A lot of kids growing up today are well beyond their years in terms of knowledge and appearance. But don’t think it’s all because of our current society. As you’ll discover, many kids looked much older than they were as shown in these photos that date back 10, 20, and even 30 years.
Some of the photos of kids who look decades older are funny while others are slightly disturbing. In certain instances, their look is natural while other times, it has to do with their hairstyle, makeup, and clothing. Regardless, you can’t help but look.
1. Up and coming actress?
Well, not really. In this photo, it looks as though this person was having a headshot done for a movie role. But she was only 12 years old. Yes, it’s a glamor shot but this might’ve been taking things a little bit too far.
When you first look at this photo, that’s probably what comes to mind. You know, a typical housewife who was having a bad day. Nope…she too was only 12 at the time. What’s with the smoking and where were her parents? So many questions.
During the 1980s and 1990s, glamor shots were all the rage. A lot of “ordinary” women wanted a photograph that transformed them into something gorgeous. That’s fine but at age 10?
If you saw this individual working as a librarian at a public school, you probably wouldn’t think twice about it. But what if you found out she was only 10? You might’ve felt inclined to file a child labor complaint.
Considering this photo was taken many years ago, you’d see the braces and immediately know this was a teenager. But today, she’d easily pass for a 30-year-old woman.
Okay, so this looks more like a younger girl but everything about this photo is wrong. The parasol, pearl necklace, the dress, the pose, you name it. Her parents should’ve just let her be a kid.
For one thing, this girl was way too young to have a grownup photo taken. But secondly, she agreed. That look on her face spoke volumes as to what she thought about the shenanigans.
Hey, when you have a bunch of hungry kids to feed, you have to buckle down and fix them dinner. But at 12? Hopefully, this was nothing more than a cute photo op.
If this person was dressed differently, you’d think she was an adult. But since she was wearing a jacket covered in Girl Scout badges, the truth came out. At least she excelled at earning them.
Have you ever met a woman who has a striking resemblance to a child? Well, that’s not what’s going on here. The person in this photo was just a child who happened to look older than she was.
Few things are better than seeing a dad who’s not afraid to dress up for some fun time with the kids. Although the father might’ve been somewhere in the room, this was one of his kids playing.
Unless you’re talking about infants, most kids look much older when they dress the same as their moms. Here’s a perfect example. The older girl looked more like a teenager although she was just 10.
Do you remember when we told you how popular glamor shots were in the day? See, even a grandma had one done. Oh wait, that’s just a small child who was made to look like a grandmother with an attitude.
That’s what it looks like anyway. But this kid was getting ready for a Valentine’s Day dance when his parents insisted on taking his photo inside of the restaurant they owned. We wonder how old he looks today since this was taken eons ago.
At best, you’d think this girl was a teenager going through a rebellious period. Then again, with those separated bangs and hair clips, you know she probably wasn’t more than seven years old.
This woman is gorgeous. She has the looks, the outfit, and the sassy attitude that it takes to succeed in Hollywood. The only problem…she was merely 13 years old. Wow…there’s some food for thought.
So, in 1991, what did a divorced 40-year-old-woman do? Get a glamor shot, of course. But in this case, it was a 10-year-old girl who decided to do it. You heard that right…she was 10 in this photo.
From the looks of it, this kid wasn’t too far from having a job selling cars. But here’s the deal, since he was much younger than he appeared, his career was still many years away. He gets credit for looking super sharp.
If you look closely at this girl’s clothes and her face, you can tell she was probably about four or five years old. But with that hair, she looked quite a bit older than that…at least 10 years older.
Without those gaps in her teeth, you’d swear this girl was a teenager at a minimum. While we don’t know her exact age at that time, she appeared to be more like eight. And that might be pushing it.
Along with that impressive stance, this boy had a face that naturally looked much older than his real age. Let’s hope that slowed down at some point or today, he might look like he’s 80 at the age of 50.
This individual explained that while young, she had a faux wedding where she married a giant stuffed Pikachu. Seriously…she was way too young to even be thinking about marriage.
During the 1990s, kids didn’t have the same cool options for eyeglasses as they do today. For that reason, those who wore them always looked older than their actual age. Here’s proof.
Although this 1990s photo was the wrong era, it showed that this guy had the good intentions of going to battle for something he believed in. But at such a young age, that wouldn’t have been possible.
There’s no question this guy looked old enough to work as a Park Ranger. But considering he was only 17 in this photo, he more than likely worked for Disneyland as a guide on the Safari ride. And what do you want to bet all the other high school seniors envied his mustache?
This woman could’ve easily passed for a 30-year-old. As a matter of fact, she looked like someone who would’ve received the Teacher of the Year award. While she sat at a desk, it was as a student not someone leading a class.
This individual shared two pieces of information about this photo. First, they were only 13 although they look much older. Second, this person is a girl who was a serious tomboy at the time.
Sure, this outfit is quite child-like. But if you focus on the face, this person appears much older than the ripe age of eight. You’d probably never guess he was so young.
Although young, this boy’s parents told him his new glasses made him look a lot like Elton John. Well, they might’ve been a little off with that comment. Perhaps as he got older the resemblance became stronger.
Too many people, this is what a tax preparer typically looks like. And maybe as she aged, that’s what she ended up doing. But in this photo, she was only 11 years old.
The 1980s and 1990s were all about big hair and this girl nailed it. But with the spikes, she looked as though she was in her 20s when in fact, she was much, much younger.
That’s what this photo seems to imply. But as the poster shared, she was still a teenager at the time and someone going through an awkward period of life.
When this photo was taken, the guy thought this pose would catch the eye of all the single ladies. It probably did but not in a good way. At a minimum, you’d guess him to be in college but this was during his high school years.
…or so it seems. But at the time of this photo, this girl wasn’t even in high school yet. Perhaps if she had longer hair, there would be a different impression.
That’s what this photo could easily pass for but it was just a high school senior getting his diploma. Although he looked older in this photo than he was, kudos to him for his success.
Okay, in this photo, the blond-haired boy doesn’t appear to be more than 12, which was probably his age at the time. But that pose…we’re not sure an adult could do better.
For any of you who have an aunt with 30 cats, you get it. That’s what this girl looked like at the time. But at just eight years old, she wasn’t anywhere near ready for that kind of responsibility.
That’s what it looks like this glamor shot photographer was going for. Yes, she’s adorable, but she was quite young here. Not the grown woman she was made to look like.
If you don’t look at this photo too long, it’d be easy to confuse this person as a member of a school’s faculty as opposed to the elementary student she was.
Remember two things. First, when this photo was taken, rap didn’t even exist. Second, this isn’t a college or even high school student. This boy was still in middle school…and he had big dreams. Hopefully, he achieved them.
It’s no wonder so many people thought this was a 40-year-old woman, perhaps someone who worked at a church. But when this photo was taken, she was just 12. Wow, that’s crazy.
Okay, so maybe this kid doesn’t look older than his age. But we felt he deserved to be mentioned because he tried so hard. With the oversized Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and hat turned backward…yeah.
All girls dream of being a princess, complete with a castle and unicorn. But it’s rare for an adult woman. Fortunately, this individual wasn’t a woman but rather, a girl not even in high school.
Looking at this photo, you might easily believe this is a real Southern Belle. Well, it’s not. Instead of a gorgeous grown woman, this gal was just 14 years of age.
Minus the Furby, which is adorable by the way, this girl could pass for someone who’s older. But with that thing in the photo, you can tell she was young…only 12 as a matter of fact.
This individual looked old enough to have grown children. That’s kind of sad considering she was just going into seventh grade. That means she was 13…not 50.
Reddit/thebloodofthematador
This individual looked old enough to have grown children. That’s kind of sad considering she was just going into seventh grade. That means she was 13…not 50.
This just goes to show that even 40 years ago, children were way too big for their britches…or in this case, their bras. Slow down, kids. Enjoy being young…it doesn’t last.
Is this person 12 or 42? After being asked that question, coming up with the right answer might be difficult. One second, she looks like a young girl but the next second, an adult. Okay…she’s 12.
Today, a lot of kids dress up as the Joker based on the recent Batman movies. But at the time this photo was taken, kids read comic books. That means this teenager was a progressive mover.
…or we hope it was. This guy thought dying his hair red would make him look older. And it did…sort of. But a lot of people think he should’ve taken the advice on his shirt.
Although this kid wasn’t even old enough to get a driver’s license at the time, he had the look required to be a big wig on Wall Street. Too cute for words.
During this guy’s “cowboy phase,” he didn’t have a problem getting attention from women. The only thing…he was a high schooler who was way too young to be a serious player.
Yes…they look young. But considering they were on a formal date…at the age of 13…they seem much older. The funny thing, it looks as though this kid had to borrow one of his dad’s shirts, which was way too big.
When an entire family shares a mullet haircut, guess what happens? Everyone ages by at least 10 years. We’re so glad this style is no longer popular along with millions of people.
At least that’s the look this kid was going for. Put on a football jersey and hat and you’re bound to look older than your actual age. Sorry…it doesn’t work that way now and it didn’t work that way when this photo was taken.
That’s kind of what this looks like. No, it’s not Mr. Gates but this kid had the same innovative mind. We’re betting he grew up to achieve something great.
A lot of kids growing up today are well beyond their years in terms of knowledge and appearance. But don’t think it’s all because of our current society. As you’ll discover, many kids looked much older than they were as shown in these photos that date back 10, 20, and even 30 years.
Some of the photos of kids who look decades older are funny while others are slightly disturbing. In certain instances, their look is natural while other times, it has to do with their hairstyle, makeup, and clothing. Regardless, you can’t help but look.
