What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve had to do for the sake of your kids?!

[GreensAreGoodForYou]

I was in a cafe loo the other day and although I couldn’t see, a little girl and her mum (I assume) came in. The little girl apparently wasn’t able to pee. So the mum (who was not in the cubicle with her child) asked her if she needed help and whether she should sing for her. At this point I didn’t know whether to leave or stay, couldn’t decide which would be less intrusive so I picked stay.

The girl says yes please. So I’m smiling expecting some ‘wee-generating song’ like Tinkle tinkle little tot or something but NO. Mum starts singing Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles. In a public loo. It was sooooo funny and I had such a hard time not laughing, especially as she knew all the words and it went on for quite a time. So obviously then I was stuck in the loo until they’d both finished because I didn’t want to let on that I’d been an ear witness to this toilet singing performance! 😂

It made me laugh to think of all the often ridiculous and embarrassing things we do for our kids, things we wouldn’t usually do but we do it for their sake. For me, it’d be singing and dancing in a parents’ ‘show’ when they were little (HATED it, was so nervous), dressing up in various costumes for birthdays etc. Oh and singing their bedtime lullaby on flights to get them to sleep. Things I’d usually be mortified by but somehow it’s ok when it’s for your kids.

Whats your most embarrassing ‘for the children’s sake’ story? ‘

get on one half of a 2-person inflatable to go down a flume.

Getting on the thing was damn near impossible without it escaping, going down the flume was terrifying and we ended up going backwards with me screaming the whole way, then the final indignity at the end trying to get my feet under me in moving water to get off the thing - ended up face-planting and showing everyone my arse.

Hate the bloody things, but DS1 really wanted to go on it, and needed an adult to go with him.

Very recently took part in a ‘game’ in the pool in Mediterranean resort. It was a relay race. You had to sit or lie across the swim ring and use any stroke to get across to the other side of the pool and back. Let’s just say I wish I’d made an excuse and not tried to be Fun Mum. After about four strokes I realised just how shit I was, baling wasn’t an option. The journey felt interminable and I just couldn’t propel myself at the speed I wanted to go

With a full audience, including the 10 and 12 yo.

Omg this is me every time 😂 I'm fat and clumsy to boot so always look like a beached whale in the most undignified poses

Just today I’ve been roped in to some around the pool games. Some football related game where I did surprisingly well and then running across some floating flooring laid out in the pool trying not to fall and make a right fool of myself and dive in if I reached the end in one piece. Of course once wasn’t enough for DD 🤦‍♀️ tried the aqua bike sessions and yesterday I wasn’t aware my swimming costume had come undone on my top half until the session ended. When I looked down my right breast was out 😳🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Omg this is me every time 😂 I'm fat and clumsy to boot so always look like a beached whale in the most undignified poses

DC2 aged about 3 or 4 months, at the end of a baby swimming lesson decided it was time to release a 3 or 4 day poonami . The instructor alerted me to the leakage out of the swim nappy and told everyone to get out of the pool. As I got out holding DC2, a trail of shit ran down my body and only the floor and the trail went right through to the showers which were well within the changing rooms.

I had to walk past all the parents and toddlers who were about to start their lesson. Nearly all the children burst into tears because the instructor had to tell them their lesson was cancelled.

I then had to wash the poo off both of us in the group shower.

Poor lifeguards - they had a massive cleaning job.

And poor reception staff were phoning tbe parents of the next but one class to tell them it was cancelled.

Ironically both DC2 and I later became lifeguards at that pool. Never saw anything quite so bad as an employee, although I did have to pick up a large (but thankfully firm) poo off a changing cubicle seat. I did also have to tell a mum who was showering with her 4 kids who were aged about 6, 8, 10 and 12 in the aforementioned group shower that it was not acceptable to instruct them to wee in the shower rather than the toilet. She couldn't see the problem and told them to ignore me because I didn't know what I was talking about!

So far my most embarrassing thing was opening the door to the postman with a boob out during covid.
Guy looked at me funny, I apologied and put my mask on.
Went back in, grabbed the baby and kept feeding him. It wasn’t until I had finished the feeding I realised that the actual milkjug was hanging out when I opened the door. A spoonful of Nutella helped me to calm down

Oh yes!! The slides and flumes and all that stuff! Totally forgot. The indignity is exactly right 😂

That made me laugh out loud because I can so picture that initial realisation of, Oh bugger, now I've started I've got to finish. (Sack races and three-legged dad/mum races, too.)

Honestly, the fact that baby sensory classes start every class with a room full of adults singing say hello to the corn, while their babies lie there oblivious (or often asleep) baffles me, and whoever came up with the idea should be embarrassed far more than any stories here so far 😂

Argh the poo story! So funny you ended up lifeguarding there yourself!

And trying to remember the hand actions 😂

My nephew, as a toddler insisted that I play "Thomas the Tank Engine" at a church coffee morning. There is a video of me out in the ether somewhere chuff- chuffing with my arms making train piston movements, going out then back into the train shed.
I did not know the video was being recorded.
To be fair, after that I cared far less about what others might be thinking about anything!

Standing at the side of a field waving to a farmer in a tractor / combine harvester to see if my son could have a ride (my neighbour had told me they were cutting the field that day and to head down if my kid was interested) but honestly, actually seeing them working the field felt soo embarrassing to wave them down to stop!

They did and my son had an amazing time but oh my god I felt like a lemon.

This is exactly what I needed to read today. I have 3 children, youngest is a newborn and breastfed. Answered the door to DPD yesterday, mid feed, baby unlatched, moved head slightly and I flashed my nipple to the poor DPD man who delivers multiple parcels weekly for DH's business. Tried to muster up a quick apology but I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. Phoned Dh in a huff, mortified and told him I was never answering the door again to anyone ever. Poor Dh could barely breathe through laughter. It will haunt me forever.

Going down a flume for the first time aged 40 and teenage DS must have had the dilemma of the century going on in his head when he mumbled 'Mum, hold your boob's when you hit the water or they'll fall out'. Poor lad was morfied but obviously thought that was the lesser of 2 evils 🤣.

Loving all of these. I do think it makes us less embarrassed overall/with other things later on. It's kind of 'well, I survived that so I can survive anything now!'