<p>Ah, the UNKNOWN MOTHER!!! Could become a new stand-up comedy routine!!! LOL!</p>
<p>The fact that I exist is so embarrassing to my older kids that I really don’t have to do anything intentionally embarrassing. I have thought, though, about having a t-shirt made to wear to school functions that has printed on it “I’m D’s (use her real name, of course) mom!” </p>
<p>I know one thing that my D found really embarrassing was when her friend was in the car and I was singing along to a CD. Just TOO weird, you know?</p>
<p>My oldest son used to not tell me anything that was going on at the high school until 5 minutes before it was time for him to go to something. I remember a couple of times when he headed off last minute to a swim team dinner or something, and I didn’t go, because he insisted it was just for the kids. Of course, a day or two later, I would run into some other parents and they would inquire as to why I wasn’t there. But, because of him, the younger ones cannot pull that! So they have to live through the agony of having me present at these things.</p>
<p>How do I embarrass my son? By going on College Confidential, of course!</p>
<p>How did I embarrass my daughter? By existing, thereby making it impossible for her to claim she was entirely her own creation.</p>
<p>Once upon a time I was a cool parent because in her mind I was such a fashionista. Now I am the mom who who lives in Levi’s and nikes (when not working), can’t sing a lick on top of never knowing the words to the song, and can’t tell a good joke and am always mixing up her friends. I will ask her 'How is that girl whose name I never pronouce correctly?) To there.</p>
<p>I embarrass my kids by calling to them across the school campus in a loud voice, and by stealthily patting my son’s unruly curly hair (in public) in an impossible attempt to create order.</p>
<p>A conversation I had recently with the 15 year old girl. “YS (youngest sister) is SOO lucky because when she is older she can just go to stuff and not have a little sister tagging along, and she won’t have her sisters’ stuff interfering with the stuff she wants to do.” My reply, “yeah, in a few years she’ll be the only one at home, so there won’t be any conflicts–I can go to ALL her soccer games and performances and so on and cheer her on.” Suddenly my daughter frowns and says “Oh, I guess she’s not so lucky after all. . .”</p>
<p>My kids hated it when I honked the horn and waved at other Kerry supporters. Hey, it was lonely here in Ohio. They also hate it when I email their teachers and engage in actual conversations with them. And they really hate it when I sing along with Mr. Tambourine Man or other great music. I guess greying old folkies are not a pretty sight.</p>
<p>I wonder if any of the students are surreptiously peeking at this thread! </p>
<p>1)Whoever said it was a ‘girl’ thing is a more fortunate mom than me. I have two sons. All their friends, boys and girls alike think I am one of the nicest an maybe even a slightly ‘cool’ mom, but that in itself is embarrassment #1.</p>
<p>2)Skirt length and hosiery is an issue, I kid you not. Guys, I’m 5’8" and I weigh 115 lbs. I only wear shorter skirts with tights so as not to leave any bare leg or the appearance of same exposed, but I once got a lecture on this.</p>
<p>3) Breathing. It gets me in trouble every day with them…</p>
<p>Sigh.</p>
<p>They’re great kids. I adore them. They know it. It’s easy to take your parents for granted under such circumstances, so maybe most of the kids of parents on this site are similarly indulged. I still think it’s an improvement over the ‘don’t give them any praise or affection or they’ll be spoiled’ parenting strategy of generations before mine.</p>
<p>Dizzymom</p>
<p>I find myself chastising my husband with the words, “oh, honey, daughter wouldn’t let you wear THAT to work!” . It’s weird, for the first 20 years I heard my Mother’s voice in my head and now that I’m in my late 40’s I hear my daughters voice in my head! I hope my kids hear me so clearly when I’m not there.</p>
<p>Apparently, I have this bizzare habit of actually greeting my daughter’s teachers with pleasantries when I encounter them. This irritates my daughter who seems to think I should either (1) glare into the distance when passing her teachers or (2) hop behind the nearest shrubbery and hide until said teacher turns the corner.</p>
<p>But I probably used up my entire life-time allotment of embarrassment points this past weekend when my daughter gave me her cell phone to hold during a college tour.
As I was putting the phone away in my purse, I somehow managed to open it and hit the redial button…just before I closed my purse I heard someone saying “hello?” so I picked out the phone and said “hello?” back. Repeat same conversation three times “hello?” “hello?” “hello?” “hello?” “hello?” “hello?” Slowly, the realization hit me of what had happened, at which point I idiotically called out “A.! I redialed your cell phone and called Megan!!!” Daughter has not yet decided which was more humilating: her mother being revealed to the entire tour group as a rube who is unable to use a cell phone properly or having to apologize to her friend for her mother’s clear lack of mental capacity.</p>
<p>I am, quite simply, lucky to still be alive this evening.</p>
<p>We have moved this topic back to the Parents’ Forum. While it is off topic insofar as not being about college admissions, it is related to parenting. We recognize that parents here do wish to discuss related topics amongst themselves. </p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p>Carolyn:
ROTFLMAO!!!</p>
<p>CollegeMom:
Thanks for moving it back; I hadn’t spotted it in cafe…too scared to go there!?!</p>
<p>My oldest wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it after I sent Christmas cards, with the good old family photo, to high school teachers (small school.) The huge humiliation was that some teachers put up the photo in their office!!! Publicly ruined, she was, when her classmates saw her in a photo with her family (no more plausible deniability as to her roots) in her teachers office! In the famous words of Lucy Van Pelt, “AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!” She “had no clue” I was sending them, never mind that I have sent the same type of card to her teachers since kindergarten! My current daughter happily passes out the cards every year. Apparently, the site of our family bothers none of her friends.</p>
<p>Attending any event at school where there is not large attendance by others seems to be an issue, but my oldest hated when I even drove through the campus.</p>
<p>Sybbie: I relate to that singing along and not knowing the words. My daughter likes groups from our era, and she is amazed that I don’t know the words to many songs or the member of the groups. Seems to be a male strength–my husband even remembers the years hits came out.</p>
<p>hugging me
talking to me in front of my friends
telling people stories about me or something stupid like that.</p>
<p>shame on you parents for doing these things!</p>
<p>Older S:</p>
<p>Talking too loudly. Had to agree with him when we moved overseas. Americans are unbelievably loud, me included. </p>
<p>Practicing my hip hop moves when he is listening to HIS music. Which is blasting through MY house. </p>
<p>Arranging prom dates from hell. Twice. Oops.</p>
<p>Younger S:</p>
<p>Mentioning him in any conversation outside the realm of our immediate family–which is all male and not quite on the same conversational wavelength, lol. I can’t help myself! He gets himself into the funniest siutations! (Blame the Victim!)</p>
<p>Hip hop dancing. Again, apparently it’s not a good look.</p>
<p>Issuing invitations to his friends, such as “Would you like to join us for dinner at such-and-such fabulous restaurant?” They always say 'Yes".</p>
<p>Of course, this embarrassment thing can work to a parent’s advantage.</p>
<p>If my boys were extremely unreasonable, I would strap a bra onto the outside of my shirt and threaten to walk down the corridors of their high school. :eek:</p>
<p>Whaddya know. Immediate compliance and I never had to leave the house!</p>
<p>“Kissing my husband (etc!!!). How does she think she got here?”</p>
<p>Voronwe-- my parents found my brother on the doorstep and I was immaculately concieved- I presume your daughter was too.</p>
<p>Voronwe and muppetcoat— LOL.</p>
<p>S1 and S2 are adopted. I gave birth to D and S3. S3 (the S who is applying to college this year) is terribly embarrassed whenever I talk about how I finally was able to conceive and give birth. I think he wishes he were adopted too so he wouldn’t have to contemplate the logistics. (It wasn’t in vitro, either!)</p>
<p>Oh boy, that brings back memories. You should have seen my 16 year old son squirm when I told him that he was going to have a baby sister or brother. . .</p>
<p>CHEERS: And to think I could have used the BRA approach all these years!!!Shucks! I sooooo want all that money back I used on bribes!</p>
<p>Sounds like a Maidenform bra ad …</p>