To think that 26 is not "nearly 30"?

[navyblues]

My DM referred to me being 26 as being "nearly 30" said it in a negative tone implying I'm really old. AIBU to think it's not nearly 30 and is still mid-20s?

It is mid 20s but it's closer to 30 than 20 😉

It’s getting there 😬

I don't think "nearly 30" is "really old"
(Anymore...)

It's nearer to 30 than 20

It's not nearly 30, no.

The reason I ask is because my DM has always been really weird about my age. I remember finding it really upsetting as a child how much of a big deal she would make about how old I was and implying my age was a bad thing. I was always expected to act older than I was and remember being told at 8 that I was now too old to play with toys. When I was 21 I had a bad back because of an injury and she said it wasn't an injury, it was because I was getting old/ageing.

As a result I feel really overly sensitive to whenever she talks about my age and her saying I'm nearly 30 when I still have 4 years left of my 20s just made me feel the same kind of feeling. It's not said in a factual way (I don't care if I'm nearly 30) but rather it's the way she says it as if she is implying it's a bad thing.

I'm 36 in November and see myself as nearly 40....

Just say it back! If my mum said shit like that (she wouldn't). I'd say something like "ermmm, I'm never going to catch you up though". Weird

OMG!! You're so old, you're almost in my age bracket..... (40-45)

Of course it's not nearly 30. You have four years left which is nearly half the decade left. It's mid 20s. When you are less than six months of 30 you are nearly 30.

It is closer to 30 than 20, but there is a BIG difference between 26 year olds and 30 year olds.

I'm 36 and really starting to feel 40 looming, but the years seem to go more quickly as you get older (or maybe it's having kids) - I didn't feel 'nearly 30' at 26 at all.

@navyblues

The reason I ask is because my DM has always been really weird about my age. I remember finding it really upsetting as a child how much of a big deal she would make about how old I was and implying my age was a bad thing. I was always expected to act older than I was and remember being told at 8 that I was now too old to play with toys. When I was 21 I had a bad back because of an injury and she said it wasn't an injury, it was because I was getting old/ageing.

As a result I feel really overly sensitive to whenever she talks about my age and her saying I'm nearly 30 when I still have 4 years left of my 20s just made me feel the same kind of feeling. It's not said in a factual way (I don't care if I'm nearly 30) but rather it's the way she says it as if she is implying it's a bad thing.

My mum was the same. She clearly had severe issues surrounding her own age and was very insecure about it therefore tried to make me insecure about mine. My theory is that she thought that if she could make a young person think/feel they were old when it was in fact nonsense then her feeling old was nonsense too and she was actually still young. I'm not sure if that makes sense, I don't think I'm working it very well.

Your mums sounds weird AF. Does she struggle with getting older herself maybe and so is projecting on to you?

I guess she has issues with her own age. Tell her to stop being weird about your age and that it upsets you.

Nah you are "in your early 20s" until you are 27.5 year old. You are then "in your mid 20s" for the next 2 years and "in your late 20s" for at least the next 18 months after that.

Im 48 and consider myself as nearly 50

I'm 29 now, when I was 26 I did think I was near 30...now I'm really near 30 🤣. Once you're over 25 your technically in your late 20s? It's not a bad thing though not sure why your mom trys to make you feel that way . .maybe she has issues with her own age so projects it onto you? Ignore! X

I always start thinking of myself as nearly-the-next-decade once I get to xty-six. It means it doesn't feel like such a change to my self-identity when I reach the decade. I've been 'nearly fifty' for over a year now.

I'm 41 and keep thinking I'll soon be 45 then 50!

The comment when you were 8, wow. We've been to a lot of 10 year olds' birthday parties recently and they got a lot of toys.... I'm pretty sure an 8 year old not having toys would be seen as neglect now. Your DM has a very fucked up attitude to age. A bad back at 21 is not due to aging, 26 is not nearly 30 and not old.

She sounds very odd.

I'd be tempted to say "if you seriously think 26 is old, you must feel ancient".

You are most definitely young OP, enjoy it!

You’re in your mid 20s. You’ll be in your late 20s when you turn 27. At 29 you will be nearly 30. All of these ages are young.

Age is still a relative thing of course, but your mum's attitude sounds odd and out of kilter with norms, especially the toys at 8 comment. No medical doctor would call a 21 year old in relation to a back issue.

FWIW I’m 40 and my mum called me ‘young’ only yesterday. I think it’s because however old I get, I will always be younger than her and my siblings!

21-23 early 20s
24-26 mid 20s
27-29 late 20s

That's how I do it. And for 30s etc I'm 36 nearly 37 so I would say I'm mid nearly late 30s

I'm 39 and not nearly 40 (4 1/2 months left) 🤣