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Original poster

To feel insulted by this assumption...

43 replies

Tarabelle · 08/05/2021 07:35

Being lighthearted here... but yesterday, I was at the optician and had been talking to someone about my glasses for a while...
Then I wanted to make an appointment for my daughter and she asked her birth year. I casually said ‘7’ (you know 2007...). I admit this wasn’t crystal clear but then discover she’s put 1970 in her system! Hello!! I’m in my forties and hadn’t been born myself in 1970!
I’m laughing - but Shock I like to think I pretty much look my age... Perhaps I’m severely deluded?!
So, just wondering what unintentional (or maybe slightly intentional) insults you’ve picked up from ‘well-meaning’ folk over the years?

OP posts:
Nicolastuffedone · 08/05/2021 08:19

I would’ve thought you meant she was 7. Why wouldn’t you just say 2007?? So odd.....

BeneficiaryMadness · 08/05/2021 08:21

How can you be in your 40’s (I’m assuming you were born in the 70’s yourself) and think 1970 would make you 80?? Grin

ElphabaTWitch · 08/05/2021 08:28

I was told by a very young very innocent toddler family member that I had tinkles. ( wrinkles. I was only just over 30)
Same lovely human told me I looked better with makeup after seeing me without. ( which is a bit strange cos I rarely touch the stuff). BEST ONE YET THOUGH....
same small delightful human had a full in argument with me for about a week that I definitely had a baby in my tummy cos I wasn’t the skinny Minnie I used to be. No amount of telling her would have her told though. I was definitely with child. Bless. Kids do make me laugh!

ginoclocksomewhere · 08/05/2021 08:28

I've done this so many times OP- don't take it personally!

It was probs a typo, on our system if you put 70 instead of 07 and it will automatically just put '1970' so unless you're watching it won't necessarily be caught until you're confirming details later down the line.

The worst is taking details with a poor phone line- I constantly make people older than they are! (And usually put a note to confirm face to face once they have their appt due to a dodgy phone line!)

disappear · 08/05/2021 08:29

One day a child in my class was collected by someone who wasn't his mum but looked similar. I asked, "Is this your nan?" "No, my aunty." The woman was probably in her late 20s. Don't know what I was thinking! Don't take it personally, OP.

sweetchillidumplings · 08/05/2021 08:35

@BeneficiaryMadness

How can you be in your 40’s (I’m assuming you were born in the 70’s yourself) and think 1970 would make you 80?? Grin
Because it was the year her child was born that was mistakenly put as 1970. Rtft properly.
chloeb8 · 08/05/2021 08:37

Two years ago, when I was 37, it was my parents wedding anniversary. I hosted a small gathering to celebrate. I hung a few Ruby coloured balloons outside the house around our front door. Including a big helium one with “Happy 40th wedding anniversary on it”. (I know, I’m just that classy).

I was in the process of doing this when the lady across the road from us said hello, and I was just standing there on the curb chatting to her for a few minutes. She saw the balloons and asked me “Is it yours and your husband’s 40th anniversary today then?” 😬😩

Honestly, I was absolutely stunned !! I’ve had people tell me in the past that I do not look as old as I am. But even if I did look my age, the youngest anyone could be to celebrate this anniversary would be 16, assuming they married as soon as legally possible!

I replied to her and said “No, it’s my mum and dads.....?!” She then looked embarrassed and muttered “oh right yes” and went inside.

Good old self-esteem boost there.

GertiMJN · 08/05/2021 08:42

You saying 7 is odd.
Receptionist translating that to 1970 is also odd. She was clearly not thinking about it.

Arbadacarba · 08/05/2021 08:43

The last time I was in the opticians, there was a school girl at the next pod picking up her glasses. She had to give her DOB and I was amused that it was the same as mine, minus 33 years.

allthelittleangelsriseupriseup · 08/05/2021 09:02

DW and I are a same sex couple, both in our late fifties, 14 months between us.
We have BOTH been asked "how is your mother" by people - I mean we are both pretty low maintenance, but I didn't think we looked that rough!

Original poster
Tarabelle · 08/05/2021 09:37

@chloeb8... Oh no, I feel your pain! That’s a serious miscalculation... I’m sure your neighbour must be incredibly bad at maths!
@ElphabaTWitch... ha ha, kids are ‘refreshingly’ honest, aren’t they... The pregnancy thing reminds me of when I was close to my due date for my first and this kindly lady came up to me in the supermarket and said with complete assurance ‘Twins, right?!’
@allthelittleangelsriseupriseup How rude... ! At least it happened to both of you... Wink

OP posts:
SirGawain · 08/05/2021 09:37

So it's the opticians fault that she misunderstod when you didn't make yourself clear?

Original poster
Tarabelle · 08/05/2021 09:42

@SirGawain No, just a bit of lighthearted fun.
Sorry if it’s annoyed you.

OP posts:
Belledan1 · 08/05/2021 13:55

I was talking to the moms as school gate years ago and we organising meal for one of their 40th. They asked quite a new mom if she wanted to come and she said ohh as it's a big birthday for me too. We all thought 40. About a week later she mentioned she was going away for her birthday but in 10 years when 40 she go to New York with her daughter. Thank God she said that as we all thought she looked 40 and probably would have got her a 40 balloon at the meal!!

Bluedeblue · 08/05/2021 14:07

No... because she admitted 1970 and then laughed and said she hadn’t really been thinking when I pointed out that made me 80 or so!

Eh? Is your maths really that bad?

Anyway....when I was 27 and getting some meds for my newborn, the pharmacist asked me whether my son was under or over the age of 16. I mean, I knew I wasn't getting much sleep (!), but that would have made me 11 years old when my child was born! I was quite deflated for the rest of the day.

Curlygirl06 · 08/05/2021 14:37

@ElphabaTWitch

I was told by a very young very innocent toddler family member that I had tinkles. ( wrinkles. I was only just over 30) Same lovely human told me I looked better with makeup after seeing me without. ( which is a bit strange cos I rarely touch the stuff). BEST ONE YET THOUGH.... same small delightful human had a full in argument with me for about a week that I definitely had a baby in my tummy cos I wasn’t the skinny Minnie I used to be. No amount of telling her would have her told though. I was definitely with child. Bless. Kids do make me laugh!
My brother rang to have a chat about my dad when I was on the school run with my grandson, and he asked me what the phone call was about. When I said it was about my dad he said "blimey grandma, no offence but at your age usually your parents are dead!". He's 7, I'm 60 so not quite in my dotage yet!
Original poster
Tarabelle · 08/05/2021 16:00

No... because she admitted 1970 and then laughed and said she hadn’t really been thinking when I pointed out that made me 80 or so!

Eh? Is your maths really that bad?

@Bluedeblue
Aaaaaargh... I keep getting accused of bad maths... She thought my child was born in 1970 (and not 2007) which would mean I’d been born in 1945 or so! Like your experience, a little deflating... Grin

OP posts:
3scape · 08/05/2021 16:12

I'm in my mid 40s and constantly get referred to or assumed to be grandma. So great for the ego Hmm.

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