“I Wanted The Ground To Swallow Me”: 35 Hilariously Embarrassing Things Kids Did

To gain more insight on this topic, we reached out to mom, author and founder of the popular parenting website Lemon Lime Adventures, Dayna Abraham. Dayna was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda, jokingly noting that it might be easier to count how often her kids don't embarrass her, rather than how often they do.

"I remember when my oldest (now 18) was three, we were in Bed Bath & Beyond, and he didn't know what something was," Dayna shared. "So at the top of this lungs he shouted, 'What the f*ck!' Because earlier in the week when I heard him say this when he stepped in water, I had said, 'Oh, I think you mean: What's this? What's happened?'"

"While these moments are funny to look back on, there have been many moments raising an autistic child that I have felt embarrassed in public for not so funny things," Dayna added. "For example, one time my child was melting down in the parking lot of Starbucks and screaming at me while cars just drove by and stared."

But she gives kids the benefit of the doubt, noting that they're probably not intentionally embarrassing their parents. "Instead, I think that parents have expectations, and society has placed so many expectations on [us] that parents take their children's behaviors personally," Dayna explained. "Children (especially young children) aren't self aware and aren't aware of social 'normalcies' yet, so what they think is normal can be very embarrassing or humiliating for parents."

We were also curious if Dayna believes her kids will always find ways to embarrass her. "I definitely think that there are always opportunities for kids to embarrass their parents. And as they hit teen and young adult years, they find it more fun to poke fun at their parents," she told Bored Panda. "If parents and kids create a strong bond, the joking and silliness can be a fun source of connection as their relationship grows."

Dayna also says it's important for parents to take embarrassment with laughter when it comes to light-hearted mistakes. "If there are extremely challenging behaviors that are embarrassing, I want parents to know this doesn't mean your child is 'bad' or you are failing as a parent," the expert shared.

"Allow yourself to remove the judgement from others and focus on the relationship between you and your child," Dayna continued. "You can learn more about how to release the pressure of onlookers in my book, Calm the Chaos: A Failproof Roadmap to Parenting Even the Most Challenging Kids."