The next person to glare...

[MiloMorai]

Heheheh, to the young looking women and the guy that looks a few yrs older, this isn't bad just kind of funny:

I'm about to hit 40 but with my health lately and the fact I haven't trimmed my beard in a couple months I look about 50 or maybe more when I went to the ER. My mom took me and when the nurse was getting everything ready to release me she said something to my mom and the reply was "I'm his mother."

The double take on the nurse was really funny because I had told mom that I looked older than her when we were headed for the entrance.

[BookstoreEscapee]

My great grandparents were 15 and 21 when they got married. But that was in Sicily in 1900 (my dad recently came across their marriage certificate, along with my great-grandfather's naturalization application and certificate from 1917). It does make a difference when and where things happen. There are different standards in different times and cultures. That's just a fact.

I took a class like that in high school. It was called Living with Children, and for the first part of the year we did child development and all that stuff, then from the end of January to May we ran a pre-school (there were 2 LWC classes, and the preschoolers' "day" ran over both periods, so they were there about an hour and a half, with 2 sets of about 15 "student teachers" and the actual teacher. (Ironically, I was actually in that class when I was 4.)

During the child development phase of the class, we did the baby thing for a week. We got to use whatever doll we wanted, though. One girl did have a baby that actually cried, but it was just a toy, not one that was meant to teach you what it's like to have a baby. Mine was my Cabbage Patch Preemie. My friend Jay babysat for me when I was in gym class.

I also have a cousin who has a half brother approximately 30 years younger than him. I imagine people think they are father and son when they are together. Their father was around 60 (I think) when the younger one was born.

[blas]

If my grandpa (dad's dad) was still alive, he'd be 96 with a 46 year old son.

[RedRoseSpiral]

Warning, some language.

I had a friend who because of her birthday she started school late and had also gotten held back a year because of illness who got her drivers license in 8th grade. She's was about 15 and would do small errands for her mother like driving her back and forth from places and picking up her younger siblings from day care. Simple things since she was still pretty young to be driving. One day she was at the mall waiting for her mom to get off work and come to the food court. She had brought her youngest sister (almost two) with her to pick up their mother. Some old lady comes up to her starts calling her a little whore.

MF: My Friend
LS: Little Sister (just learning to talk)
OC: Old Cow

MF: Excuse me? Mind shutting your mouth and leaving me alone you old bitch.
OC: What were you a 12 year old hooker? What a dirty slut.
LS: Mean lady go! GO! Sissy make go!
OC: What did she just call you? ::making the connections with what brain cells are left::
MF: She called me sissy because I'm her sister. Now how about you leave me alone and go bother someone else before I call security on you.

The old cow left in a hurry after that. It wasn't the first time something like that happened. She'd get glares all the time from people usually 50 or old if she was strolling around the mall waiting on her mom with her siblings. It still boggles my mind how closed mind these people are. I'm boggled further by the fact that I've seen some of these older people who after just acting like totally asses go on about how they should be respected if someone stands up to them.

[Nox]

I musn't have explained it well, putting the key in it's back just records how long you took to get to the baby. THEN you had to find out if it was hungry, needed it diaper changed, just wanted attention, etc. It also recorded if you dropped it's head back at all.

It's interesting to hear everyone's stories on this sort of thing. It just made me so goddamn angry. They didn't know anything about her, yet they were so happy to hate her for it.

[lightmylamb]

Where I live, there's a bit of a problem with women getting pregnant very young, and very often. I live in a small town, and very few girls have gotten pregnant in high school, that I know of, but I believe some have dropped out once they became pregnant. I have never seen anyone around town giving these girls the stink eye due to excessive amounts of children or pregnancy, though there has been a bit of whispering after they've left. I mention this, because it would seem the perfect time for old prudes to come out and point fingers, but the old people around here have hobbies.

Generally, I think if you're a teen mother, and actually trying to raise your baby, not just keeping it alive so you can get financial assistance, then that's your business, and good for you. Although, usually when I see teens with kids I just assume they're siblings.

[smileyeagle1021]

my mother has had the exact opposite problem with me... she hates coming to salt lake because i look exactly how old I am (give or take a year or 2) especially when I wear steretypical college clothes and my mother looks older than she is (and she was fairly old when I was born, 33 years old, not that old but I was her first and only...) so when we go to restaurants we get comments from the waitress all the time about how sweet it is that I'm taking my grandma out for (insert meal).
it may be important to point out that in utah couples typically start out having kids

[Becks]

I spent most of my formative years in Milwaukee (which, for many years, had-and might still have-the largest teen prenancy rate in the US). There's also a sizable Asian population where they get married quite young and have babies soon after.

Of course, the studies never pointed out how many teenage mothers were MARRIED.

[redmountaingoldfish]

Personally, if I saw a teenage girl holding a baby I make the connection that it was her sibling or cousin. I would not go straight to the mother-child relationship unless I knew it for a fact.

Maybe its because I have a bajillion cousins and second cousins ranging from 0 to 35, with me being in the middle, so whenever there's a family function there's always someone holding a random baby.

Or maybe it because I'm not a grouchy old person who hates those "damn slutty kids."

[BookstoreEscapee]

yet they were so happy to hate her for it.

I think you hit the nail on the head with this phrase. A lot of people judge others because it makes them feel better about themselves...

Speaking of teen mothers...I heard a story last week about a girl in Argentina who has 7 kids and has just turned 17. She had the first at 14, then two sets of triplets in the next 2 1/2 years. Yikes.

[Broomjockey]

Personally, if I saw a teenage girl holding a baby I make the connection that it was her sibling or cousin. I would not go straight to the mother-child relationship unless I knew it for a fact.

Ditto. I mean, the thought sometimes crosses my mind, but if there's two kids, I'm usually thinking siblings, especially on the bus.

[wolfie]

Speaking of teen mothers..

I can beat that - on the radio last week, they were talking about someone who was scheduled to give birth on her seventh birthday. Of course, she was born on Feb. 29th.

[myswtghst]

Ditto. I mean, the thought sometimes crosses my mind, but if there's two kids, I'm usually thinking siblings, especially on the bus.

Pretty much same for me. I baby sat for most of my youth, and would often take the kids out to the park. I even went on vacation with a family, parents had their own room, I stayed with the kids in our own room, and we did our thing the whole trip. Thankfully, I don't think anyone mistook me for their mother.

[Saydrah]

Even if it was a real baby, it didn't necessarily mean your friend gave birth to it. She could have simply been the babysitter, older sister, cousin, etc.

People are too quick to assume sometimes.

So true! I have a 7yo niece and I always get everyone saying, "And would your daughter like...?" or "What will your daughter order?" when I'm in public with her. Luckily I look a fair bit older than I am and I live in a town that is pretty parenting-friendly so I haven't experienced many glares or "slut" comments, but I do get some kind of pointed comments about her age- she also looks older than she is, so with how old people tell me I look, plus her looking more like 9, I would have been 16 or so when I had her if she were my daughter and both of us actually were the ages we look.

I usually say, "Thanks for the compliment- she's a wonderful kid and I'm flattered you think she's mine, but I can't take credit!" All of the above said in a simpering tone with a sweet Southern accent, akin to, "Why bless your little hearts..."

[draftermatt]

Wow, what is with some people?

My sister in law had her son at 17, I've never noticed glares when we go out though. And oddly enough no one ever thinks he's my wife and my child.

My brother in law is 11 (my wife 23) so she sometimes would get "I hope he isn't yours" when out with him.

But I'm like most of you, I assume baby sitter or sibling, or cousin, etc. when I see someone young looking with a child. I never, ever assume anything about the paterninty or maternity of children unless I know the person, or see it being born, or the kid is saying "mama" or "dada" or it's nursing.

It's none of my business.