A mum who tends to date younger men has claimed she's constantly mistaken as her own teenage daughter's sister - despite being decades older than her.
Carly Johnson, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, has been single for two years and enjoying the dating scene, though she's been forced to insist she's 'not a cradle snatcher' over her choice of men.
She simply tends to date people who are a bit younger than her, explaining: "I look young - that's what I seem to attract. Lads seem to have a thing for an older woman."
Advert
The mum explained she's 'quite young at heart', so older men have a 'different mindset' to her.
In her head, Carly said she still considers herself to be 25 - even though she has a 17-year-old daughter, Kia Douglas.
Carly's youthfulness isn't limited to her head, though, as when she and Kia go out together she says they 'get mistaken for sisters all the time'.
"It happens everywhere," the mum said.
Advert
"We went out for Kia's 17th birthday and I asked a waiter if he could take a picture when my daughter came back from the toilet and he was so confused. He thought we were two friends out for dinner," she said.
On another occasion, someone told Kia to inform her 'sister' the food was ready while they were on holiday together.
"She told her I was her mum and she brought the staff out to show them. They were so shocked," Carly recalled.
Advert
While some teens might be embarrassed to be mistaken as their mum's sister, Carly said Kia 'doesn't mind it'.
"She's not embarrassed. We're really close and we share clothes," she said. "I hope we'll go out together when she's 18. I don't know if it's cool to go out with your mum."
Things do sometimes get awkward for the pair when Carly shares pictures of herself and Kia on her Instagram page, when guys will 'ask who [her] friend is because she's so hot'.
"I'll tell them it's literally my daughter. That's a bit awkward," Carly admitted.
Advert
All in all, though, the mum takes the confusion over her age as 'compliment', as she's actually 23 years older than Kia, at 40 years old.
Carly said: "People call me Benjamin Button and that I age backwards. I've always looked young for my age. When I was 21 I probably looked like 16.
"I think my secret is good genes. My mum's 68 and she looks good and my nana was in her 90s and fit as a fiddle. Hospital staff would read her age out and think they'd got it wrong."
Advert
Social media users were left stunned after learning Carly's real age when she posted a tweet wishing Kia a happy birthday.
The photo in the post has been liked more than 1,600 times, with one viewer commenting: "You're both absolutely gorgeous! I hope I look as good as you when my son turns 17 in 15 years."
Another confused person added: "Which ones the daughter?"
I suppose if people are going to be confused over your age, having them think you're younger than you are is definitely the way to have it!
Emily Brown