Anonymous Parents Admit The Worst Time Their Kids Ever Embarrassed Them In Public
*Kids say the darndest things. There is actually a whole TV show about it. You have to be careful, almost obsessively, about what you say to and around children. They will repeat or publicly question everything, and at the most inappropriate time. It's in the worst moments they will leave parents blushing and wishing they were invisible. *
Redditor *_diamond *reached out to the parents of Reddit hoping ot hear some good stories by asking..._ Parents of reddit: What is the worst way your kids have ever embarrassed you? *And you thought your kids were a handful. *
THE CHILDREN ARE LISTENING!!
When my son was about 4 years old, he was in day care. He was always a pretty good kid, and he got along well with the teachers and the other kids. But, being a kid, he did have tantrums sometimes.
One day we got a call from his day care saying that he got upset at the teacher for not letting him do something, and he called her the "N" word. My wife and I pretty much had a heart attack when we heard this; I think my first instinct was to pack up everything, change our names, and move to another country. I was fucking humiliated. I don't know exactly where he learned that word; probably overheard it (without our knowledge) from some movie or TV show we were watching. He didn't even know what it meant; he just knew it was a mean name to call someone.
So we went over there, apologized profusely, and explained very clearly that he did not learn that from us, and that we would never have taught him to say a word like that. Fortunately, the teacher was very nice and understanding about it (it helped that she was not black; that made it clear to her that he didn't really know what he was saying). We then took him home, sat him down, and had a long talk with him about just how bad that word is, what it means, and why he should never, ever, ever say it -- or, for that matter, ever call anyone names just because he's mad at them.
So, in the end, a potential crisis was avoided by the luck of having a very understanding teacher. But I still cringe when I think about this incident.
I LIKE BIG BUTTS AND I CANNOT LIE!
At a bakery near my house my sister asked my mom; "That man has big bum, how does he fit on the toilet?" He heard and so did everyone else in the store. My mom found a new bakery.
NOT COOL? OR GENIUS?
Ok, not really their fault, but this is the story. I'm cleaning out the garage and have a bunch of stuff in the driveway to pull out the lawnmower for the first mow of spring. As I'm driving the mower I start to notice people driving by slowing down and looking mad at me. It was weird but I didn't think too much about it. Then two different people flipped me off and a few others yelled but since I was driving the mower I couldn't hear what they were saying. (plus they were driving). Finally I can't stand it and have no clue why my mowing is pissing everyone off so I shut the mower off and start to go inside. Then I'm walking by my driveway (not visible from where I was mowing) and see my children (ages 5 and 6) climbed into my dogs old cage and somehow locked themselves in. So it looked to everyone like I locked my kids in a cage while I mowed the lawn. Not cool.
LIGHT IT UP!!
When my son was in second grade, they wrote a book about their mothers for mothers day. It was cute because for a month he would ask random questions about my life, and follow up with "in case you are wondering why I asked, there's no reason." When he brought home the book, I read it and was thrilled. When I was done, I set it down and only then noticed the cover. They had drawn a 8.5 x 11 portrait like photo of their mothers for the front. It showed me with a huge smile, messed up hair, and a shirt that said _"let's get lit" _across the front. It was in reference to a shirt I had bought their father for Christmas with a lit up Christmas tree. Not only had I never worn it, he conveniently left the tree out of the portrait. I was mortified! And when I asked him why he did that, his reply was _"you look good in green and it's the only green shirt I could remember."_ I'm sure his teacher's obvious dislike for me was NOT a coincidence.
I LOVE THE MUPPET SHOW!
Not my kid, actually my aunt's :
They were in a department store and he was wandering around aimlessly while she shopped. Suddenly, she hears him yell, "MOMMY, COME HERE, YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!"
She goes over to the children's department and finds him pointing at a little person. He was an employee of the store."LOOK, MOM, THIS IS SO COOL!" he called, pointing excitedly.
She didn't know what to say. "Oh, yes, he works here! He gets to come here everyday, that IS cool!"
"No, Mommy, I mean it's cool because he's a MUPPET."
She apologized, grabbed my cousin and ran away.
SLEEPING NUDE IS GOD'S INETNTION!
I don't have kids, but I actually remember doing this to my dad:
I was in kindergarten, and every day when the kids were picked up from school, the parents had to do a"sign out." I remember standing at the teacher's desk with my dad while he signed me out and made idle chit chat with the teacher. I remember her glancing at me and feeling like I needed to contribute something to the conversation so I just blurted out "my daddy sleeps naked." I think it was something I had only recently discovered and thought it was just a fun fact. My dad was mortified.
SOMEBODY HAS A DIRTY MOUTH!!
When my son was about 3, we went to Jamba Juice. It was packed of course. As I was ordering, he squirmed out of my hand and went about 20 feet away from me, proceeded to walk back and forth throwing his arms around and yelled at the top of his little lungs "F, f, f*!" He looked like a crazy homeless person. I was completely mortified.
SLAM DUNK!!
When I was 4 we went to olive garden. I saw a black man at the table next to us and said "Michael Jordan! Michael Jordan!" Luckily he just laughed about it!
BOOBS. THAT IS ALL!
My daughter saw a woman at a store who had very large breasts. She yells out "MOMMA THAT LADY HAS BIG BOOBIES! WHY YOU HAVE LITTLE BOOBIES?!?"
RESTRAINTS ARE SO IN VOGUE RIGHT NOW.
Don't have kids. I did this to my parents at a mall. I spent a lot of my childhood in India, so I wasn't that familiar with how things went in the US. I was walking with my parents in the mall when I saw a lady who had her kid on one of those leashes for kids. So I yell out across the mall "Look! They have a kid for a pet!" The lady, looking really annoyed, picked up her leashed kid and walked away.
I SEE OPRAH EVERYWHERE TOO!!
I don't remember where this took place or how old I was exactly, but I was young enough to talk and was still in a stroller, so I must have been about 3.
Apparently, as we strolled past a woman who happened to be black, I loudly said "HI OPRAH!" I guess I had never seen a black woman besides Oprah.
My mom was pretty embarrassed but this woman was apparently flattered and laughed so I guess it wasn't all that bad.
THINGS CAN NEVER BE UNHEARD.
This happened to a friend who works at a daycare. She was helping a kid take his coat and boats off when the kid decides to blurt out "my mommy has a really hairy front butt." My friend looks at the kid, tells him not to talk about his mommy's front butt and continues like nothing happened. She's pretty professional considering I would have laughed my ass off, then made the kid repeat it for my own humor to others.
RACE POLITICS ARE DEPRESSING.
My dad once told me about the time he took me to a grocery store to just do some basic grocery shopping and I ended up wandering off and started screaming "HELLLLLLLLLP" as loud as I could when he found me.
As I was a blonde fair-skinned kid and my dad was a tall Greek/Italian with dark hair and tan skin, security ended up restraining my dad since they couldn't believe we were related and my mum had to be called over to confirm that I was his daughter.
YOU CAN'T TRUST TRUST CHILDREN! THEY SHADY!
When I was kid, in 2nd grade there was some sort of anti drinking and driving campaign. I didn't understand the concept of it, so when the teacher said "I hope none of your parents drink and drive," I raised my hand proudly and said that my Dad does. My Dad drank Coca-cola, I didn't know the difference between Coke and beer. All I knew was they were brown, bubbly, and I wasn't allowed to drink it. Come to think of it, what is the point of a drinking and driving campaign in elementary school?
SHOW ME THE MONEY WOMAN!
When I was a kid, my mom and I went to the grocery store. As we're checking out, the cashier gives my mom the total, and my mom starts writing out a check. I look at her confused and say rather loudly, "But mommy, I thought you said you didn't have any money in the bank??"
LEARN WHEN TO SHUT UP!
Well now I remember one too
My dad took me to a football game when I was really young, and while we were walking around he was stopped by some guy selling crap, and he offered a free t-shirt if my dad filled out a simple questionnaire.
Eventually the guy asks for my dads phone number, my dad makes something up, and I go"Dad, that's not your phone number."
My father just kinda looked at me. I accidentally called out his lie.
DRESS UP CAN BE RISKY!
My little sister loved dress up! One day, my mother had a group of guys in her bathroom laying tiles. My sister, having the time of her life, walked in wearing my mom's laciest and most revealing lingerie. oops...
There are few things more annoying than when you are seeking advice and someone responds with a boring platitude that helps no one. Believe it or not, if you choose to provide advice, it needs to be specific to the situation and shouldn't be dressed up in trite phrasing. Does saying, "Keep your head up" actually contribute anything if that's all you have to say when someone comes to you in search of a listening ear?
But this goes deeper than just advice, to be fair. Some of us are sick of greedy corporations that stress the importance of being a "family" while refusing to pay proper wages. Still more of us are tired of people using certain language when other language can suffice.
After Redditor BensReddits asked the online community, "What is a phrase you absolutely hate hearing?" people shared their stories.
"At any sort of conference..."
At any sort of conference/gathering/presentation:
"How're you all doing today?!? C'mon, I know you can answer louder than that! HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING TODAY?!"
Instant resentment every time.
I second that resentment.
I attended a conference once where the main speaker did this several times in the span of thirty minutes as he announced different initiatives.
Such a headache.
"At my work..."
At my work upper management has started using the word "activate" a lot. As in, "We are working on plans to activate underutilized spaces." And, "Let's activate a few other teams on this." It just sounds silly to me and like they are trying too hard to avoid using simple, perfectly adequate language.
I'll take your "activate" and give you...
..."utilize." WHY?
What is wrong with the word "use"?
"I was born in Australia..."
"Your English is so good!"
Thank you, I was born in Australia and English is literally my first language. My standard response these days is, "Oh thank you, yours too!"
This one is especially annoying...
...if you're not alabaster white.
I repeat:
Also annoying if you're not alabaster white.
"Someone saying to a teenager..."
Someone saying to a teenager, "These are the best years of your life!" I am in my mid-40s now and most people my age remember high school as horrible and awkward. The more appropriate thing to say is, "Hang in there kid! I promise life gets better. Just get through adolescence the best you can."
High school sucked.
My life vastly improved in my 20s. Let's not convince teenagers that they have nothing to look forward to after high school's over and done with.
"That's nothing..."
"That's nothing... " when I tell them something only for them to turn it onto a competition and say something worse that happened to them.
Ah, yes.
The chronic one-upper.
Loathe them.
"I've heard it from people..."
"When you have your own children you'll understand."
I've heard it from people who don't understand that I want nothing more than my own family but being pregnant will kill me, and when I bring up adoption as a valid way of having children they'll buckle down on that phrase as to say adopted kids are not the same. It's disheartening to hear as a formal foster child and has reinforced my beliefs that no one really saw me as enough. Why would you say that to someone? All kids are the same and those without kids shouldn't be dismissed.
"I lost my daughter..."
"God has a plan" or "It happened for a reason."
I lost my daughter when I was 36 weeks in because of a sudden placental abruption followed by a uterine rupture, lost 2.2 litres of blood. I can't carry again without risking the child or myself. And I had to listen to a variety of phrases that made me want to hit those people. Those two were the worst. Followed by "You can try again" or "Did you get the child baptized?" (got this one only once though).
"Who on earth..."
"When are you going to have kids?"
Who on earth are you to not only insist I should stop and redirect my whole life for kids, but then put me on the spot and make up a timetable to change my whole life? Not everyone wants kids.
Now that you've learned a thing or two...
...you could say that all of the responses here are an exceptional opportunity to improve your social skills.
Have some of your own stories to share? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments below!
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Image by freestocks-photos from Pixabay |
Dating is difficult––and truth be told, I don't know how anyone can do it right now, what with a pandemic going on and all. Just the thought stresses me out. Dating is especially hard for people who defy expectations in a heteronormative society. Take bisexuals, for example.
Bisexuals have been open about their struggles maintaining relationships with both men and women, even having to lie about their sexuality if they want to date certain people.
"I feel like if I end up in a straight relationship, I'll look like I was just experimenting all these years, but if I end up in a gay relationship people will say I was never actually bisexual," one man told the BBC in 2019. "Then if I don't have a monogamous relationship people will say I'm just greedy."
Indeed, the pressure to be either gay or straight can be a lot to navigate. After Redditor Trevor-on-Reddit asked the online community, "Bisexual people who have dated both genders, what are some notable differences you've learned about dating both men and women?" bisexuals spoke candidly about their experiences. Take note: You might learn something new.
People Share Their Funniest 'This Person Clearly Doesn't Know How The World Works' Experiences
We all know someone who really cannot figure out even the most basic thing without copious amounts of help. But when you meet someone who is completely and totally past all help, how do you even begin to try to help them get along?
Most of the time, they will just be flustered, or they won't listen. And you have to just stand Idly by and watch them fail.
u/FryingPanZ asked:
What is your "This person has no idea how the real world works" moment?
Here were some of those stories.
The Boot, Not The Camp
When I was in boot camp, some kid put his letter addressed to 'mom' with no address attatched.
I was gonna say that its not that stupid for a very young kid to do that, but then I realized you said boot camp and not summer camp.
Don't Steal Dangerous Chemicals
A student working part time at my laboratory at a University came into my office and asked "so what all can I eat in the refrigerator, I didn't know I was supposed to bring my own lunch". I looked at him, stunned and replied "nothing, that food is what people brought for their own lunch, but you can use my grub hub to order". He DID NOT UNDERSTAND. It took 4 tries to get him to realize he can't just eat someone else's lunch.
Same student: I walked into the lab room and told him I made a full pot of coffee in the office and he could help himself. Him: "a pot of coffee? What's that?" He never used a coffee maker other than a Kuerig before and didn't even know it was a thing.
He was fired a month later for stealing chloroform.
No Ma'am, Like, REAL Bears
At a national park, the park ranger says "stay on the trails, there are bears in the area."
One lady says "isn't that dangerous? Why aren't they in their cages?"
"Ma'am, we're not a zoo."
These people are lucky to make it out of bed every day.
Sleeping On The Job
I lived with some Japanese exchange students during the final summer of college. They were really nice girls, but one of them (Mari) (~19 years old) obviously had no idea how anything worked. She spoke the best English and I was tutoring some of the other girls, while they helped me with my Japanese.
But Mari would constantly call me to come to get her because she thought we had free buses (all the buses). After all, we were students. That wasn't the issue. I could deal with that. It was a whole new culture. She was learning.
But what happened that made me realize Mari could not be left on her own was when she ended up in Eloy, Arizona. Which was ~400 miles and five hours from where we were. She had been talking to some guy on campus, he said he was visiting family in Arizona, and she said "I want to go."
He just took her with him, and she went without even telling us. She had just assumed the guy would take her back, but he said he couldn't because he was staying in Arizona. So I had to arrange a ticket, get her on the bus via the phone, and then pick her up two hours away because she missed her second bus by napping.
How...? What...? Huh...?
Had a friend who was in some uncredited scam online college for her master's degree in medical billing or something. She was on a loan program that was sending her about $5k every 3 months directly to her via check in the mail.
This was her only source of income. She kept calling it a grant that didn't need to be paid back. She was flat broke as a joke for 2 months but then the check would come in and she would be living the good life for a few weeks before being poor again.
We tried to do an intervention and show her the insane interest rate that would be back dated as soon as her "school" was done but she didn't want anyone to bust her free money dreams.
She just kept talking about all the money she would eventually be making billing insurance companies...turns out she wasn't even logging in to the online college or even attempting to get this degree.
She thought the money was free, the degree was automatic and the job was guaranteed. Some people are beyond help.
Such Brilliant. So Money. Wow
My boss told me about a friend of his, who told him af a "life hack". She would get her bills in the mail, NOT pay them, and then wait a couple of months to pay. Then she would cry so the debt collectors would feel bad and waive the fees for not paying on time. That was her "brilliant life hack"
Himbo Rights Activist
The other day, my 18yo brother-in-law got married to his highschool sweetheart in a parking garage so that they can live off campus at college together.
Girlfriend's, now wife, mother is an ordained minister. His parents, my in-laws, were very upset and he couldn't understand why because "it's just a fake marriage for school". Oh no, sweet boy. You are MARRIED. I just laughed and laughed. I love him dearly. He is a dumb*ss.
And yet somehow they are there to add these stories to our dull, dull days.
Daddy's Boy
A dude (18 yo) in boot camp got a letter from home and I can see he is agitated. Being 22 and concerned for his well-being, I asked him if he wanted to talk about it. (I'm thinking a Dear John letter or the Mom and Dad divorcing letter.)
He dead *ss told me that his younger brother got a Mercedes for his birthday and that he was pissed bc he "only got a BMW". Can't remember what I said, but I knew boot camp was gonna knock down. (It did.)
Who Pays Your Bills?
When my roommate, who never once paid for rent or groceries or anything, turned down the only job offer they have ever gotten, in front of me, TWICE.
They were so desperate they called him twice, offering good pay, during covid, and he had the gaul to say no in front of me. His excuse was "nah I'm sure there's something better. $20 an hour is garbage in this city" -_-
Just Read ONE Parenting Book
I worked for a clueless couple who had no idea how to raise a kid. He wore the same outfit everyday for a month until I gently suggested that he needs new clothes. His parents asked me "Where can we get baby clothes?" This was slightly hilarious given that they lived above a Target and next to a baby boutique.
I had to have the same conversation once the child was old enough for solid foods. I was asked "Where can we get baby food?" I had to explain that most grocery stores carry a baby aisle, or that she can mash up her own fruits at home for the baby. This family decided that sour cream would be a great first food for their baby!
I'll mention that this was a wealthy family who went on vacation at least 2-3 times a month. By far the weirdest thing they did was try and drop off Grandma at daycare along with the baby.
Stories like this make you feel like the most well-equipped, with it person alive, right?
We're all well aware of the weird, horrible, predatory things men do when attracted to women. But what about when women are the culprits?
Though it seems that, statistically, men are problematic at a WAY higher rate than women, there are certainly times where the person bringing the creepy vibes is, indeed, the woman.
Some men of Reddit gathered to share the most bizarre and uncomfortable things a woman has ever said.
AidenTheGamer14 asked, "Men of Reddit, what is the creepiest thing a girl has ever said or done to you?"
For some, it was the stalkers.
The cryptic behavior and frightening detective work of ex-lovers can be unparalleled.
Some Light Sleuthing
"Found out my address from the phone book, this was the 90s, sat outside my house for multiple nights, all night just watching my house, I live in the middle of the woods miles outside of town."
"We only had one date and agreed to leave it at that. I found out sometime later what she had been doing."
-- crooky50-dc
Plot Twist
"Girl I was dating asked if I had changed the locks since breaking up with my ex months prior. I'm like 'No, but she wasn't a crazy person so I never worried about it.' She says if I don't change the locks she ain't comfortable sleeping over, so I change the locks."
"This ex sends me an angry text the next day 'So you changed your locks huh? Real nice a**hole.' So she had been coming over this whole time and doing who knows what."
-- Joey42601
She Stopped at Nothing
"She kept writing me letters at every address I lived at during that five-year period. If she didn't have the address she'd send them care of my parents. The most memorable is the one where she told me she was married and 'he's a great guy but he's not you.' "
"Once not long after I'd moved to a new address I came home and found a box of cookies she'd FedExed to me. Eventually I moved to a new state. I knew from her return addresses that she lived and worked there, and was worried we'd run into each other but realized that was pretty unlikely."
"Then after less than a year, she found me through a blog I was keeping and left a message on my voicemail demanding we meet. I posted a message to her on my blog telling her to stop harrassing me or I'd call the police (up to that point I'd been ignoring her, hoping she'd take the hint). That night she called, I repeated my threat to bring the authorities in, and I haven't heard from her since."
-- JedLeland
Others dealt with the creepiness on the internet. With so many avenues of communication all around us, uncomfortable comments can come from all directions.
Phony Warnings
"Someone I considered a friend started to grow feelings for me, but when she found out I had a girlfriend and I didn't feel the same for her she found out who my girlfriend was somehow. She then DM'd her and tried to tell her that I was cheating on her with her."
"Luckily I was with her when she got that DM so I could explain the situation and then we blocked her. Next day she DM'd her again from an alt account."
Worst Kind of Pen Pal
"I started a new job, and I shared a small office with a woman my age (and a couple other people). She was kinda cute but also weird and super naïve (she grew up in a very rural area). She'd flirt with me a lot, but I wasn't interested."
"So she started sending me emails."
"They were super long, detailing her whole day. And she sent them to me every day. I never responded. Then one day she sent me this long email confessing her love. I replied with the (very obvious) reasons why it wouldn't work and asked her to stop sending me emails every day. She didn't."
"They kept coming. This went on for months. I asked her in person and online to stop, but I still got these email memoirs every day. Eventually I had another female office mate who was her friend have a talk with her. Finally the emails stopped."
-- RPShep
That's A Lot of Passwords
"I've had a girl create about 50 different Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram accounts all to try to get me to friend her. I've never met this woman in person and yet every few weeks I'll get a handful of friend requests from her"
-- keldog361
Terminal Catfish
"Met this girl online and talked to her a bit. I did started to like her."
"Later found out that the pic she showed me of herself was actually a pic of her friend who had passed away due to cancer."
-- Immortal1h1
Poor Host
In my early 20's I was at a party and the hosting woman full-on tried to reach down my pants to grab my business."
"Strange, yes, what made it creepy is that we were right in front of her mother, who was cheering her on."
-- BauranGaruda
Breaking Out the Scroll
"After 6 months from our breakup, my ex called me because she wanted to see me. It seemed strange to me but I accepted. When we met she was friendly and all..."
"Then at a certain point she pulls a sheet in which there was written a list of all men she fu**ed after our relationship and she read it all to me, with accurate description of every sexual intercourse. Well it was an awkward moment."
-- Omoi_
Getaway Vehicle
"I was going to head home after a night out and a I was getting into my taxi a girl jumped in after me. I asked what they were doing and she said 'I'm coming home with you.' "
"Nope. Taxi driver helped me and she got out the car eventually when I shot down her advances."
-- Stuf404
Again, it's important to read this thread and remember that this is a bias sample, solely focused on the incidents where a woman did act creepy.
But, yes, it happens out there.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.