As I sit in the car, a sense of unease washes over me. “Am I running late?” I glance at my watch—nope, just on time. The moment my child hops in, I instinctively lower the volume of the radio.
“I could hear that music from a mile away!” she exclaims, annoyance dripping from her voice. “You’re so embarrassing.” Had I been jamming to Bruno Mars or Maroon 5, perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad. But no, I was rocking out to Kansas—“Carry On My Wayward Son,” of course! How can you not turn that up? She was lucky I wasn’t playing air drums too.
It seems these days, it doesn’t take much to embarrass my 13-year-old. This wasn’t always the case. When kids are young, they’re thrilled when you act silly; you’re the parent who brings fun to the mundane. I recall the delightful mornings driving her to preschool, where we would belt out tunes like “Under The Sea” or “I Like To Move It,” and later, when I introduced her to music I deemed more sophisticated, songs like “It’s Tricky” and “Should I Stay Or Should I Go.” Then, suddenly, everything changed.
I remember a grocery store visit when Kiki was just 10. A Lionel Richie hit played overhead, and without realizing it, I found myself singing and dancing. That was until her voice cut through, sharp and clear: “STOP THAT!”
I was taken aback. “What? Does that embarrass you?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
In an instant, my reign as the fun parent came to an end. This was not an isolated incident; my partner shared similar experiences. We had officially hit a parenting milestone: the moment your child becomes embarrassed by you.
For a while, we tried to respect her dignity, avoiding goofy antics in public. However, as Kiki transitioned deeper into her tween years, her self-consciousness grew, and she became quicker to chastise us for any behavior that might draw attention. By the time she hit her teenage years, even our most innocent actions—smiling, blinking, simply existing—could trigger her embarrassment. Eventually, my partner and I realized we couldn’t win this battle, so we decided to embrace our role as parental embarrassers. We concluded that making our teenager cringe is not just our right but our duty.
Let’s not forget that she had her fair share of shaming moments when she was little. I vividly remember her epic tantrum at an arts festival when she was two, causing a local band to stop mid-performance until we could whisk her away. There was also the time at Quiznos when she yelled at someone smoking outside, firmly asserting that cigarettes were harmful. And who could forget her singing “Look at me, I’m Sandra Dee” in a library at the age of five, revealing that one of her parents (cough) had let her watch Grease a bit too early?
Now, it was our turn, and honestly, it’s been a riot—almost too easy. All it takes is calling her by her childhood nickname, Kiki-loo, in front of her friends, or showing up to school in sweatpants.
Just a few nights ago, we were driving home from dinner when “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” came on. My partner and I started dancing in our seats, grooving to the beat. “Stop,” Kiki demanded. Naturally, we ignored her.
“Why?” I asked. “No one can see us.” It didn’t matter; she was utterly mortified.
As the chorus played, my partner and I decided to make it extra fun by dividing the lyrics into a call-and-response format. Just then, a car pulled up next to us at a stoplight. Though the occupants didn’t even notice our antics, Kiki looked like she was about to burst into tears. I turned down the radio and stopped dancing to give her a moment.
Once we pulled into the driveway, Kiki stormed out, clearly annoyed, and headed for the house. But I couldn’t resist. I rolled down the window and called out, “Don’t leave, you’re going to miss the best part!” I cranked the radio back up, and we sang along, completely undeterred by her disapproval.
In conclusion, the journey of navigating the teenage years is filled with unexpected turns. While it can be challenging to balance our roles as parents, finding joy in the moments that embarrass our children can provide a unique bonding experience. For further insights into parenting and home insemination, consider exploring resources like this excellent podcast on IVF and fertility preservation. And check out this informative post about home insemination kits for more information. Additionally, for those considering home insemination, this at-home insemination kit is a great resource.
Keyphrase: The Joy of Embarrassing My Teenager
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