Let me tell you, being ‘baby-faced’ is really bothersome.
Just the other day I answered the door to a salesperson. She, herself appeared to be in her mid-twenties and proceeded to ask me whether my “mom or dad was at home” so she could talk to them. It was fair to say that I was taken aback. I know I look young, but I didn’t think I looked underage.
I first had ‘baby-face’ problems when I started university. On the first day of moving into my dorm, my new flatmates mistook my older sister for the girl settling into No. 433. But at the time, it was no big deal. I thought I would grow out of this baby-face phase. That I’d have three years of drinking and all-night study sessions to mature both physically and mentally.
And I know what you’re thinking.
Yes, I understand that “I’ll be grateful for it when I’m older.” Who doesn’t want to look younger than they are? But the truth is that this never really bothered me until I graduated. University is now a couple of years behind me, and I’m starting my professional career (as a teacher no less), so you could say it’s starting to get to me.
I’ve realised that looking “too young” is an obstacle in my career, one that I am incredibly self-conscious of when I’m in a position of authority. After all, most people equate youth with inexperience. I’ve worked in a lot of primary / elementary schools so far, and most people still think I’m a high-school volunteer. It’s at this point in my life where I’m trying to overcompensate for my youthful looks. Sometimes I take hours to get ready, trying to plaster as much makeup on my face as possible only to dread stepping outside of the house. As silly as it sounds, it triggers my anxiety more often than not. So now I’m left wondering – what can I do to change my this baby-face of mine?
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