Growing up, my Mom was always involved in many of my school activities. I loved knowing that she would be upstairs volunteering in the library while I was in class or serving at the concession stand during my softball games. I can’t wait to do those kind of things for all of my children. Even though I’m sure it must have happened, I don’t ever remember being young and embarrassed by my mom. I knew with my own children, I wanted to be involved in their lives but not to the point where I was embarrassing them in front of others.
My husband and I recently left our twin girls at home with Nana while we took my 5 year old son to his school festival. He was so excited about it and when we arrived, he wanted to ride all of the kid’s rides. The first thing he wanted to do was the roller coaster and I was honestly surprised. He is a vary cautious kid and even on the playground, there are things he won’t do. We also have visited Disney World, Six Flags and Silver Dollar City and he’s always been adamant about not going on “scary rides”.
He boarded the roller coaster and my husband and I stood on the side with our phones out so we could take pictures to document this occasion. Each time he rolled by me, I couldn’t help but grin and wave and yell, “Hi Hayden!” and “Both hands on the bars!”. He had the biggest grin on his face and would wave back to us and yell out our names. After he got off the roller coaster, I gave him the biggest hug and kept saying “Good job, Hayden! You did so good!”.
After that, he wanted to hurry on over to this gigantic slide where you slide down on potato sacks. Again, I was shocked because this is a kid that is leery of the slide at the school playground. But again, he marched up those steps and came sliding down, looking just a bit surprised. I fawned all over him, telling him he did such a “Good Job”. I caught my husband looking at me and in that exact moment (never before in my son’s 5 years!) I realized I was being an embarrassing Mom.
My 5 year old never said anything to me and in fact he still loves to hug, cuddle and give kisses in public. He wasn’t phased over me praising him over riding the kiddie rides. But I realized that in a few years, he will mind. He might even mind this fall when he starts Kindergarten. It’s going to be hard and I’ll have to make a conscious effort not to embarrass him in public, but to me he will always be my little baby.
Have you caught yourself being an embarrassing mom in public?
Take advantage of those moments now before he will mind. 🙂 I love this story. I love how involved you want to be and I feel the same with my two kids. They’re 5 and 3 and I somewhat dread that moment when they don’t need me like they do now. Thankfully, I haven’t had any embarrassing moments but I know it won’t be too long before they begin to happen.
I’ll definitely keep taking advantage and I know I’ll keep doing it at home. I just need to catch myself in public LOL!
It is certainly tough at first to not be an embarrassing mom but it gets easier with time. Once your kids are in college you will be a pro at it.
Haha, good to know!
Oh yes! I have caught myself doing it too…. and depending on the day and event I either stopped or continued to embarrass my kids (in a fun way though)!
Hopefully when he is older, he’ll appreciate it, roll his eyes and say, oh mom! LOL!
All of us mom’s are the embarrassing mom at some point. The funny things is it does bug them for a few years. Then as they get older it doesn’t bother them any more. Who knew.
That is good to know!
I am sure that I will be an embarrassing mom to these 2 girls. Right now at 3 she still loves the praise and hugs so I will continue to do it.
Like you I can’t wait up be involved in everything my kids do. To volunteer and be there when they want me there.
Hayden really loves it too, so I want to continue to do it! I’ll be sad the day he actually tells me to stop!
awww, I do the same thing and most likely always will. I hate when they gt to big and don’t want you to any longer say I love you in Public or give kisses in front of their friends before going in school. I know once, I really embarrassed my daughter unintentionally. They were having a Halloween party and she was in 3rd grade. I dressed up as a Hobo, wearing my dads suit, his size 12 mens shoe, put on a mustache, etc. My daughter was suppose to meet me at the school door to help me with bringing all the snacks in. I saw her there but she didn’t meet me so I had to go ask her for help. Well, she hadn’t realized it was me and kept saying “Mom, just tell them you only dressed like this today for Halloween” Really? Haha, like I always dressed like that. But it sure did embarrass her
LOL, that is too funny! It’s so interesting the way they think at that age!
Take advantage now..my kids are 10 and almost 14 and they are always embarrassed of me now..LOL when they were younger it was sooo very different!
I’m convinced that there are times you can ’embarrass’ your kids just by being around them. At least that’s how my teenager feels some days.
I am very much an embarrassing mom. I most likely will always be one too. I think it is important to show affection to your little ones and while I know when they get older they may not appreciate it, I’m still gonna do it! 🙂
Not an embarrassing mom, but definitely an over protective Dad AND i do it everyday lol.
I possibly have been an embarrassing mom, but I don’t care. Not because I want them to be embarrassed or what not. But I don’t think I’ve embarrassed them with my praise. Some may see me as an embarrassing mom, but I see that smile on my kid’s face and I could care less what others think. My boys (ages 8 and 9) just had school plays. And I was there with camera and all. I gave thumbs up after each of their lines. I smiled and waved. I was so giddy for them. And all I saw from them was the biggest smiles and feeling so proud. So hey! I may be embarrassing, but as long as it continues to make them feel great about themselves I will keep it up. Once they start to not enjoy it, I will tone it down a bit. But they will always know I am very proud of them.
Oh, I’m totally embarrassing and I don’t plan on ever stopping. It’s my right as a mom, haha.
If you keep the sunglasses on him as he gets older, he might be rolling his eyes and you won’t even know.
I was never embarrassed by mom, but my sister always was. Everyone new who she was and they would say, “you’re —– mom” , but they didnt say my older sisters name. I just loved my mom too much too hurt her feelings.
My son is now 26 and I still embarrass him on occassion. It was really bad when he was a teenager.
I’m not a mom (yet) but I can see how it would be really hard to not praise your child when you’re proud of him. I think it’s just a matter of doing it in the “right way” you know? All kids are different and will be embarrassed or not embarrassed by different things. My sister would have been crushed if my parents didn’t show up to her sports games but I wished nobody would come because it made me nervous to know they watched me, and them cheering for me (even though they weren’t loud or obnoxious at all) was embarrassing for me. Kids are funny, sometimes.
You are so funny girl! Aren’t we all embarrassing moms at one point or another! It’s our right! LOL
I absolutely love the carnival ride photos. My kids grin so big, and I see that yours does too!! 🙂
We could be the most wallflower-y moms in the world and we’d still embarrass our kids! It’s just the way it is! lol
I love this…and I think most Mom’s can relate. They are young for such a short time – don’t change a thing…even in public
I have two teenagers so I’m considered embarrassing for one thing or another most days =)
I revel in the role and cherish the opportunities to embarrass my tweens. It is my secret weapon. What’s that? Rude to mom again this week and didn’t pick up your clothes from the floor. Well sister I think I might just have to yell like a lunatic at the Y something like _ who’s that boy you like at school??? What’s his name? Max? or show up at the school with a tshirt bearing your picture and the inscription that says: I love my kids! Bwahahaha..
That’s so funny that you husband sort of called you out on it! Enjoy these “embarrassing” moments while you can!
I think that even without noticing or realizing we (mothers) will embarrass our children at some point. We may not feel the way but from their (kids) point of view may feel different!