Jonny McKim, 13, Belfast
My Mum likes to comment on how I look, especially when I'm with my mates. In situations like this I follow my Dad's advice: I just nod, agree and move on. By doing this at least you can reduce the embarrassment factor. My Dad doesn't ever embarrass me - he knows how it feels when you get embarrassed in front of your friends.
| My Dad does funny dances when we’re walking through the street. We can’t walk anywhere without him stopping to talk to total strangers. |
Katie Burrell, 16, Sheffield
My Dad does funny dances when we're walking through the street. He also seems to know everyone and we can't walk anywhere without him stopping to talk to total strangers.
Caroline Hobbis, 16, London
I probably embarrass my parents more than they do me. I've also got to the age of being able to "advise" my parents about clothing, so I no longer have to suffer the socks-with-sandals situation in summer. If you're a boy I think it's a bit different. My brother gets annoyed when my parents call him "darling"; it's a subconscious thing for them, but the epitome of embarrassment for him.
Jodie Duke, 9, Plymouth
Once when I thought I was going to have my period, my Mum told her best friend. I was embarrassed because it should have been private. Parents shouldn't treat children like babies.
Perri Wallace, 11, Belfast
My parents don't embarrass me a lot, but they do have their moments. For instance, my Dad falls asleep all the time - even when someone is talking he dozes off. And once when my Mum was sorting through a collection of old baby photographs, she left out one of me naked in the bath for my friends to see as we walked into the room.
Rosie-Marie Rowlands, 14, Birmingham
My parents don't seem to embarrass me really, they're kind of cool in that respect. If they do, it's when they're messing about, or joking; they don't really mean it, though. Some of my friends find their parents embarrassing for the most stupid of things, such as their fashion sense - it's so shallow. Don't they realise that if their parents found out what they were saying, they would probably be upset?
David Burnham, 15, Sheffield
When we used to go into town together, my Dad always used to put on stupid older-person voices, particularly when he saw an older couple. He would say things like: "Haven't the price of sprouts gone up?" My Mum is worse. When I'm on the phone to a friend who's a girl, or even if I just mention a girl's name, she and my sister will say "Is she your girlfriend?" So embarrassing.
About answer back
answer back is an occasional column by Children's Express members, published in the Parents pages of The Times.
