03
Oct
08

Parents who make you cringe?

Dad on the dancefloor? Mum singing in front of your friends? Or, when you first introduce your new boyfriend or girlfriend to your parents, them spouting off about what you were like as a baby? Yes, it’s happened to us all. Moments when your parents make you want to die of embarrassment. But is it your fault or theirs?

Well this week, a scientific study came out that may throw light on why teenagers especially get SO embarrassed. Apparently teenagers use a different part of their brain to process these sort of emotions — something called the medial prefrontal cortex — read about it here. The science, from the University College of London, doesn’t much impress blogger Mick Hartley. But nevertheless, many people believe the phenomenon of teenage embarrassment really does exist.

What was the most embarrassing moment your parents put you through? Or, if you’re a parent, how do you avoid embarrassing your kids? Should they just lighten up? Or do you warble / dance in public deliberately to wind them up?


10 Responses to “Parents who make you cringe?”


  1. 1 Jennifer
    October 2, 2008 at 21:50

    I think teenagers are overly sensitive! The worst thing I can think of that my mom did to me as a teenager was that she scared my boyfriend off by grilling him majorly about his intentions with me. She didn’t just ask a few simple questions she skewered him. Even the tone of her voice was the you’re in for it tone of voice….haha My mom does enjoy telling everyone stories like the one about when my brother and I were waiting for her in the truck and I decided to drive us into the side of my aunt’s house. Thankfully, it did no real damage to the house, truck, or to us. 🙂 And, she did and still does like to show baby photos..My mom is very outgoing and has a silly sense of humor which I love. Most of the time I am way too serious so she helps me lighten up.

  2. 2 smithcopper
    October 3, 2008 at 02:09

    Babies having babies …living with mom or dad …and the poor grandma is the only one working in the house and all her thirtysomethings are too shamelessly lazy to pay the utility bill and erode any retirement savings there may be.

    One lady I talked to on the phone about her bill actually cooed to her baby then said you little ***** …

    Parents who do the bare minimum and prepare nothing for their children’s lives except to perpetuate life abusing welfare resources…

    Abusers and people with substance problems

  3. 3 Bob in Queensland
    October 3, 2008 at 05:13

    It’s a natural part of life. I can still remember what I thought of my parents when I was a teenager and they were so uncool as to want to talk to my friends or something.

    However, now I’m the parent embarrassing the young folk, I realise that, in the parent’s head, it’s just because we don’t feel “old” and just keep acting as we would have when young–as unseemly as that is for the young people!

  4. 4 Dennis@OCC
    October 3, 2008 at 05:21

    That is a natural part of life.!!!!

    Dennis

  5. 5 viola
    October 4, 2008 at 01:01

    Some friends told their teenage son: “you’d better move out while you’re still smarter than your parents.”

  6. 6 1430a
    October 4, 2008 at 06:41

    hello guys,

    I am a teenager and i think i know the problem:When your mom or dad tries to be friendly with your friends and open up all your childhood secrets you feel embarrassed, not because you don’t love them enough but because you you feel that your friends will make fun about them in them behind your back. Thats the reason:you don’t want your parents hurt do you? so it must be understood by the parents so that their children don’t feel embarrassed in front of their friends.

    But take it this way:(suppose you are a Parent)
    When you have guests at home, if your son comes down and starts talking about dad being beaten up by mom or something like that (something stupid),you will obviously feel embarrassed right? -you know that the guests will talk about this behind your back. So if you can feel embarrassed, then why not your son, when you talk about his childhood moments (naked photo’s when small or messing yoursel?

    So Parents, i guess its time you understand these facts and help your children.

    Thank you,
    Abhinav

  7. 7 Shakhoor Rehman
    October 4, 2008 at 10:41

    Why single out parents? There are plenty of people I know who make me want to ‘die of embarrassment’.

  8. 8 Rabin Karki, Worcester, MA
    October 5, 2008 at 18:38

    I don’t think anyone sane, let alone the parents, would like to embarrass someone else deliberately. IMO, sometimes incident of that nature happen simply because of the so called “generation gap”.
    We and our parents can’t and don’t have a same mindset so as to behave the same way in a particular situation.

  9. 9 Adnan
    October 6, 2008 at 12:10

    My sentiment is Parents are the pristine creatures of the human world so if they made us embarrassed, it should not be treated as felony instead it is up to the teenagers how they manage the situation.

  10. June 24, 2009 at 17:06

    I never took those things as embarrassment. At times it (your parents’ talk on you) might not not be as you have wished for but I nevertheless enjoy it.

    I really appreciate it as a medium for my parents to cherish the Good ‘Ol times.


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