Having Kids: Does It Age You Faster or Keep You Younger?

Midget-Gasoline-Theives

Ok, so I won’t beat around the bush on this one.

I am completely and utterly in the age you faster boat over here and I am totally envious of those who claim they look and feel younger since having kids!

I have to admit that looking in the mirror recently I have begun to wonder who this haggard looking woman is, this new (older) version of myself. I always looked young for my age and dined out on the stories of being ID’d in my late 20’s but lately I have really started to catch up to my age.

Let’s talk about what pregnancy and kids can do to a woman’s appearance, body and sanity shall we and then move on to some quick fixes (well, they kinda fix things for a few weeks anyway!).

I love lists, so let’s start by making one of those!

  • Did you ever notice how much of your hair falls out during pregnancy resulting in those super attractive bald patches? Only to suddenly reappear months after the baby has arrived by growing back as wispy little hairs (that can’t be tamed no matter how much product you use) growing back right on your hairline?
  • To add insult to injury, sometime they come back grey. So unfair! I now have wispy grey buggers that stand right up on top of my head. I took to them with tweezers the other day. I may live to regret this! Everything I read said that the whole ‘pull out one grey hair and get multiple growing back’ is a myth but knowing my luck it will be the bloody truth! I’ll just have to keep hacking away at the little bastards. I refuse to go grey quietly at only 33!
  • Hair grows faster! I’m not talking about on my head anymore. I’m talking everywhere. What is with that?! I pluck my eyebrows and the next day they are growing back!
  • I can’t bathe my children and then stand up again. Seriously. I am like the hunch back of Notre Dame after bathing the kids. You bend over to wash their hair and the next minute you are in agony trying to straighten back up again while your children laugh at you. 10 minutes later …
  • ^ The same as above after shaving your legs in the shower.
  • Varicose veins. Soooo attractive!
  • You lose your memory. How many times have you boiled the jug to make a coffee (mmm, coffee!) and wandered off only to forget you had boiled it, so boiled it again? And again. My power bill won’t be thanking me.
  • Still on the memory topic – words escape you. You can be half way through a sentence when you stop suddenly because: A. You’ve forgotten the right word for what you are saying; or B. You have completely forgotten what you were talking about.
  • Winter sets in and your knees creak and crack and ache in the cold. You require a blanket over your legs like an old lady to keep the pain at bay.
  • You’re so tired you start getting that really attractive run down complexion. The ‘oh so lovely’ adult acne you never dreamed you would still have to deal with in your 30’s, not to mention (shock horror!) wrinkles. And your kids love to point them out: ‘Mummy, why do you have lines on your forehead?’, followed closely by ‘Mummy, why are your eyes so red?’.

Unfortunately there are really no quick fixes on the memory loss or dopiness (yes, I appear dopey much of the time as I walk into door frames – that happened again today) but the appearance side of things can be worked on.

  • Get your hair done and cover up those greys. I have no choice but to do blonde foils these days. Blonde comes with it’s own set of problems (like regrowth) but dark just shows the grey too readily.
  • Try an at home facial – exfoliate, apply a mask (it will entertain the kids if nothing else!) and apply some expensive moisturiser (if you don’t own any or ‘expensive’ is currently outside of your limit, get a sample from the chemist to ‘try’). Not that I do that. Ever.
  • Pluck your eyebrows but don’t get too carried away! Nothing worse than accidentally over plucking and looking like an old haggard version of yourself with no eyebrows! Teeny tiny arches (à la Pamela Anderson) were so the ’90s.
  • Go old school and start using a toner. I suck at bothering but it actually does make a big difference to my skin.
  • Shave. Everything. Or at least tidy. Wax if you are brave!
  • Get a good nights sleep (Hahahahaha!). Just kidding.
  • Drink loads of coffee water. Coffee.
  • Lipstick! I bought a bright red one recently that I have to admit I have not worn in recent months. Time to start applying it again! Bit of colour on the lips is sure to help right?
  • Fresh air. It’s good for the soul (I really should take my own advice on this one but it’s freezing).

Have you aged faster since having kids or are you one of the lucky ones? Do you have anything you would add to either list?

Joining Jess at #IBOT today.

28 thoughts on “Having Kids: Does It Age You Faster or Keep You Younger?

  1. After my 1st was born, I lost a ton of weight and felt much healthier and younger. I’m talking like 80 pounds, so I felt like a million bucks! Then after I had my second I was freaking EXHAUSTED all the time, and I still am. I have gray hairs popping up all over the place and I don’t even have time to pluck my eyebrows or paint my toenails. It’s all very sad. I can’t even remember the last time someone carded me. I can’t wait to see how good I look after number 3 arrives. 😉
    Morgan @ Rookie Mommy recently posted…These are the People of KrogerMy Profile

    1. Morgan, you look pretty good to me in all the photos I have seen of you! 2 boys, full time work and a third on the way! Mega mum 🙂 Trial out my fixes and let me know how that goes. Red lippy is totally in for the teacher look right now – right?!

    1. Uh oh, if I’m aging with a 2 and 3 year old then I hate to think about the teen years! Does a threenager count?

    1. Yeah, the laughter is good for keeping the soul young but right now I am just at the exhausting stage pretty much all the time and it shows!

    1. This is true, I’m definitely younger at heart than I was, a younger at heart more tired wrinkly version of myself 🙂

    1. That’s great! They age us then teach us 🙂 I’m slower mentally too, soooo slow. Haha. Ah well, makes for good blogging content!

  2. I so feel your pain when your back hurts after bathing kids – literally, I do. I will take your great advice on the home facial though. I used to do these all the time!! Haven’t done one for ages, but will do it tonight (thanks for the reminder).

    Everything cracks on me too. And not just in Winter. Kids do definitely age us. xo
    Kelly recently posted…THE SHOWMy Profile

    1. Ok, I admit it! It’s not just winter for me either. My knees are awful! And shoulder and I stuffed my elbow lifting my three year old the other day. Heavy little monkey he is! I might do a facial too, try and look better for my hospital visit on Thursday! Such an exciting social life. Haha.

    1. When you find out, let me know! Haha. My sleep is interrupted these days by the youngest coming into my bed and pushing me out! God forbid I have to get up to go to the bathroom! I come back and my side is gone. Sigh.

  3. Oh god YES. Thank you for your honesty. I love my two boys, but bloody hell I’ve aged a lot in the five years that I’ve had them. I mean, you throw in two pregnancies and shit is gonna get real anyway, but I’ve compared pictures of my face and let’s just say it’s not a glowing comparison with my pre-child self!

  4. I had my first at 20, so I don’t really know to be honest. I had no major physical changes, although I think I’m wider now than I used to be. Baby three and four did that for me. I’m also not as thin as I was, but that’s hardly worth writing home about.
    I’m a little terrified about Lydia’s comment about teens ageing you faster. I’ll have one in a year.
    EssentiallyJess recently posted…Things I’ve Learned #IBOTMy Profile

  5. I think it depends on a lot of things. Who you get in the lottery, if they sleep, if YOU sleep, if you have help, escapes… So many things. My two parenting experiences have been very different but by now, it’s all definitely catching up with me :/ #teamIBOT
    Twitchy Sharon recently posted…Burger and Free Show With My BoyMy Profile

  6. Oh I know what you mean about the hunchback of notredam. I can barely move these days. I’m such an old lady. I am way over due for a facial, like 15 years overdue 🙂 I must get one stat. I was given a red lipstick for Christmas and have only just started wearing it. I find it really gives me a lift 🙂
    Renee recently posted…Smiley’s swimming pool scareMy Profile

  7. I don’t know. I had my first baby at 25 and my last at 29. I was already going grey, because that’s genetic. I compare my ageing to my mother’s at the same age and I reckon I’m doing pretty well. Less grey. Almost no wrinkles, in comparison. Sure they knees creak (thank you netball) and getting up from the floor is tons harder and more painful. Again, netball.

    But one of my new students, whom I met today, told me I was very pretty. You should always trust the word of an 11yo when they say things like that!
    Tracy recently posted…A Menu Plan for WinterMy Profile

  8. The last five years since becoming a parent I have aged drastically. It’s a frightful thing. I’m hoping that when sleep kicks back in, in say five years time or so, and all my other friends are just starting to have their kids we might be on par…. or I might regain some youth. I can be hopeful right?

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