Embarassment has been the topic of conversation a lot in our house over the last few weeks. LilZ is starting to be embarassed more by things that people around him do. I expect that is pretty natural at this age. I think back to some of the ways my parents embarassed me, and I feel AWFUL for the way I would react. One time, I actually sat somewhere DIFFERENT than my Dad in a movie theater. That, is quite possibly, one of my rudest/bitchiest moments EVER and I feel TERRIBLE for it today.
But, because I can remember those feelings, I know not to take it too personally when LilZ tells me something might have embarassed him. MrZ and I were talking last night about it, and we were discussing other kids we knew and how LilZ REALLY doesn’t embarass as easily as they do. He’s pretty tolerant of all of us. Then? MrZ said this:
“You would have made my brother, sister and I cry from embarassment as kids if you were our Mom.”
You know? He has a point. I am a pretty embarassing mom. I’ve got visible tatoos, I freak out over Harry Potter, I insist upon pajama movie nights, and I do the Hokey Pokey with my son at my OWN WEDDING. As a PERFORMANCE. I am quite a handful. And none of it has really phased LilZ. As a matter of fact? A lot of it was his idea! But, I couldn’t imagine parenting any other way, so I am so glad that LilZ has been there every step of the way, enjoying my insanity.
Of course now? As we enter puberty? That is another story. But that’s okay – it was a good run – I think I got most of the goofiness out of me, and if not? Let’s just hope NikkiZ doesn’t embarass easily either.
Nahhhhh..she is of your loins. Good genes are good genes. She will endure!
See, that’s what I’ve always loved about having young kids. You can be goofy and they just love it! I’m sure you and NikkiZ will have loads of fun being totally goofy together. 🙂
Heheh…I would have loved you as a mother. I imagine LilZ will come out of that phase really soon…right about the time that NikkiZ enters into it and he realizes things aren’t so embarassing after all. He won’t want to miss the fun times.
I havent really embarrassed my kids yet. Maybe its because they are too little. I’m sure its coming. My oldest is 6 and she is more , oh whats the word.. She is more of something than she was 2 years ago..LOL Her friends think i’m cool at this point and she thinks its cool that they think its cool. Now sometimes I do hear “MOM!” like she cant believe I just did that.. Oh lord is it starting already? If so thats okay.. LOL I’ve got 2 more..
I was so stressed out and embarrased by everything as a kid, my cheeks were permanently blushed, when girls made fun of me blushing, my blush blushed. I couldn’t shop with my mom once I hit twelve. I walked ten steps behind her and if she did something like try to walk into the dressing room to hand me something I just died. But then I grew up, like everyone else, and decided that it was so much more relaxing to just not give a flip what anyone thinks. So now I try to instill that in my kids because I think they would be sooo much happier that way. The only way I can think to do that is to be just as goofy in public as we are at home. If I’m going to dance and sing with the kids in the kitchen, I might as well do it in the grocery store too. But last night while school shopping my five year old said “I’m working on getting cooler and more buff”, so who knows how it will work out.
Really, it’s just a phase. I think my parents actually took joy in embarassing me, after they realized that. Everyone’s got to have fun somehow…
In spite of his being embarassed, I’ll bet his friends think you’re a cool mom. I thought my parents were embarassing, too, but my friends thought that their non-traditional quirks set them apart.