Tag: embarrass

Pity the parent of an undisciplined child. Their life is chaos. They never know when the eruptions come: in the middle of a grocery store because their child wants a toy; in the middle of a furniture store because their child is bored and starts jumping on sofas to the consternation of the sales staff; in the middle of a neighborhood party when their child starts screaming over a toy and can’t play with it.

Obviously the list goes on… and on. All the way to high school when you’re sitting in the principal’s office after your teen has been caught cheating on tests, copying homework and skipping school. And you think, for about 18 years friends and family have all been wondering, "What kind of child are you raising? And what kind of parent are you?"

"Mom! You are so embarrassing!"

Hearing this from your precious offspring who, one short year ago, considered you the center of their universe may be difficult to accept. Even though you’ve heard that it’s not uncommon for a sweet young child to turn into a less-than-pleasant adolescent, you secretly hoped that your child would be the one exception. Your pride and joy goes from idolizing you to ducking around the corner at the thought of being seen with you in public. While there’s no magic wand that allows a parent to have their child skip over the teen years, there are some time-tested tips that will help along the journey.