I’m 41 but look the same age as my 21-year-old daughter – people think we’re sisters & her boy mates flirt with me

An age-defying mum-of-one looks so young she is often mistaken for her daughter’s sister.

Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Craft and her daughter Ariana, 21, not only enjoy a close relationship, but they also look extremely similar in age – despite their 20-year age gap.

But while Jennifer, who lives in the US, now take the mistake as a compliment, that wasn’t always the case. Here, she speaks exclusively to Fabulous:

We have always been mistaken for sisters.

When I was younger, this bothered me because I wanted people to know I was her mum.

I joked with people telling them I wanted an ‘I’m the Mum’ button to wear.

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Ariana was around three the first time someone mistook me for her sister.

“I was checking out at a store and Ariana called me ‘Mum.’,” she said.

“The cashier looked visibly stunned and said, ‘Wow. I thought you were her sister or the babysitter.’

I’ve never forgotten that conversation because it bothered me so much. I cried when I got in the car.

I wanted so much for people to see me as a mum and it bothered me that they didn’t.

I actually started wearing my grandmother’s clothes because I thought it would make me look older.  

It wasn’t until I was in my mid 30s that I made peace with it, and now that I’m in my 40s, I’m happy to be mistaken for her sister. 

As for Ariana, it has never seemed to bother her. Honestly, I think she’s just used to it.

To me, the funniest thing is when we go to a restaurant.

They always ask if the check is together or separate because they assume we’re sisters or friends, not mother and daughter.

I actually started wearing my grandmother’s clothes because I thought it would make me look older

Jennifer Craft, 41

Once my daughter told a server, ‘Of course, it’s together. She’s my mum. I’m not paying.’

It was also funny when we went to her college registration experience.

We walked up to the registration table to get her packet and they asked for her name and mine.

At first, we thought they needed a parent’s name as well, but then we realised they thought I was registering for college.

We all laughed when they realised I was the parent.

I’ve never been hit on when me and Ariana have been together, but her guy friends did make up a song about us.

They made a parody of the song ‘Stacy’s Mum’ and changed the lyrics to ‘Ariana’s mum.”

Of course, Ariana told me and thought it was hilarious. I was slightly mortified.

As for anti-aging secrets, I don’t really have many. I just stay out of of the sun and take care of my skin.

I try to maintain a healthy diet and exercise, too.

I think being a kindergarten teacher has probably played a part in keeping me ‘young,’ too!”

In other parenting news, this woman wore bikinis during her pregnancy because her tummy was so flat – no one believed she was expecting until they saw her baby.

This mum made her daughter her own station for her to get ready with her in the morning.

And this mum made the decision to have back-to-back babies.