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 ‘much younger’ has opened up about the problems this 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, but that doesn’t stop people from mistaking her for a child.

Posting under her TikTok handle @ebonymaybakessshe 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 real voice, I’m aware it sounds a lot younger than I actually am, but I don’t put it on.

“Some people literally think I’m providing a voice for TikTok and ask why I talk like a five-year-old.”

In another clipthe business owner shared some of her most shocking stories about “out of pocket things” people have said to her because of her appearance and sound – it has already been seen by almost 100,000 people.

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

“For reference, I’m twenty. I’m going to tell you some of the things people have said to me as someone who looks much younger than he or she is.

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

Ebony has also experienced multiple issues with going out and drinking, and claims her ID is her “biggest flex.”

She recalled: “So I was out at a club the other day, I was dancing 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 says, ‘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 me in.”

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

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

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

However, Ebony’s struggles were also prominent at school, when she shared one of the pranks her classmates played on her.

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

“People in my class convinced the new girl that I was actually a fifth-grader, but I was really smart, so I got to sit in their class and hang out with them, and that’s why I was there.

‘And she believed in it for a whole year. I’m not going to lie like that, it upsets me a bit.”

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

‘They said, “Oh, I’m sorry, do you have work experience? Can I please talk to someone who has more experience?”

‘I thought, oh my God, and this was on my gap year after I had already finished school.

‘I also worked in a fabric shop and served someone who explained how she was making a dress for her eight-year-old and asked how much material she needed.

‘I was helping her and she says, ‘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 see, retail is a great place to work if you look much younger than you are.

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

Angrily, Ebony commented, “First of all, that’s very rude. I don’t mind being called younger, but just because I look young doesn’t mean I’m stupid, you know.

‘I also have a cake business and sometimes I would be at the market and a mother or an elderly customer would come up to me and say, “Did your mother make these? You’re doing such a good job selling them.”

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

‘In the end I didn’t like it that much and left after six months. As I was leaving, a person I worked with came up to me to say hello.

“Just for reference, I thought I looked so professional. I was 18 and 19 and working in this job and I thought, oh my god, I’m so grown up working here.

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

“It wasn’t that bad, but I just thought, that’s so funny. When I went through security the guard would say ‘here comes trouble’ and I bet they wouldn’t have done that to my 40 year old colleague.”

Ebony concluded: ‘These 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 mostly funny.”

A viewer who also looks young for his age recalled: ‘I’m 41, I was looking for the weather and an older man said, “You kids are always playing on your phones these days.”

Another wrote: ‘I’ve had clients asking me how my school holidays are going. I’m 25’.

Meanwhile, a third joked: ‘I’m finally 30 and I’ve just stopped getting asked for ID every time. I finally feel like a big girl.’

Someone else said, “I was a babysitter picking up a child from school camp and the director walked by and asked if camp was fun. It was a 5th grade camp, I was 21′.

Others sympathized: “I’m so sorry you had to go through situations like this” and “Do you find it frustrating in the dating scene?”

Another joked: “I have a similar voice to you when I had someone ask me during a car ride if I was sucking on a helium balloon.”