AS a Mum of 3, even though my children are grown up now (or getting there), I can still remember the feeling of panic as I recall the embarrassing situations my children have put me in. I'm sure every parent must have had moments with their children when they just wanted the ground to swallow them up or to swallow up their children!
I'm going to try to be brave and not hide under the computer as I let you in on the traumas my children have put me through.
I think the most embarrassing occasion was with Alex when he was about 3 years old. We had friends round for tea with their 2 young girls and had a lovely afternoon. As they were leaving Alex asked the Dad why he was so fat! He was a large man and Rob and I just wanted to hide. The eldest of their girls who was then about 4 years old picked up on Alex's remark and started to question her Daddy as to why he was so fat. They've never been round as a family since, although we still do see these friends, this incident has never again been mentioned.
Matthew my eldest was the best at having strops and leading the other 2 astray. The most memorable time was when the dentist suggested all 3 should see the hygienist. Matthew didn't want to and had a tantrum that resulted in all 3 refusing to see the hygienist. In my wisdom I decided I wasn't giving in and we waited until we were seen. The outcome was a disgustingly rude child aided by the other 2 and the whole appointment was a waste of time. I felt embarrassed to have brought up such a revolting son and in retrospect should have just left and made an appointment for a date in the future for all 3 to see the hygienist once the situation had been diffused.
Matthew on the whole was a placid child but when he had a tantrum oh boy did he have one. Once on a picnic with friends he screamed for ages when they wanted to play football instead of cricket. It's surprising we still have friends.
Another embarrassing moment with Matthew was at a concert in his junior school when he was 6 years old. He led the class off stage at the wrong time and like sheep they all followed him! It wasn't entirely his fault nevertheless quite embarrassing for us to watch.
Emily caused us most embarrassment when we went with friends for tea to a posh hotel in Runnymede. She was 3 years old and the youngest of 5 children ( my 3 and my friends 2). The children were playing on a little wall in the gardens as they had finished their tea. We were still eating our cream tea outside when suddenly we heard screaming. Emily had fallen off this wall into water the other side of it. The wall bordered a pond with fish and about an 2 inches of water. Emily struggled to get out so ended up drenched and screaming. The hotel were wonderful in supplying towels and we took off Emily's wet clothes and dried her. The hotel put her clothes in a drier but wouldn't admit they shouldn't have had water the other side of this wall with no notice on. We could see the wall from where we were sitting and it looked as though it was just by grass- the wall was only 6 inches high - so we thought the children were safe. Emily screamed ("but really screamed") for about half an hour disturbing everyone who had gone for a relaxing tea on a sunny day.
As I'm sure all children do my 3 all had tantrums at the shops - luckily nothing too awful and although embarrassing at the time I survived. I can recall at least on one occasion one of them leaving the shop with something we hadn't paid for and having to march them back in to return the item and apologise to the shop keeper. These incidents I seem to have coped with it's the ones I've mentioned above that still trouble me.
I'm sure as parents we do lots to embarrass our children. Apparently, as the children are getting older and we've had more experience at it, we are becoming more embarrassing, so they tell us. Thankfully, as the children have got older the shameful incidents they have caused us are diminishing - we have managed to teach them how to behave properly!
What embarrassing times have your children put you through? Maybe if we can share all our horror stories we will realise our own aren't too bad. Possibly we may all be able to come out of hiding in the realisation that our monsters aren't so terrible after all - it's just childhood.
Photo by Flickr Ken Wilcox
Mine set out to embarress me all the time, we have had the fat one too, but worst of all was mini asking one of Maxi's friends dads hy he was the colour he was and if it was from staying out in the sun tolong - I wanted the ground to swallow me whole
Posted by: TheMadHouse | 04/29/2010 at 11:39 AM
The Mad House,oh no - poor you. It is funny when it's not your child doing it though - hope the poor Dad thought it was vaguely amusing! I can feel your embarrassment.
Posted by: Karen | 04/29/2010 at 12:28 PM
I can't actually think of a time where either of my 2 have embarrassed me in such a way however I heard this story yesterday from one of my Monday Morning Musical Minis Mums. (She has given me permission to post it here!)
Recently she had baby number 3 and over the weekend she took her 5 year old and her 2 year old, along with the 4 week old baby to the local science museum. She booked tickets to the planeterium show thinking that as it was dark she could breastfeed the baby in relative privacy. As the lights went out and a hush descended on the room her 5 year old yells out at the top of his voice - 'My mummy is going to breastfeed my baby brother now!'
Posted by: Jo Weaving | 05/11/2010 at 12:54 PM