making assumptions about family relationsships

[Jones]

My SIL is a different race from me/DH/my kids. She is also about 10 years younger than DH, and looks even younger than she is. Somehow, she's been mistaken as the children's parents by multiple people; fortunately, she hasn't gotten the teenage mother lecture, although DH gets dirty looks when they are out together with the kids, and one older woman asked SIL how she had SUCH a LARGE baby with her petite frame.

People shock me. Probably should get used to them though.

[SoCalVal]

The sibling age gap to beat them all...

My SIL has a brother 27 years younger than her, a few years younger than her own son!  I can only imagine the assumptions people will make in years to come.

I thought I'd have you beat, but my mother is only 24 years older than her youngest sister (who is nine months older than me).  I have two siblings who are older than her.  They didn't grow up together (my mom and aunt) so those assumptions never happened (and we're a pretty young looking bunch so it was more people thinking for years my parents were my siblings).  Mom moved out before Aunt was conceived -- my grandmother decided to try for Aunt after Mom and my sibs moved to the US to join Dad because she missed my sister so much (the first grandchild).

[Adelaide]

My brother is 18 and looks like he's 30 and I'm 22 and look 17 without doing my makeup/hair, so we're often mistaken for a couple. It's quite vexing.  (Whenever I walk into Sephora the saleswomen insist that glittery eyeshadow and hair tinsel are the "new things!" for prom.)

And I like older men, but even when I'm out and Dressed Up with the appropriate makeup/outfit on, someone will inadvertently assume the guy I'm with is my father-this happens even if he's only 10 or so years older. Once, as a senior in college, I was out with someone and the waitress, who I knew casually, chirped "Oh, is this your daddy?" I held my breath because he was typically a rather serious person, former military, and I didn't think he'd take kindly to being referred to as my father. He just winked and said "Only sometimes" before handing her his credit card. After I told him not to make sugar daddy comments to people I had to see again, he patted me on the head and told me that I was breaking the curfew law.   

[Dazi]

The sibling age gap to beat them all...

My SIL has a brother 27 years younger than her, a few years younger than her own son!  I can only imagine the assumptions people will make in years to come.

I thought I'd have you beat, but my mother is only 24 years older than her youngest sister (who is nine months older than me).  I have two siblings who are older than her.  They didn't grow up together (my mom and aunt) so those assumptions never happened (and we're a pretty young looking bunch so it was more people thinking for years my parents were my siblings).  Mom moved out before Aunt was conceived -- my grandmother decided to try for Aunt after Mom and my sibs moved to the US to join Dad because she missed my sister so much (the first grandchild).

My Stepmother has you both beat with a younger sibling that was born when she was 33.  After her mother passed away her father married a much younger woman and they had a child when he was in his mid 60s.

[elephantschild]

DH just called me at work with a certain bemused tone in his voice. 

He was walking with our 4-year-old son at a local park when they passed two women, one about 60, the other perhaps 80.

They called out, "Oh, your grandson is so cute!"

He handled it well; just responded, "Thanks, but he's my son" with a smile. (DH is 45. Technically, he could be DS' grandpa.)

That's when it gets even weirder. One woman felt obligated to point out that, oh, she just thought that because DH has so much gray in his beard.    Then the other chimed in that "Gray is a gift from God!"

OK, then. I don't think he was so much bothered by the assumption as baffled by the fact they just had to point out his gray. 

[gramma dishes]

"Gray is a gift from God!"

I never realized God loved me so much!!   

[MummyPumpkin83]

The sibling age gap to beat them all...

My SIL has a brother 27 years younger than her, a few years younger than her own son!  I can only imagine the assumptions people will make in years to come.

I thought I'd have you beat, but my mother is only 24 years older than her youngest sister (who is nine months older than me).  I have two siblings who are older than her.  They didn't grow up together (my mom and aunt) so those assumptions never happened (and we're a pretty young looking bunch so it was more people thinking for years my parents were my siblings).  Mom moved out before Aunt was conceived -- my grandmother decided to try for Aunt after Mom and my sibs moved to the US to join Dad because she missed my sister so much (the first grandchild).

My Stepmother has you both beat with a younger sibling that was born when she was 33.  After her mother passed away her father married a much younger woman and they had a child when he was in his mid 60s.

I've just read about this family http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/three-generations-of-family-give-birth-1156795 in the uk.

This man has become a father (again) grandfather and great-grandfather within the space of 3 months.

[Knitterly]

That was a really interesting story!!

[MummyPumpkin83]

Should have said, it could be interesting if they are all in the same class at school!

[kherbert05]

Should have said, it could be interesting if they are all in the same class at school!

I've had an Aunt and Niece in the same class/grade before. The aunt liked to play it up a bit when they were little. They are quite good friends now.

[PastryGoddess]

I have 3 sets of aunts who are really aunt/niece combos.  My Grandmother (mom's mom) and her mother(mom's grandmom} were pregnant at the same time, 3 different times.  They call each other sisters and I call them all aunts

[SoCalVal]

I've had an Aunt and Niece in the same class/grade before. The aunt liked to play it up a bit when they were little. They are quite good friends now.

I was in a college class with my youngest aunt once (the one I mention upthread).  We ran into each other on the first day of class, not knowing the other was attending the school.  She was embarrassed to be know as my aunt so she asked me not to tell anyone (at the time this happened, we would've been the same age since it was a summer class, I would've just had my 18th birthday and her birthday would not yet have happened so she also would've still been 18).  I thought it was hilarious, but I didn't tell anyone in class, as she wished.

[wonderfullyanonymous]

One night I was ringing out a Hispanic couple with three children. There were 2 older, and an infant. The whole family looked alike, same features, skin color, hair, except for the baby. While the baby had the features, she was lighter skinned, brown eyes, but FLAMING red hair.

I said, I'm really sorry, but I have to ask, where did she get that red hair? I said, I can tell she is yours, her features are exact to the 2 older kids, and she resembles you two. 

They laughed, and she said she has an uncle with the same hair color.

I guess that's not the first time who got that question.

No, they said, it wasn't.

[kherbert05]

One night I was ringing out a Hispanic couple with three children. There were 2 older, and an infant. The whole family looked alike, same features, skin color, hair, except for the baby. While the baby had the features, she was lighter skinned, brown eyes, but FLAMING red hair.

I said, I'm really sorry, but I have to ask, where did she get that red hair? I said, I can tell she is yours, her features are exact to the 2 older kids, and she resembles you two. 

They laughed, and she said she has an uncle with the same hair color.

I guess that's not the first time who got that question.

No, they said, it wasn't.

Brett has the most gorgeous hair color - but he is going to have trouble naming it on any official document. Depending on the light it he is a towhead, dirty blond, strawberry blond, red head. One of BIL's relatives was marveling at the mystery of genetics and mentioned that Brett looks like an exact cross between Sis and BIL except for the hair no-one in either family is a towhead or redhead. Sis and I burst out laughing. Sis was a towhead, Mom and I both have dark hair with natural red highlights. Then we started counting off the towheads and red heads in each of the four branches of our family that we really know. 2 of those branches are Irish decent, 1 is Scottish both with a couple of  Arcadian great-great grandparents. I'm the only one on Dad's side in the 1st cousins that had dark hair as a child out of 5. On Mom's side there are 26 or so first cousins and only 3 of us had dark hair as children. Most of the towheads darkened in adolescence to dirty blond/light brown.

[*new*mommyagain36]

About a month ago DS (18) and I were at a family members church gathering.  My hubby and toddler daughter were also with us.  Several hours into the day an elderly woman approached me in the ladies room and said "he's a little young for you dear."  Confused, I asked for clarification.  She had assumed my son was my boyfriend!  I smiled and said, "he's my son, ma'am" and walked out barely able to hold in my laughter.  That was definitely "an interesting assumption!" on her part.