The cool 3rd grader and her little sister in Monterrey, MX The teachers at Palmyra Elementary have encouraged us to come and eat lunch at school with our kids "while they still want us to". We do that every once in a while, but I have to admit that I figured I had a few years until my kids were embarrassed of me. I'm a pretty cool mom, right? WRONG! Hattie has been full of instructions lately. The other day, she said, "Mom. When you go out in public I want you to straighten your hair. It looks better that way." Then, I got the permission slip for an upcoming field trip and asked her if she wanted me to go along. She looked horrified and firmly explained that I should NOT do that. In the last 24 hours, she also informed me that when I come to her classroom (I do this most Fridays), I am not to look through the window in the door and make faces at her (I usually wait until she catches my eye and then cross my eyes at her). What's a mom to do? I explained to her that she just better get used to being embarrassed, because she has some pretty weird parents. She was not impressed. Thankfully Abe still likes to be seen with me....for now anyway. He was comforting me after Hattie so rudely shunned me. I have heard that once they are teenagers, all you have to do to embarrass them is breath. So, for now, I will count my blessings, straighten my hair, keep my eyes uncrossed and make other plans on field trip day. sigh
2 comments:
Please tell me I've got a few more years until this stage!!!! When it was time for hard decisions or discipline, my mom often said that she was called to be my parent and not my friend . . . but right now I like being the friend! Oh well, I guess we have to remember that all things are phases.
My friend Jane U. says that when her kids tell her she is embarrassing them, she glowingly gushes, "Why, THANK YOU! That means I am doing my job!"
Personally, I think it's our right, nay our DUTY as parents to embarrass the snot out of our kids. It builds character. And the need for intense therapy.
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