How to respond when someone tells you “you look SO young”

I’ve always been told “you look so young” or “you don’t look old enough to have children”. “You look like a baby”… Usually in the same conversation.

Most people would say to take it as a compliment but after hearing it with almost every interaction, I just feel awkward. It usually happens within the first conversation of meeting someone. Usually with other parents.

For background I’m 34 and have a 13 & 9 y.o. Yes, I started having children when I was young. Younger than most of my peers, and younger than most moms around me who have children of similar age. Most of my adult life I have struggled with relating to others my age because most of my peers don’t have children, and everyone who does have children are about 10-13 years old than me. Most of the people I interact with are other parents.

I get told that I look 18 or 21 practically every single day. Everyone is very shocked when I say I’m actually almost 34 and have two children. When they say “omg you look way too young to have children” it makes me feel like they view me as someone who is young, immature and inadequate to raise a child. I will usually say something along the lines of “thank you, I’m definitely younger than most moms ” because I am but I’m also not as young as they think. Im honestly so tired of feeling like I’m trying to explain myself. To me, you wouldn’t tell an older parent “you look too old to have children” so why is it socially ok the other way around….? Am I reading too much into it. How do I get over this insecurity.