Earlier this evening I was dropping Lexie off at Tween Town, a social activity for kids ages 8 to 12 at our library. I was sitting outside waiting for them to open the door and let her in before I left.
When the door opened and she rushed inside without even telling me good-bye, a rather dowdy mom walked up to me and asked, "Should I go inside? Do we stay here with our kids?"
I answered, "Only if you want to embarrass your kid."
You should have seen the look of horror on her face.
It was only during the drive home that it dawned on me that she had not taken my reply in the spirit it was intended. I meant only that kids that age don't want mom hanging around at Tween Town. It embarrasses them.
She apparently thought I meant she was so fugly that her kid would be embarrassed to be seen with her.
I can't even be nice when I try.
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Comments: 31
I'm still an embarrassment to my kids. One's almost midde-aged herself.
My 12 year old started a new school today, and because it was a few days late, she met with the counsler first. I took her there, and as he was getting ready, I asked if I had to stay or not. He said I didn't have to unless I wanted to, so I looked at Rae and laughed and said, "Do you want your mommy to escort you to your locker on your first day of Junior High?"
She turned red and said... "Uh... no, mom." The counslers got a laugh out of it, thugh.
BTW, when my girls were that age, I thrived on embarrassing them. It was my job as a mom. lol
If you see her approaching your car with a baseball bat next week, though, I would consider that a sign that she took it wrong.
Only, I usually don't even notice.
It's called speak before you really think about what you want to say - short versions = foot in mouth.
I did it in a Target a couple of weeks ago. I can't even explain it because there was NO right way to ask what I asked. I just blurted out what I was really thinking in my head. But I'll give it a try.
There was hardly anyone in the lines. The lady ahead of me was buying lots of back to school stuff. I had been running all over several towns for hours looking for the perfect birthday gift for my husband. I had finally found it and was tired and brain dead.
Anyway, I patiently waited as the chatty cashier talked as much as she scanned and bagged. I was thinking the end of the sale was near when she uncovered at least a dozen items on hangers I didn't know were there before. Then she took one item carefully off the hanger, shook it, folded it just so and carefully placed it in the bag. Just like I would normally want someone to do to my purchases - unless I was in a hurry.
I know at most lower end department stores they throw away the hangers and the cutomer can have them and then the itmes are just put in the bag on the hanger. Also, I usually give the cashier a hand and remove everything from hangers if I'm not keeping the hangers.
As all this is going through my pea brain and I was thinking about just switching lanes, I blurted out, "Do you have to take everything off the hangers?" They both turned and stared at me. "I mean some stores you can keep the hangers if you want........."
I just stopped talking as the cashier started to give a long winded spech about the customer can have the hanger, "Oh, do you want the hangers? or you don't have to take them" blah, blah, blah.....
I realized how studpid and rude I had sounded and just took my 2 items and slipped over to the empty cashier next to me. I thought about what I might say to the cahier and customer to apologize and explain what I meant. I realized I was in a hurry and really did blurt out what I was thinking and just left the building. Talking more would have only made it worse.
Either was you meant it, Andrea, you did the frumpster a favor... ;-)
There are some good comments here I need to reply to. Let me get some coffee in me. I'll be back.