Although I can't pinpoint the exact moment when it happened, somewhere between sending my kid off to first grade and now -- I've become a complete embarrassment to him on a slightly grand scale. And I'm kind of having a hard time with it.
I mean, I know he loves me and enjoys my company and everything -- or at least he does before I send him out to the bus stop each morning. Because at that point, the sweet little boy who gives me loads of hugs, kisses, and snuggles turns into a pint-sized Joe Cool complete with sunglasses and an attitude.
He's given up on fighting me when I walk him to the end of the driveway, but as soon as I turn him loose and let him run across the street to wait for the bus with the other kids -- it's like he somehow feels the need to offer up an excuse as to why his mother is so lame and uncool.
(Sniffle.)
Take this week, for instance. We have quite a bit of snow up here after getting a storm just after Christmas, so of course, my little dude wants to play in it whenever he gets a chance. But before he goes to school in the morning, I don't want him getting his pants all wet by stomping around in the snow, so yesterday, I told him he wasn't allowed to step off the driveway while waiting for the bus. So what does he do? He runs across the street, and immediately announces to his friends that he can't go in the snow because his mother won't let him -- and then proceeds to tell them, "She never lets me do ANYTHING."
(OMG. Really?)
And then he decided to kick things up a notch this morning by whining about how cold he is because his mother made him wear jeans to school instead of snowpants (snowpants!) -- and then he went into the whole rant about not being allowed to do anything again.
Even after I yelled, "I can hear you!" from across the street -- he still continued to complain about me. (Am I really that bad?)
And I know that most kids go through a stage where they are pretty mortified by their parents' mere existence on the face of this earth -- but is it really supposed to happen as early as 6 years old?
(Oh, man. He's turning 7 in March. Is it going to get worse?)
Help a mother out. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong that's responsible for making my 6-year-old act like this?
Image via Mary Fischer
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Comments 12
I also can't remember ever doing this, until I was a sophmore in HS, and my mom got a DUI, and setenced to community service. Several times she was cleaning up trash outside my school. From that point on, I hated her for being a moron.
But, my mom more than earned the title through the years. Just took me till then to realize it.
I have two children. The oldest was never embarrassed to be around me. When I substituted at her high school she would visit me in class and walk with me in the halls. She even got her teachers to call me so I could be a sub in her classes.
My youngest daughter is a different story. She was about 6 when we were walking in the mall together. Out of the blue she said, "mom, you're embarrassing me." I couldn't figure out what I was doing. Breathing to loud maybe? She has always been hypersensitive to what others think. She's fourteen now and it hasn't gotten much better. I was at her high school recently when we passed each other in the hall and she pretended like she didn't know me. The friend she was with said hello at least! I try not to take it to heart.
I should add that oddly enough, my youngest daughter and I are very close. She'll still sit on my lap at home (or at least try to), hangs on me when we're not in public. We look alike, talk alike. I don't know what it is except, as I said, she's hypersensitive and very self conscious.
I always say that if your child is not embarrassed by you then your not doing your job right! At his age he is just trying to find some independence and test his wings. You have nothing to worry about.
Have you ever tried to sit down with him and talk to him face to face about.? He probably thinks he will be teased or made fun of. Some kids go thru this and others don't. Don't get mad or angry with him, just try going about doing your own thing and when he leaves for the bus tell him Bye and you love him and you will see him when he gets home. Good luck and have a great day.