when I was 30 and when I was 32 I was mistaken for a 19 year old.

Now I am 45 and no one thinks I'm young. Time caught up.

I used to be you, OP
I had two kids and a fuck loads of sleepless nights and now look older than i am!!!

You can dress older or modulate your voice to deeper slower etc but please do t wish away your youthful looks!