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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

101 ways to embarrass your teenager.

187 replies

LoisInTheMiddle · 20/08/2010 12:16

I have discovered what fun it can be embarrassing teens. And so easy.

I always knew that teenagers found their parents embarrassing and my 14 year old DS has now reached that stage. What I didn?t know was how little it takes to cause intense embarrassment and humiliation.
I have turned into Lois from Malcolm in the Middle. Apparently I am the most embarrassing person on the planet. Did I dance at his school disco? Kiss him in front of his friends? Wear something unsuitable for my age? No, nothing like that

This is what I did.
We were on holiday in a self service restaurant at the pool bar. Alongside the cutlery were some table mats so I took four knives and forks and four table mats and set them out on our table. DS1 sat down and said, while looking as though he wanted to crawl under the table,
?Mum , how could you??.
?What have I done??
?The mats. No one else has table mats.?
?Well I thought they improved the sticky plastic table?
?Mum, I beg you, please never do the table mats again?

Of course I made it worse by laughing.

Mums of teens tell me yours. Have you managed to humiliate your teen with anything as trivial?

OP posts:
KatieScarlett2833 · 22/08/2010 16:40

As revenge for ignoring us as we said goodbye to DS outside their mutual school. "Bye bye our precious angel, we'll be counting the seconds until we see you again!" accompanied by blowing air kisses and much waving.

usualsuspect · 22/08/2010 16:40

I've read the removing the bedroom door as a punishment on MN before ...I also think its an appalling punishment

UnholyMoley · 22/08/2010 16:42

Oh, I thought it sounded like a good idea, BG! Grin

I'd do it myself to dd1, except the mess and stink that emanates from her room next a door to contain it.

usualsuspect · 22/08/2010 16:44

The bedroom door contains d's mess, wouldn't want it spilling out over the landingGrin

stleger · 22/08/2010 23:48

Threatening to discuss breastfeeding when friends are in is always good for a laugh...In private they can recite my opinions.

Tortington · 22/08/2010 23:51

yesterday - i offered to pick dd up from work whilst in the car she tells me that she has been invited to her friends house in the next town over and needs to get the train, but she also needs to go home and put some make up on.

"train station or home" says i - as im not a friggin taxi.

"station" she replies sulkily and then continues to moan all the way about me being unfair

so i drop her off at the station , get out of the car and as she is walking off i say quite loudly " kisses for mummy" whilst opening my arms wide.

she looks, walks off shaking her head.

Grin
stleger · 22/08/2010 23:59

My dd1 would shake her head and mutter 'Dear God...'

TheNextMrsDepp · 23/08/2010 00:25

I remember my mum commenting loudly on my teenage spots in some public place - "ooo, you are getting spotty!". Gah! I hadn't noticed....

Also getting changed on a beach - "just put the towel around you, no-one will see". Are you INSANE, mother?

DS is almost 11 and finds it excruciating when I shout if I'm listening to an MP3 player through earphones. So I do it more!

seenyertoeslately · 23/08/2010 00:27

Taking the bedroom door off is a punishment for what? Smoking/boozing in there?

I'd never heard of this punishment. I don't think that it would have worked for my boys as the only real problem I had with them was fighting each other. Destroying barriers between them would have made it easier for them to get at each other.

stieger your post reminded me of when I really embarrassed a young teenage boy who was visiting our house when ds1 was a baby. He did not know us well and started to look a bit uncomfortable when I started to pull up my shirt to breastfeed. (I don't think that it was something he was used to). I was very ready to feed, with the usual prickly feelings but rather than the drops starting to leak out, a jet of milk shot out and hit this poor boy on the shoulder. He was absolutely mortified.

moshchops · 23/08/2010 00:30

I took dd food shopping. She was going to a beach BBQ.
I - wore crops and long baggy tunic (I am not thin, but I looked alright)
I - wore smart sandals. (It was bloody hot)
I - had painted toe nails. (So what)
What did I do wrong?
I - said hello to her friend, who was also food shopping with her mam for the BBQ; whilst badly dressed.

As I told her, for someone so intelligent, she is mighty daft. Oh, my heart bleeds for her!!

Ha, she should of had my mam. When I was 15, I can remember my very good looking, thin, 37yr old mum answered the door to pay the milkman in short (80's style) shorts and a bikini top. You could of cringed, but my lovely mam, wouldn't of considered that what she had on was weird, it's what she always wore to decorate, and there was no way she would of considered putting a t-shirt on to answer the door.

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 23/08/2010 02:46

MrsChemist - we need to cross-pollinate parents, as my mum is always saying "Have you been washing your hair again?"

Er, yes I did it two days ago, I don't think it makes me a weirdo to think about washing more than once a year. She washes her hair every day, but apparently in me this is a freakish behaviour.

She also does "are you in the toilet again?", especially when other people are around. I think she expects everyone to go once at the age of nought, and get it over with for a lifetime.

thelunar66 · 23/08/2010 09:17

My friend who is now in her mid-40s still recalls with deep embarassment an evening she went to a nightclub. She gave her father strict instructions where to sit in the car outside when he came to pick her up.

Apparently, she was 2 mins late out. Her father walked into nightclub, straight up to DJ, where he asked for the music to be stopped and a loud announcement to be made...

'Will Susan Parks please come to the front, where her father is waiting for her!'

She says a little bit of her died inside that night Blush

(Have name-changed friend btw)

stleger · 23/08/2010 16:53

I have just mentioned to dd1 that her dad and her boyfriend's dad are liable to meet up in the sauna as they both use it. (It is a college sports place). She is not amused.

Bunsouttheoven · 24/08/2010 00:30

My parents used to embarrass me all the time.

Dad- bought some old fashioned roller skates at a carboot sale (complete with metal wheels) to 'join in' when my friends & I had our cool new roller boots in the 80's. He also bought a skateboard some years later to join in with my brother.

Mum- belly danced on a holiday in turkey when I was 14. Oh the horror, a man put money down her top. I WANTED TO DIE.

MummyWithA1Family · 24/08/2010 02:48

I went shopping with ds today (21 months) and thought of this thread as I was walking round making silly noises to him and singing along to the music. I laughed out loud and said to him 'when you're a big boy mummy's going to embarrass you by doing this' to which he replied by pulling me in for a kiss and cuddle. Awwww. Must he grow up? He's so affectionate at the moment and his face lights up into a massive beam when I walk into the room. He melts my heart. It'll be all too soon that he rejects kisses and cuddles and stops smiling because he's so happy to see me. I want him to stay this age forever! Am dreading the terrible twos, troublesome threes, tiresome tweenagers and dreadful teenagers!! I know there'll be so much to look forward to as he grows up but he's perfect just the way he is now.

I want to keep the kisses and cuddles

Sorry ended up a bit off topic Blush

mrswallander · 03/09/2010 09:40

I must not ever laugh. It's "so irritating". And dd is only 12! I really can't wait for the next 8 years... (oops- sarcasm. A privilege reserved only for the adolescent inthe family).

slug · 03/09/2010 11:08

I am sooo looking forward to being an embarassing parent of a teenager. As a role model I have my In Laws who, apparantly, were so embarassing to him as a child that the first time he brought a girlfriend home to meet them he was 32 (that would be meWink)

Our first Christmas together they dug out every single one of his school reports for my amusement (I'm a teacher) then my MIL to be made drunken lewd comments about how DH's (who is legendarily unsporty) ball skills must have improved by now.

borderslass · 04/09/2010 10:47

In the supermarket use the trolley as a ride on dd2 LOVES this when she comes with me she doesn't allow me to have trolley Grin
I've told her its the job of a parent to embarrass your teenager.

ModreB · 05/09/2010 16:12

DS1 (19 yo) wanted a lift home. NOW. I said I could come and get him, but he would have to come to my appointment afterwards, or he could wait an hour and I would pick him up after my appointment.

Demanded to know what appointment was so important that I couldnt pick him up immediately.

I replied "Well, it's my appointment at the Family Planning Clinic to discuss my contraception and to have a smear test. Do you want to come with me?"

LOOONG silence. "No mum, I'll wait."

chunky90 · 30/09/2010 17:08

I always annoyed my mum when I was a teenager because I loved all the nutty stuff she did, had no problems being seen in public with her, didn't mind when she held my dads hand - because I maintain she was only embarrassing herself.

However when I was 17 and she shouted across a pub of my friends that she thought my boyfriend at the time was very handsome and then winked lewdly at me I did want to die.

Goblinchild · 30/09/2010 17:13

"i went to hold ds2 hand automatically when crossing the road so used to having dd out with me and totaly forgot .dd is 7 ds2 is 13"

I've done that. DD holds my hand very nicely, DS shies away as if I were a rabid hyena.
They are 19 and 15. Grin

2shoes · 30/09/2010 17:26

how did I miss this thread???

getting customer services to put a call out for ds and dd in the busy supermarket, dd loves it but ds dies lol.

dancing and singing a long to metal in the car, he he

talking to his friends.

breathing

frostyfingers · 05/10/2010 18:19

A while ago when DT2 was about 12 he was playing rugby and ended up a bit squashed and bootless at the bottom of a heap of larger boys.

He wasn't moving much and moaning so the ref called me over and said "I think Mum's needed here" - I was hesitating because I didn't want to show myself up by galloping across the pitch. However when son looked up at me, with a nosebleed and covered in mud he scowled and said through gritted teeth "go away". Ref didn't hear him say that and thought I was a bit hard hearted as I slunk off!

Evenstar · 05/10/2010 18:22

My friend's son aged 14 complained because he carried a letter in his hand to the post box, apparently it should have been in his pocket as it made him look ridiculous Hmm

sunnydelight · 06/10/2010 01:53

DS1 (17) was terrified that I was going to cry saying goodbye to him at the airport recently when he went off on a school trip. He was so relieved I didn't he actually submitted gracefully to being hugged in front of his mates. Now I probably will cry when I collect him tomorrow as he's been gone nearly two weeks Grin