How many people look their age? and does looking one's age has anything to do with kids?

[diabeticman]

My wife is going to be the big 40 this year. No she doesn't mind me saying this because she doesn't feel like it. She feels like she is in her mid 20s. Both my wife and I look younger than the ages we really are. We never really thought about it that much expect the last couple of months. Well my wife has in the last couple of months. One of her clients had a brother in town and well he assumed my wife was in her early 20s. She has had a couple clients also can't believe she is going to turn 40. One thought she was in her 20s while the other thought early 30s.

My wife was shooked at that idea. She never really thought about her looks not that she looks at herself in the mirror much.

Well, today my wife met up with a girl she went to school with and she looked at my wife and asked her who did her work?

My wife was shocked by her question and well not sure what she ment and said "I'm a home health aid"

Woman said "no, who did your lift."

My wife explained she never had work done. My wife also found out the woman had 4 kids and of course the woman bragged about having them. My wife explained that we didn't have kids.

We have tried but unfortunately we haven't had them.

Anyways the woman shrugged. Must be nice to have no stress in your life. Maybe if I was selfish enough not to have kids I'd look like I did in high school. She also did remind my wife that she has gain a lot of weight since high school.

My wife wasn't that hurt by that comment. She has been fat all her life and been on every diet. She doesn't want that band thing doesn't feel it is safe. She tries to eat healthy when we can and just goes about her life.

BUt that run in has her really irked about looking so young. I don't know why it is so important to her to look her age when most women would kill her her luck but she almost views it as a curse.

any suggestions?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I think it has more to do with plain old heredity than anything else.

I have been "accused" of having "work" done, and apparently I look 10-15 years younger than my actual age, but this seems to run in the family - we just don't wrinkle very much. I don't have kids, but I doubt that has anything to do with it.

[NYC_SKP]

2. That woman is crude and rude and doesn't deserve your friendship.

I'm sorry I don't have any advice about your wife not looking older, that's a rare problem to hear from people past their 20's.

[nolabear]

3. Genes. Mr. Bear looks rather younger than me. He's not...much.

And we've had the same life stressors, his even are quite a bit more because he has cardiac issues. But he's just boyish looking. Well, not really boyish any more but boyish-fifties.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

4. I think what may really be bothering your lovely wife

is her weight and not her youthful appearance. Weight tends to keep the skin from wrinkling, so most heavier people, in my experience, look younger than they are. She has, perhaps unconsciously, projected her bad feelings about her weight onto her youthful appearance.

As far as the ignorant classmate who was unconscionably rude, her kids did not age her... her nasty disposition did that. I had three babies within 3 years and 4 months...I was 31 having the first and 34 when the last was born. I looked in my 20s then and but for my totally silver hair (genetic) look considerably younger than my soon to be 66.

Tell your wife she is beautiful and blessed with a youthful appearance which matches her kind heart. I say that because your wife must be kind... I would have let the rude witch have it right between the eyes... with a sympathetic clucking over the fact that her children had caused her so many problems she had prematurely aged.

[pipi_k]

5. Genes plus

A few other things

I quit smoking almost 18 years ago, don't really drink, never spent a lot of time in the sun

Plus a little extra "padding" does tend to make a person look somewhat younger. My face is relatively smooth, and I don't have "turkey neck", which I probably would have if I were way thinner than I am now.


I'm 61 but probably look 45. My next younger sister is 59 but looks at least five years older than that. She smokes and drinks and is thin. She never had kids. I had three (2 living).

So many variables...