How do you tell if someone is old?

[Anonymous]

I hate how sunscreen feels (lotion too, but at least you don't sweat under it) but suffer 30-50 spf on my face, or at least have since I turned 30. Always put it on my hands, too. I had several BAD face burns with blisters as a teenager on my face - which scares the beegeesus out of me know that I know better. I am fair skinned, blond, and blue-eyed but I do actually get tan. I also still have oily skin, sweat easily, and get occaisional pimples- ugh!. Still, I am 40 and no one thinks so, and I mean NO one. Everyone thinks I am 32-34. I think its got to be the oily-ness and excessive sweat glands. My head/face sweat more easily than anywhere else and yes, its gross to me, and very annoying. I've thought about getting botox in my sweat glands (to deactivate them) but botox scares me silly (toxins near the brain, no thanks). Anyway, I am here to tell you that sunscreen isnt your best friend, genes are, but still, I wish I had listened to my mother and used on my face my entire life becuase imagine I could look 28 or so if I had!!! 8)

[Anonymous]

Yes, I too am a good 10-20 years older than most moms. At 45 I have an almost two year old. I haven't gotten the cold shoulder from anyone that I know of yet (but, I only hang out with nice moms). Luckily, I still look a bit younger so that probably helps. But, you can tell the nasty moms right off and I keep away from them. They can keep their high-drama self-absorbed pettiness to themselves. The nice thing about being older is you can tell right away who is full of shit.

For me the age give-away is staying in shape. It takes twice the effort and time to keep fit. And time to workout is much more scarce than when I was single. But, hopefully I will figure out a more efficient workout soon enough.

[Anonymous]

Anybody who would be spending time trying to figure out if I am "old" (which OP seems to equate with being in your 40's??) isn't worth my time or energy. Good grief!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anybody who would be spending time trying to figure out if I am "old" (which OP seems to equate with being in your 40's??) isn't worth my time or energy. Good grief!

OP here - I'm in my 40's and I don't think I'm old. It's the other 20 and 30 something moms that think 40 is old.

[Anonymous]

face, hair (if it's thinning or grey), dress. but some women just look young, even when they are 40 they look 30. they are very lucky!

[Anonymous]

They are the calm, serene, wise and friendly moms.

[Anonymous]

They are calm, serene, wise moms who already have plenty of friends, thank you very much, and are not looking to make new ones.

[Anonymous]

This is true. THe 20's moms are very bubbly and talk alot. The 30's moms are talk alot too. The 40's moms I know seem to speak less, seem less emotional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is true. THe 20's moms are very bubbly and talk alot. The 30's moms are talk alot too. The 40's moms I know seem to speak less, seem less emotional.

Yeah, when I look back at my journals from my teens, 20s, 30s, I seem to be obsessed with my feelings and figuring them out. I don't know whether it's because I got so busy with a family, a career, and a long commute or whether I just finally did enough therapy and outgrew something but I don't understand that person in my past. Everything was such a big deal and so overwhelming to her. How did she have so much time to analyze all those feelings?

Now I'm happy to get the dishes washed, the bills paid, the dog walked, the lunches made, and still make it to the gym before I leave for the office in the morning. (from the 53-year-old who would like to have the body of a 20-year-old but not the emotions)

[Anonymous]

That's a lot of journal keeping! Hard to generalize from that, though, because I'd say that such faithful journaling suggests you were especially interested in figuring out your feelings. Maybe that's another thread: how many moms have journals covering multiple decades of their lives... Not a criticism by any means, but it just seems an extraordinary endeavor. I'm not even sure I'm the same person from year to year!

[Anonymous]

ok, I'm curious about something -- where do all you moms in your 40s with young kids live? all of you told of other playgroup moms who were shocked and amazed that you were 40+, because the other moms were '10 years younger.'

where i live -- 20015 -- every single mom with a young kid is 40+. including me. literally, EVERY mom i've met in my neighborhood, and most of them at school (also in 20015) is at least 40. our kids are 2 - 8.

the two exceptions i can think of are my friends who were born in other countries.

to answer the question, i can tell if someone is old because s/he has liver-age spots on the face.

[Anonymous]

old to me is attitude. You can be old at 20 or 50 or never. To me, old is unattractive, and I don't plan to go there. It has nothing to do with appearances, maybe a bit to do with style and fitness, but mostly attitude and an open, growing mind.

[Anonymous]

Face, some roundness (eg Brad Pitt) or thinning (eg Tom Cruise). Body that seems to be compacted, pushed down (eg David Cassidy), or thicker (eg Mariah Carey and Nicolette Sheridan), no longer thin/lean.If in a swimsuit, or without a shirt (guy), loss of muscle and skin tone, skinny (eg guy hawking fitness equipment on infomercial, James Denton and Madonna) if fit and paper looking flabbiness if even slightly overweight.

[Anonymous]

The large economy size of KY jelly in the medicine chest.


Oh, and the JUDGING.