BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Being CF and Looking Younger

I want to put this question out there. We all know of people who have kids and these parents tend to look much older than they really are. We also know of people who are CF who are many times mistaken for being younger than they really are.

For example, I am newly 33 and my hubby and I are child free. Many people I work with mistake me for being about 27/28 years old. This has happened many times here at work. When I tell someone my real age the response is typically "Really?? You look like you are about 28 or so." THey tend to be surprised when I tell them that they are mistaken. On the flip side, at my last job, I worked with a woman who I had not met when I started the job because she was out on maternity leave after having baby #2. When she came back from leave, I was floored because even though at that time she was about 32 years old, she looked like she was at least 40. Not that 40 is old by a long shot, but she did not look like a woman who just emerged from her 20's. She looked frumpy, dumpy, tired, haggered and old. I think the surprise was written all over my face when I met her. I actually asked a co-worker how old this woman was because I thought that maybe she was 40-ish and was just having babies later in life. She wasn't.

So, my question is this....Do any of you, being CF, run into the situation that people generally think that you are younger than you actually are? I'm curious.

I turned 40 this year. (Shhhhhh.......I'm trying to keep it a secret.) Most people think I look in my early 30's. When they ask me my age, I tell them to guess. They usually guess younger and I just agree with whatever they say!

People also routinely mistake me for being the youngest of my sisters....I'm the middle of 3 sisters.

I don't know if it's all due to being CF. They is a woman at work who is the same age as me, but she is CL not CF. Everyone sees her as really old. It has to do with attitude. She seems to be pretty bitter at life. A positive, happy outlook really does preserve you!

I'm 27 and up until about 2 years ago I was frequently mistaken for a high schooler. Now people think I'm in undergraduate school. They are always shocked when I tell them my real age. I think it's because us CFers often have more time to take care of ourselves.

I have a co-worker who has a 4-year-old. She's 34, but she looks like she's 40. Smoking didn't help, but she put on a lot of weight after having the baby, and she doesn't even try to make her hair look nice, so she does look much older than she really is.

I find this all so interesting. My sister is 30, not married and no kids either, and she gets carded at restaurants, wine shops, events with alcohol, etc. People find it hard to believe that she is 30. She is about to enter law school after working in the legal field for 8 years and people always think that she is in her early 20's, if even that. Obviously, she acts her age but does not look her age.

I find this interesting as we all do know that a hard life or tough circumstances can affect your health and appearance. I wonder, on average, how many parents look older than they are and how many CF look younger than they really are. Kids can cause stress and worry in parents so maybe there is something to this. Who knows, but it is interesting.

I think it might have to do with how childbirth impacts the body. They say that each pregnancy ages a woman - think about how much effort her body is going through in order to nourish another being. I also agree with the idea that we're just happier in general and more carefree.

I, too, am CF, aged 28, and I am still carded everywhere. People assume I'm an intern at my work because I look so young. My husband looks younger when he doesn't have facial hair, but because of his goatee, people assume he's older - and I'm almost two years older than he is!

I suspect a lot of it has to do with attitude. I'm forever being told that I don't act 40, and while I think I certainly look it, most people I meet pick me as between 35 and 37.

I'm sure there's a lot to the CF lifestyle and looking younger. More time for you = more time to work out, time to look after skin/hair/nails, more sleep (yay for sleep!) and just more downtime. We're less stressed and less burned out.

Trisharoni, your cat is hilarious.

That cat reminds me of a sea otter, floating on his back trying to open a clam shell! LOL!

Cindy

I agree its attitude and having the time, money and inclination to look after yourself - good grooming, hair, nails, clothing...also, having the opportunity to explore all sorts of life experiences (travelling, hobbies and interests) keeps you fresh and interesting.
My BIL is 72 and looks about 60 - he's a retired pilot - I forget he's a few years younger than my mother - he's spent his life sailing, flying, playing golf and tennis - enjoying life. He hasn't had the stress and expense of kids and it shows...he says, "there is nothing more aging than a 45 year old calling you Dad and asking for money!"....good point.
They have just returned from an 8 week train trip through China into Russia travelling through all sorts of interesting countries. This wasn't a "once in a lifetime" trip - he has spent his entire life coming back from somewhere amazing...
He told me last year that his friends used to think he was "missing out" with no kids - now, they look at him and wonder whether they were the ones that "missed out"...even in their 70s many of his friends are still supporting kids, paying off debts and caring for grandkids.
My BIL says that most of them still say they intend to "see the world" and do other things, "when they retire", "when the kids are sorted" - sadly, several of his friends have died before they got there...

I think height has something to do with this as well. I have noticed that those of us below 5 foot 3 are mistaken for being younger. I am nearly 29, as is a coworker of mine , we are both CF. I am mistaken for being 18 and she is mistaken for younger as many times she is still given the children's menu. We are both between 5 and 5 feet 1. This happens to nearly everyone I know who is short, including my husband who is 31. People think he is 25. However if he didn't shave his head people would think he was older due to the receding hairline.

The physical, emotional, and financial strain of my knee injury aged me a bit, as did the weight I put on in those first two years of limping afterwards. (A major decrease in physical activity will do that!) So now, five years later, I'm not mistaken for a high schooler nearly as often. These days, people think I'm in the 18-21 range!

But I'm short- just a smidge under 5'2". And I agree that plays a part. At this height, I have to look up to most people and they seem to think it's because I'm not done growing. I just come from short people. Both parents are short... Mom is 5'4" and Dad is 5'6". I come from a tribe of midgets.