Cringe-worthy: 14 Ways Parents Embarrass Their Children

Parents are the most loving and cringe-worthy people in a child’s life, especially when children reach their formative years. One study found that parents embarrass their children 14 times per week, though that number certainly seems to be higher for children. In most cases, parents are not trying to be awkward, but kids usually don’t believe that. So, what embarrasses kids so much? Let’s dive into it! 

Comment on social media 

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The first rule of social media is not to befriend your parents. It might sound cruel, and they can have all the parental advisory as long as they can’t make comments. Most try to be funny but end up being cringy or revealing something their children really did not want out in the open. 

The talk 

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Most parents tried (and failed) to have the talk with their pre-teens or teens. It starts with birds and bees and ends up with them all flushed, struggling to find words, stumbling, and asking whether their child understood them. It is not an easy task, but it is necessary, yet even without the internet, kids learn stuff by talking to each other. 

Young and hip 

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One of the most embarrassing moments for every child is seeing a parent trying to act cool, young, and hip in front of their friends. It is adorable that parents are trying to connect with their children, yet if you ask the kids, it leaves them mortified. It is also one of those moments when children realize their parents are no longer their superheroes, as they thought while younger. 

Dance moves 

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Another misguided attempt at trying to connect with a child involves dancing. Parents do it the old-school way, meaning they do what they did when they were teenagers, and unless they are professional dancers, it looks unsettling. Still, according to YouGov polling, only 10 percent of kids were embarrassed by their parents’ dancing, compared to 15 percent who hated when they acted younger. 

Upload their kids’ photos without consent 

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Perhaps a pre-teen’s mom only wanted to show off a lovely family photo on her social media, but it can be disturbing for a kid, especially if their parents are hugging them or they are making funny faces. Parents shouldn’t need consent to share a photo of their children, but since today’s kids grew up with social media, it is better to ask than to risk witnessing a temper tantrum. 

Childhood stories 

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Whether it is their kid’s best friend or a date, parents enjoy nothing more than sharing childhood stories. For whatever reason, they always choose the worst ones, thinking they are hilarious. It is an excellent way for parents to reminisce, but their kids’ crushes do not have to learn about the time they did number 2 in Walmart. 

Overprotective parents 

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The vast majority of children complained that their parents’ protectiveness left them flustered. This is common for pre-teens and teenagers, and since this is a time of significant changes, parents are trying to regroup and ensure their kids are not growing up too fast. However, it can backfire since parenting is often based on trial and error. 

Hugs and kisses 

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Even preschoolers do not want to be seen as babies by their peers. Children do not understand that, for their parents, they will always be babies in some way. That’s why hugging and kissing are ways to keep that bond strong. Still, it is embarrassing in most situations, especially in front of the child’s friend(s). 

Dress sense 

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Many children are not happy with their parents’ sense of style, haircuts, and overall appearance. This generation gap has existed forever. What’s hip for today’s children will be outdated in a decade, so despite the embarrassment, they will survive. Once they have their own children, today’s kids will finally understand their parents. 

Sound of music 

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As with fashion, kids are often eye-rolling at their parents’ music choices. They can’t accept that their parents once went to concerts and parties and got wild. Parents revisit these good old days by blasting their favorite tunes from before the time their main job was to embarrass their kids, and it can get awkward. Yet, in rare cases, parents can help children discover great bands and artists. 

The nicknames 

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Adults teach children when to use their inside voices and when it’s okay to be loud. At some point, children have to educate their parents on when it is okay to use their cheeky nickname and when it is not. Calling your child Pookie or Sugar Bear in front of their peers will leave them scared (for a day), but sometimes, it just happens. 

Public display of vocal abilities 

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Many kids prefer to walk rather than be dropped off by their parents. The reason is simple: parents, in their efforts to show their love, often start shouting or singing, and it is a deal-breaker. Parents could simply text their kids whatever they wanted to sing to them.

Using the lingo 

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One of the most cringy moments for every child comes when their parent texts them an acronym. For example, LOL does not mean lots of love or living only lies. It is not the parents’ fault that there are language barriers because they also existed when they were kids. But they can Google phrases now, so they have an upper hand over their moms and dads. 

Chatting with a child’s date

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For reasons unknown, parents forget what it felt like when their moms and dads sat down with their new boyfriend or girlfriend. That’s why they will do anything to leave their children wince with embarrassment. From acting overprotective to sharing baby pictures and asking weird questions, parents know how to ruin a date before it starts. 

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