Or is it just as rude to tell someone they look much younger as it is I tell people they look much older?!

[BlueBananas]

I am 25, I look younger, always have, nothing I can do about it. I don't look that young as I don't get ID'd anymore, but I'm aware I don't look 25
But the amount of people that tell me I look "about 16 or 17" or that I don't look old enough to have kids, or that they thought I was "underage & pregnant" and find it hilarious is a fucking joke!
Eg. I met my mums friend for the first time a few weeks ago and I'm visibly pregnant, he said to me "you're pregnant? How old are you?!" I answered that I was 25, he said "oh God I thought you were about 16, you look so young!"! Who the fuck says this the first time they meet someone?! What if I was 16 and pregnant, what was he going to say?!
Another example my consultant at the hospital last week asked my age (read my fucking notes that are sat in front of you!) when I told him he said "oh God I thought you were about 18/19 I thought that was very young to be having a 3rd baby" if you knew it was my 3rd is it not pretty obvious that I'm younger than 18? And even if I was 19 were you about to tell me I was a massive slut?! I mean, what is peoples next line going to be??
Honestly I get these comments connnnstantly!

Can you imagine if I was horrified at someone's age and told them they looked at least 10 years older - that would be considered the height of rudeness, but it's ok the other way round??
No. It's not. It's fucking rude. So stop it all of you! Stop it stop it stop it!!!

It shouldn't be a compliment to tell someone they look young. It's based on the notion that looking your age, or looking old, is a bad thing.

In a word 'No'

I don't think it is as rude as as you age you may like it more and more. I love that I look young. In fact I'm thinking of adding years to my age just so people go 'wow, really, I thought you were much younger'

Lots of things to be offended at in life and this just isn't one of them.

I'm 45 and look much younger and always have done so I've had all the comments you've had in my younger years. I just wish I felt as young as I look, especially in the mornings (creaky joints)

My male juniors don't get told they look young. When you are overlooked by someone who assumes your male junior is the boss, and then tries to justify that with "oh, you look so young!" It really isn't a complement, is rude.

I'm actually happy to be, and look, the age I am. I don't need someone to insult me by thinking my expertise and experience is governed by what I look like.

At the age of 35, I'd also like to be able to buy a bottle of wine with my weekly shop.

It's a power thing.

Wow Nixen aren't you a peach

To be fair, 25 with three kids is ridiculous

Not really.

I never say it, never answer people who ask how old they look, and am not bothered how old people think I look. I am XX years old. This is how I look. Therefore I look XX.

I'm sure all the people on this thread - and all the million other threads about looking young - are absolutely stunning

You'll thank them when you get older OP. I'm 36 now and have always looked younger. I don't mind it at all now(hairdresser last week thought I was 24). Although not being let into clubs, served with alcohol etc when I was in my twenties was annoying.

I am 47 and I hate people telling me they think I am younger (which they do) because ti makes me feel hmm, is that because you think i should have done more with my life by now!?

Non-issue. It will wear off eventually so make the most of it!

All through my twenties people would comment on how young I looked. I regularly got asked for ID in pubs right up until my mid-twenties. Funnily enough it hasn't happened much in the last 20 years!

I remember back in the 70's there was an advert for something or other ( probably a cosmetic I suppose) where a man is trying to guess a woman's age and asks "23? 24?" and she says "With three children!|?" so it seems even 40 years ago people would have thought 25 surprisingly young to have three children.

It can be rude. Generally, I don't mind being told I look younger but it's the shocked faces that annoy me. I recently had someone say "are you really 27?" Yes, I'm really 27. "But are you really 27?" Yes, I promise I'm 27. Few minutes later...."you can't be that old. Are you really 27?" Yes, for the love of god I'm really 27! Why would I lie about it?!

Random people making comments is fine but in a work situation where you're trying to be taken seriously it can be annoying. Once, when I was 25 at work I had someone say to me "25? Oh my god, you look about 12" and she started laughing her head off. That to me is rude. I've also seen a very young looking competent doctor who is 28 be ridiculed by patients questioning whether he's really a doctor because he looks so young. One person dismissed everything he said "because some 10 year old was talking to me." Well he's clearly at least going to be in his 20s if he's a qualified doctor. Now obviously in that situation being told you look young is very patronising and completely irrelevant to their job. Who cares how old someone is as long as they're over 18 and can do their job properly.

Another horrid occasion I had was when I was 21 and some guy was chatting me up with his friends, then started boasting about how he was coming on to an "underage girl." That was really gross and I swiftly informed him that I'm sorry to shatter his illusion but I was most definitely NOT underage. Disgusting man.

I am appreciating looking young more as I get older. I used to get embarrassed to tell people my age because I'd always get people going "what?" That doesn't happen quite so much now and I'm actually starting to feel depressed that people are asking me if I have children. I must have aged. :( It does work to my advantage sometimes though....I had someone at work recently say to me oh well, you've got loads of time to do stuff, you're very young. Didn't tell her I'm going to be 30 in a couple of years but just agreed that yes, I am very young. It helps with my denial that I'm not really that old .

27 is really young!

It's does get very wearing, I'm now 49 and have put up with people commenting in my age since my late teens.

I've had people tell my dh privately that I've obviously lied to him and everyone else and had cosmetic surgery because I cannot possibly be in my 40s. How fucking rude is that!
I'm quite shy so find it really embarrassing for people I barley know, to bring attention to my face. Oh yes it's lovely for everyone to be looking closely at me for such a stupid reason.

I'm 32 and was getting asked for ID up until about 6 months ago when I had my second child. I obviously look knackered and haggard now. I am friggin gutted! I never minded it.

I did however find it hard after having first Ds because mums my age assumed I was a younger mum and they were patronising. I also have a serious job and it used to get annoying when people said "you look to young to be a ..... " .

Overall though I would love it if someone said it now.

I think that generally people take far too much interest in themselves and how they perceive they look to other people. OP... for the people who've made comments there are many more that didn't think so, didn't give you a second thought in respect of your children and went on with their day.

There are many people who seem to latch on to the fact that "x and y said they look too young to do/have done this or that... and it's a real problem". Firstly, people spout of lot of 'fluff', they don't mean a word of it and it means absolutely nothing. Secondly, some people target the 'vain' for want of a better word, it's easy to appeal to vanity and is distracting. People generally look within their age range but who is to say what/who looks young? They just look how they look. The scrutiny of this says everything about the self-absorbed and obsessed sense of self that some definitely have.

There seems to be a spate at the moment of people craving validation for what they perceive is some kind of 'compli-sult' and they want others to agree and back it up.

I promise you, people are not nearly as interested in your doing/being as you think they are. Get on with what you're doing and pay it no heed. Kipling said it best...

there was an advert for something or other where a man is trying to guess a woman's age and asks "23? 24?" and she says "With three children!|?"

That just shows the ad agency was out of touch Hardly surprising, as young women with several children tend not to get jobs in advertising - even these days, let alone 40 years ago.

All you people allegedly getting fed up with being asked for ID - you just weren't wearing enough make-up! Tch, young people these days, they never learn ...

Lolz, you will be a lot happier about it in 10 years time believe me! I'm 41 and never get sick of being told I don't look old enough to have teenagers ;)

I don't think anyone is nearly as interested as you seem to think they are. It's a point of conversation. Don't read so much into it.