Why I’m a Bad Mother, Reason No. 47: I blame my kids for my lack of friends
Mini Me has a new Sunday School teacher. She is a sweet lady with six kids of her own and four grandchildren.
Mini Me’s class is a rambunctious little group which includes two sets of twins and my chatty daughter who, to my utter horror, can’t manage to keep her dress down in church. I tried making sure that she had shorts on under her dress each Sunday, but that only serves to empower Mini Me more to pull the bows out of her hair, kick off her shoes, and wear her skirt on her head.
The last teacher split town with barely a moments notice. (Can’t say that I blame her.) So when the new teacher came along I was hoping this would mean a fresh start for Mini Me and our good family name.
After church a couple weeks ago, we sat down for a serious talk. I told Mini Me that her new teacher was a really nice lady, someone that I would like to be friends with, but she won’t want to be friends with me unless Mini Me was a good girl in class.
I thought my argument was pretty convincing, but hers was even better.
“Mom, do you have to be friends with everybody?”
Apparently not.
Fess up. Have you ever felt embarrassed by your kids in social situations? Have you ever avoided play dates or lunch dates because you were afraid of how your kids would behave?
My daughter is still pretty young so I haven’t faced this yet. However, she is the only girl with all boys in her Sunday School class and they put their teacher through the ringer every week. Fortunately, I’m not good friends with the woman.
Of course not! How could you even insinuate … well, I never … oh, okay — you got me.
My oldest son is very analytical, so sometimes he forgets to use tact and compassion. “Mom, that woman really needs to lose weight” while pointing. :O So yeah, that can get embarrassing in public.
Plus, my younger son is a complete monkey right now so I’m constantly worrying he will either hurt someone or break something… ***sigh*** Gotta love the kiddies!
I teach Primary and if I ever have a girl, I’m going to be like you and have her wear shorts under her skirt. Girls just don’t sit like ladies at that age. Yikes!
Yes, When I know my son is not having a good day – I will cancel all plans for outings and I don’t think this makes us bad parents. My son has yet to do something terribly embarassign but I am sure the day will come.
My dog on the other hand has embarassed me numerous times at the dog park, so now I refuse to take him. I make my husband do it!!!
I think I was “drafted” into this Cub Scout position just so I could spend embarrassing quality time with my 9-year-old and his friends. It has resulted in a weekly angerfest for me and a Daddy lecture for my son. It’s not really how I pictured it, I can tell you that.
Evan has a hard time sitting down in Primary. I give him a car to hold on to and his teacher knows to take it away if he gets up but last week I forgot it and Evan’s teacher was asked to take him out. I was so embarrassed.
Of course we have all felt a bit uncomfortable, trying to negotiate kid appropriate behavior vs adult expectations of reasonable social habits. Skirts up….yikes. I had a friend who couldn’t keep her 4-year-old daughter dressed! WeMoms would be sitting in the park and some concerned other mother would come and get us, “she’s doing it again.”
But often, it is the adults who make us feel bad.
Sometimes my husband says things that make the kids look harmless. It’s one of those quirks that make him Mr. I just love him, so I learned to blush without color;)
There was that one time my four year old, at the time, used the word ‘boobies’ at church, and the Sunday School teacher told me about it. I don’t even know where she learned that word. I was so mortified.
Usually, they don’t humiliate me when I’m with them…I just hear about it later.
LOL, LOL….I am at a lost of words. I liked your aguement.
I think I’ll just say YES without giving any explanation!