Embarrassing Your Children

I remember many times as a child growing up and as a teenager that my mom really embarrassed me. I don't know if she actually ment to embarrase me, but as I now have my old children, I am sure some of those embarrassing moments were diliberate. I was SO sure that other moms were normal.

I am sure if you have older children you know what i'm talking about. Even if you don't, you probably still know what i'm talking about as I am sure that your parents (either mom or dad) have on some occassion, embarrassed you.

What got me thinking about this, is a situation we had in the car today. We were out running errands and my 4 year old, Chloe, was in the back drawing letters on her magnadoodle. She was stuck on something and couldn't get it, so proceeded to start throwing a fit. When this happens, I usually try to distract her with something else in the car to take her attention off what made her upset.

So I hurried and changed a couple of radio stations to find a fun song to sing to. I happened upon the 80s classic, Pump Up The Jam. You know the one i'm talking about and if you don't - your lying (haha!) So, I start dancing around in my seat and singing the song as loud as I could. I looked back at her and she is smiling at me, but she had THAT look on her face. The one where she doesn't know what to think. Should she be embarrased or should she think i'm being funny? I start changing the wording to the song to make it so I am singing out her, Brooke and Jack. So, she starts to think i'm funny and is laughing. Good job mom! You took her attention away from her crying and she is happy!

By the end of the song, I have both the girls dancing in their seat and laughing. I thought about what I was doing. Then I imagined them 10 years from now. They would be 14 and 12. If I were to do that when they were that age, they would be absolutely mortified! And the funny thing - i'd do it anyways!!! (remember at the top when I said that I thought that at times the embarrassment was diliberate?) Now I know, that when my kids get older, i'll probably diliberatly do things to them to embarrase them....isn't that a mothers right?

So, sorry girls. You are going to have a mom that is going to embarrass you as you grow, just as mine did to me. Get over it. (haha!)

If you would like to comment and share an experience you've had, be my guest!!