To want to look my age?!

[wingingit33]

I'm 34 and yet I look 14. Honestly. I'm sick of the stares and comments when I tell people I'm a mum of three and the eldest is 12.

I dress to my age. I think so anyway! My hair is always shoved up in a ponytail or mum bun otherwise the baby yanks it.

It's becoming a bore now though. Yes "I'll appreciate it when I'm older" blah blah but what can I do to look like the professional woman / mid thirties mum that I am!!?

100% agree. It's career limiting also. I'm much happier now I look a bit older (at 41)

Sounds like a stealth boast to this 36 year old 😂

Hasn’t this been done to death?

I don't think there's much you can do if you have a young face. My husband is nearly 37 but looks about 17. He still has to carry his ID on him whenever he goes out or buys a bottle of wine from the supermarket. I don't look quite as young as him, but I'm nearly 10 years younger than him but do occasionally still get ID'd.

YANBU.

It has been done to death on here but that doesn't matter so have 100s if other things.

It's frustrating and confidence draining and the judgemental looks and comments are hurtful and you are allowed to be annoyed by that.

Mumsnet doesn't take kindly to it for some reason though, give it 10 mins and this thread will be full of

"Nice stealth boast"
"I have never met a 30 year old who looks 15 you must be deluded"
"I wish that was my biggest problem"

Etc etc. But if you are unhappy with so many things in life you can actively do something to change it but you can't change your face, not in any helpful way that I am aware of anyway.

Totally agree! Have experienced this for years, wonder when I'll finally start looking older (think having two kids must surely have aged me).

I'm 29 and got asked why I wasn't at school the other week when I was with my mum. As for the people that thinks it about boasting, it's not she was dead serious!Think it just doesn't help that I'm only 5ft.

Can totally relate. Now I'm 41 I look maybe late 20s rather than 16, so it's slightly better but everyntime anyone finds out my age they genuinely seem shocked and think I'm lying. Absolutely hate it. Doesn't get to me so much these days but it's very frustrating.

My 38 yr old friend went to a very exclusive lingerie shop and was advised to come back with her mother.

Who says you look 14? If you have a 12-year-old daughter then surely you can look at her face and then yours in the mirror and acknowledge that at 22 years older than her, you have a very different face?

I’m 35 and get IDed in stores all the time. I don’t assume it’s because I look like a teenager. I do not look like a teenager. I don’t even look under 25. I look like a well-kept, well-groomed, well-moistured thirty-something who gets a lot of sleep and doesn’t have much hardship in my life, which is exactly what I am. People are just bad at judging age, particularly if they have a stereotype about what X age “should” look like.

It doesn't help that teenage characters on tv are played by much older actors. That's understandable, but unless people are around teenagers day to day they forget what an actual teen looks like.

I'm not sure there is much you can do OP, other than maybe looking more "groomed" - nice hair and all that nonsense. Personally I cba with that with a small baby, but I do get how annoying it is (although fortunately I only get mid 20s guesses rather than 14 now)

It's highly unlikely that you look 14.

Put it this way, I took my 12 year old for her hpv vaccine and the nurse thought I was the patient.

Not sure of an answer but 100% see why this is annoying you.

I really doubt you look 14. How often does the subject of your age actually come up in conversation?

You asked what you can do to look older in your OP- take on loads of stress, smoke and drink lots, don't sleep, eat trash all the time, sunbathe. Those are the the things I can think of that may 'age' you.

I'm 34, look young for my age (not 14 but could pass for 10 years younger at a push, realistically look 27/28) and I unashamedly enjoy it. No stealth boast necessary 😁

I think people tend to take an all over glance and judge age and attractiveness. When you actually concentrate and look at the face you realise that they are plain or have more wrinkles than you thought initially.
If you want to look your age I would suggest a makeover.
Some people if they are slim with a young looking hair and dress young can look from a distance or a quick glance younger than their age. For example if you are a size 6 or 8uk and 5ft tall with trendy hair cut wearing clothes an 18 year old might wear you would look at first glance young. Most people are too polite to stare long enough to assess age accurately. .. They just take in your whole look, body shape, walk and dress sense.

No woman in their 30s looks 14. Genuinely.

How strange, I've never seen anybody of 34 look younger than maybe mid 20s. Are you particularly teeny tiny?

Have to say many teen girls look older so it skews things. There are 16 year olds with hair, eyelashes and make up looking 22-24. If you are a different ethnicity to the person assessing your age they may guess younger because not familiar with how your ethnicity ages.

Worked for me.

Is it your face or build that makes people think you are a teenager OP? (or both?)

I know people who look younger than their years but genuinely can't imagine how a 34yo can look 14!

This is me at 37 but I like it especially as I get older. I always get shocked looks when I tell people my age and that I'm a mum of 2. But My work colleagues treat me the same as everyone else. I have oily skin so that helps with the lack of wrinkles.

Enjoy it!

😂Sorry, this made me chuckle 🤗Now I'm wondering what you look like!

I look younger than most teenage girls I know so OP is probably not exaggerating. But I'm short petite and have a round baby face

My face is very round which I guess makes me look younger iykwim. I'm 5'5 and 9 stone so slim/average build. Maybe I need to make more of an effort to dress "older". Default uniform is skinny jeans, trainers and a jumper from high street shops.