I’m 20-years-old but look and sound like a child…people always ask me the same thing

A 20-year-old woman who looks ‘way younger’ has opened up about the difficulties it’s causes – from being refused service in bars to not being taken seriously at work.

Ebony May, 20, from Canberra, is an adult with her own cake business – however, that doesn’t stop people from mistaking her for a child.

Posting under her TikTok handle @ebonymaybakess, she recently hit back at a troll, who wrote: ‘You should try not to sound like a 12-year-old child’.

She explained: ‘This is my actual voice, I’m aware that a sound a lot younger than I actually am, but I am not putting it on. 

‘Some people literally think that I’m putting a voice on for TikTok and ask why I’m speaking like a five-year-old’.

In another clip, the business owner shared some of her most shocking stories of ‘out of pocket things’ people have said to her because of how she looks and sounds – it’s already been seen by nearly 100,000 people.

She told viewers: ‘I feel like no one talks about all of the out of pocket things that people say to you when you look way younger than you actually are.

‘For reference, I’m 20. So, I’m going to tell you some things people have said to me as someone who looks way younger than they are.

‘First of all, when I worked in retail someone literally said to me, ‘Oh my God you’re so cute, I just wanna take you home’ and I was like, what the heck? because I was 15 at the time’.

Ebony has also experienced multiple issues with clubbing and drinking, claiming her ID is her ‘biggest flex’. 

She recalled: ‘So I was out the other night at a club, I was dancing away with my brother and this lady kept staring at me and I was like what is she looking at?

‘She comes over, I’m dancing and she goes “are you old enough to be here?” First of all, I don’t think the bouncer would have let me in but thanks for checking in’.

Talking about a similar situation at another time, she added: ‘I was at a bar, getting my friends a lemonade because they were underage.

‘I was just buying three lemonades and I went up to the bar and the bar worker literally came around the bar, put his hand on my shoulder and was like ‘I’m so sorry but you’re going to have to get your mum to come back and get it for you’.

‘I was like, “I’ve got my license right here” and he looked a little bit embarrassed. My ID is my biggest flex’.

However, Ebony’s struggles were also prominent in school, as she shared one of the pranks her classmates pulled on her. 

She explained: ‘I was in year eight at school and we had a new girl start for the year.

‘People in my class convinced the new girl that I was actually from year five, but I was really smart so I was allowed to be in their class and hang out with them and that’s why I was there.

‘And she believed it for a whole year. Not gonna lie that kind of upset me a little’. 

Drawing back to her memories in the workplace, Ebony continued: ‘Next, when I was working in retail I answered the phone and said “Hi, how can I help you” and the person on the phone sounded a bit confused. 

‘They were like, “Oh I’m sorry are you on work experience? Can I please speak to someone who’s more experienced?”

‘I was like oh my gosh – and this was on my gap year after I had already finished school.

‘I also used to work at a fabric shop and I was serving someone who was explaining how she was making a dress for her eight-year-old and asking how much material she needed.

‘I was helping her and she goes “Oh actually, she’d probably be the same size as you I think”. I was 16 by the way.

‘She literally comes around the counter and starts measuring me. As you can tell, retail is such a great place to work when you look way younger than you are.

‘Once my coworker was busy and I was the only one available. This lady goes, “Oh can you help me?” I said of course and she goes “Oh wait, are you competent enough to work here?”

Angrily, Ebony remarked: ‘First of all that is very rude. I don’t mind being called younger but just because I look young doesn’t mean I’m dumb you know.

‘I also own a cake business and sometimes I’d be at the markets and a mum or an older customer would come up and be like: “Did your mum make these? You’re doing such a great job selling them”.

The 20-year-old continued: ‘Okay last one, I used to work a job that was quite a prestigious job where I had a uniform and a lanyard with my ID and everything, I had to go through security.

‘I ended up not really liking it and leaving after six months and when I was leaving, one person I used to work with came up to me to say bye.

‘Just for reference, I used to think I was so professional looking – I was 18 and 19 working this job and I was like oh my gosh I’m such an adult working here.

‘Anyway, she says to me as I’m leaving, “Oh I’m gonna miss your cute face walking around” and I was like are you serious? All this time I thought I looked so professional.

‘It wasn’t a big deal but I was just like that’s so funny. When I’d go through security the security guard would be like ‘here comes trouble’ and I bet they wouldn’t have done that to my 40-year-old coworker’.

Ebony concluded: ‘Those are all my experiences and I know this has happened to other people before so share your stories below, I’d love to hear them.

‘I think it’s kind of funny more than anything’. 

One viewer who also looks young for their age recalled: ‘I’m 41 was looking up the weather and an older man said “you kids these days always playing on your phones”.’

Another penned: ‘I’ve had customers ask me how my school holidays are going. I’m 25’.

Meanwhile a third joked: ‘I’m finally 30 and have just started to stop getting asked for ID everytime. I feel like a big girl finally’.

Someone else chimed in with: ‘I was a nanny picking up a kid from school camp and the principal walked past and asked if enjoyed the camp. It was a grade 5 camp, I was 21’. 

Others sympathised, ‘I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through those sorts of situations’ and ‘Do you find it frustrating in the dating scene?’

Another quipped: ‘I have a similar voice to you, once I had someone ask at a drive through if I was sucking a helium balloon’.