"Do you have to be so embarrassing?” How many times have we heard these “loving” words come out of our teenagers’ mouths (the same teenagers, I might add, that we grew in our bodies for nine months)?

Oh, you’re embarrassed by the fact that our car makes a squeaky noise whenever the brakes are applied, so you want me to drop you off three blocks from your destination? That’s embarrassing to you? Seriously?

Well, try this one on for size:  Here’s something my 4-year-old son said to a TSA agent in an airport; “You're a funny little man, but I like your badge.” I thought we were all going to be strip searched.

My teenagers don’t even think twice before rolling their eyes at me. Once, I held up some cute earrings offering to buy them for my daughter because I thought they would be super cute on her, and her response was, “(eye roll) Mom, those are such old lady earrings.” This coming from a child who used to wear her shoes on the wrong feet.

Parents are the ones who should be rolling their eyes. We have been embarrassed by our children sooooo many times and on sooooo many levels.  They get embarrassed over things like the fact that we like to sing along with the radio, start conversations with their friends, and maybe even do a little dancing at the graduation party we are hosting for them. They don’t seem to catch on to the fact that every belching contest at the table, especially when we have guests, is a disgrace to us. And the giggles accompanying a muffled, “excuse me” that seemingly comes out of nowhere until your next breath leaves you gagging and frantically trying to roll down the windows…seriously? While most people try to take care of their bodily functions in private, here you are belching and flatulating anywhere and everywhere, and as often as possible.

My kids were never overly concerned with privacy when they were little. Most of the times we hosted “busy play groups,” the other moms and I would sit outside watching them play and laughing at their goofiness. One mom, who was new to the group, started saying how glad she was to see how much her son liked playing with the others, and they all seemed such a good influence. With that, the kids came strutting into the living room, each wearing one of my bras, giggling as they exclaimed, “I have boobies! I have boobies!” We never saw her or her son again.

My favorite most embarrassing moment is the time my daughter went up to her pre-school teacher and asked, “Do you have a peanut or a bagina?”  After a moment of awkwardness, we all managed to have a good laugh over that one.

I guess untimely episodes of bodily functions, expression of oneself in the moment, and awkward questions are all a part of the parenting experience.  I’m just glad that during many of these times I was able to (and still can) laugh instead of cry.