Do you look younger than your age?

[joneshen]

More than one person has told me that I look 19 or 20 years old; I'm 26! Granted, sometimes I get mistaken for an undergrad at the university where I work, but this has happened outside of the academic enviornment as well.

A friend said I should be happy, especially as I get older. While it may be good for me to look younger when I am 40, now I find it annoying. Who would take me seriously?

Have any of you have been told that you look younger than you are?

[Skyblade]

Yes...I get it all the time, most people say I look like 16 or 17 and I am 23! On top of everything else, my voice sounds kind of young too, I don't know why. One time I had a job interview and one of the ladies that worked there said "Do you need anything to drink, kiddo?" And I knew right there that there was no way I would get this job being called "kiddo."
It is kind of annoying.

[libscigrl]

I get this as well... I'm also 26 years old and recently, I was even carded for a lottery ticket!

But it's most annoying on the job, being surrounded by college students. Time and again I get "So, are you a student here?" or "What is your major?", to which I usually reply, that at one time, "Yes, I was a student here", and/or "Well, my undergrad WAS in psychology and my grad WAS in library & info sci... so what did you say you were looking for?"

And when you're just starting out in your career, you want to be taken seriously and look professional, which the youthful look does not seem to help.

And the "You'll appreciate it when you're older" line is annoying too. It's like, yes, if I still do look young for my age when I'm older. My grandmother has had the best of both worlds: she looked mature for her age when she was young, but has looked young for her age once she started getting "old"--of course I use that in very relative terms. I suppose I'm scared the opposite will happen to me, that one day everyone will start thinking I'm older than I am when I finally get to the age when looking younger is "more appreciated" :(

[Rainster]

"Kiddo" has always been my pet peeve!!! School teachers, sports coaches, COWORKERS, and male friends for some odd reason tend to call me "kiddo." :mad: It's a little condescending.

I'm 24 --I've stopped being carded in bars and restaurants, where I'm usually dressed up a bit. However, when I'm in my scrubs (like jeans and a sweatshirt), I get comments all the time about looking 18 but acting 40. WTF???

[joneshen]

Originally posted by libscigrl
I get this as well... I'm also 26 years old and recently, I was even carded for a lottery ticket!

But it's most annoying on the job, being surrounded by college students. Time and again I get "So, are you a student here?" or "What is your major?"

If I am around undergrads, I get, "What year are you?", to which I usually say, "I'm not a student! I work here full-time."

And when you're just starting out in your career, you want to be taken seriously and look professional, which the youthful look does not seem to help.


That is the main reason this bugs me. How is anyone going to take me seriously if they see me as a punky student, as opposed to a working adult?

[TankgirlyC]

Im 23 and look maybe 20....and get carded WHERE EVER I GO.....bars, resturants.....

I get called kiddo, kid by people at my job....and amongst my friends I dont mind...its managers that Im friendly with that think its funny that bug me.

But then again my friend whose 37 always gets carded too. I hope I look as good as her as I round my late 30s.

[girlinterrupted]

Ah the story of my life! I will be 26 this year, and I still get carded everywhere. I went to the movies last month & went to buy the tickets for an R rated movie while my husband was parking the car, & I got carded there too! I don't even look 17! Gimme a break, people.

But my mom was right, as I get older I get more of a kick out of it.

[Layback]

Hey - that's freakin awesome! I am totally atracted to younger women. I'm 28 - my fiancee is 25. She used to feel that way too. She has a younger voice and looks young.

You guys are going to be attractive for a long time. Men, whether we are 18, 30, 50, or 90 will always be attracted to women that look like they are 18. It's sexy as hell. Enjoy it.

By the way, I used to get picked on all the time when I was younger for being skinny and it toatally affected my confidence. In 7th grade I was like 5'11" and 135 lbs. People used to tell me that someday I would be thankful.

I'm now 6'2", I eat like a pig, and I never gain weight. I weigh 165 and I freaking love it. People still make fun of me for being slim, but it's usually fat older dudes who are jealous. The women who rejected me in high school always give me a second look these days. Ha ha ha - my sweet revenge.

[coll214]

I seem to get both... Sometimes i'm told people think i'm older, say 28 (i'm 25); other times I get carded buying lotto tickets, at the movies (though that hasn't happened in awhile), and at bars. Guess it depends on the clothes for the day and my attitude??

I get the what year am I all the time too since I work at a university. Maybe it's that everyone older seems to think if you'r e in your 20's and at a school that you must be a student?

What kills me though is that my YOUNGER sister never get this or has ever gotten it. Even when we were younger and she should have been carded, i'd be the they'd card... and people who don't know us usually just assume she's older... hmm i wonder if it'll stay that way as we get older :twisted: .

[pisces2473]

Sorry, but Erin does look older than you Coll. I don't know if that good or bad or WHO it's good/bad for! LOL

[coll214]

HaHa Jen... I'd have to say as we get older, it's to my advantage :twisted: .

metfan- don't you just want to throttle the 16yr old twits that call you that? I know I do. lol

[melissa]

I have gotten used to the usual comments about my age. I'm 28 and people are usually surprised when I tell them my age. But one time last year I was travelling with my boss, and the airport worker asked my boss "Is she over 12?" It was kind of ridiculous. My boss and I just stared. It was kind of insulting for both of us...

[pisces2473]

I would have commented to my boss (within earshot of the airport person) "Is (he/she) blind...or just stupid?" :lol:

[cheshrcarol]

I am 25 (26 next week) and last labor day weekend I was up at the lake where my aunt and uncle keep their boat. I was standing with 2 of my cousins, 15 and 12, when one of my aunt and uncle's friends says "so when do you guys go back to school" and looks right at me. I was kind of stumped and said "um...I don't go to school, I graduated from college a few years ago." She was so surprised and said "oh my god, i thought you were 16!"

I get carded a lot too (even at movie theaters) but it bother. It'll bother me more when I don't get carded!

[and1grad]

I'm also 25 and can pass for a high schooler. Personally, I'm able to use it to my advantage more times than not. People tend to think you're naive or not as knowledgeable when it comes to your job. I use this to my advantage by surprising the more "experienced" staff with how much and what i know. You'd be surprised at how easy it is to get a lot of respect QUICKLY just by flexing a lil bit. The only time looking young annoys me is when people look at my class ring and assume its a high school one. "Umm, no...kiddo...thats a college ring."

[MiSweetP]

Oh yeah, just turned 28 in January and I still get carded everywhere I go. On the one hand, it's flattering, and on the other it's an obsticale because I don't feel like I get taken seriously. It's hard to act like a grown up when you don't feel like you look like one. I always thought that when I was an adult...I would be taller, look older, shop at any store I wanted and the clothes would fit, it's sad when most of the clothes in the junior section are still too big. :( And you know, it's sometimes "disturbing" to have a young look, because as some of the men have already pointed out, you get approached and hit on my men who are your father's age. It's just wrong.

[princessmer81]

I am 23 but people always think that I am in high school - a waiter asked if my 15 year old sister and I were twins! She thought that it was really cool but it kind of annoyed me. When I am 30 and she is 23 and someone asks if we are twins I will be like, "yeah, she's 2 minutes older" :) I also sound very young - when I hear myself on my voicemail recording I cringe - I sound like I am 12.

I haven't been called kiddo lately but I absolutley CAN'T STAND IT when people call me "hon" or "honey" - I want to smack them! Does the hon/honey thing bother any one else?

[BeAnAngel]

Well, I am 27 years old. I get told that I look younger all the time. Sometimes it is annoying. Everyone always tells me that it will be great when I am older. But for now I kind of want to look my age. I get carded sometimes; it depends who I am with. My boyfriend says that it depends on what I wear. ...Oh well, guess we will be loving it when we are 30, 40, 50, etc. :)