Am I Embarrassing?

Worse when you're a great grannie because that's really really ancient and you shouldn't even be out.

I remember my GS in Oz when he was little asking me if I can cook I was only in my 50's but he must have thought I was Methuselah.

Once, when my DSs were young teenagers, I noticed that one of them had left his lunch box on the table, so I ran round to the bus stop to hand it over. On the way I stopped to sniff a lovely rose in a neighbour's garden. And Oh the mockery from those kids in the bus queue! Not just my own, but from all the teenagers in the neighbourhood. Of course, I acted completely unembarrassed and pretended to be unaware of their reaction. Probably my kids were more embarrassed than I was.

I'm with you Bluesky, I used to work at a police station. The male officers were a really friendly close knit bunch (occasionally too friendly)!

But, when they were with their wives, they would completely cut you dead. We became completely invisible.

I once overheard one of their wives asking her husband who I was, He glanced over his shoulder and replied "oh I think she works upstairs in one of the offices"

I worked alongside him at the enquiry desk!

Your replies made me smile! Yes, I guess I am embarrassing, though don’t mean to be!

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It's daft, isn't it, annodomini that he'd rather go hungry than acknowledge his mother! That's being a teenager though. Life is so much better when you've got out the other side I feel.

Now I can talk to strangers at bus stops, something I'd never have done when I was young and the world is a friendlier place.

My car and I were an embarrassment to my granddaughter when she was 15 . I had to keep a blanket in the back so she could hide under it when I picked her up from school then she started getting the bus home ...... she doesn't mind us now that she's 17 working and having to walk home , she likes the car !!

Well my family must be the odd ones out. Neither I nor my children at any age would have been so rude as to refuse to walk next to my parents / me. My DGS (18) always acknowledges me if we should meet in the street even if with friends.
A quick hello to neighbours is only good manners .

It’s normal. One of our family friends taught at our sons school and he told us he had stopped staying hello to him as our son was clearly very embarrassed

I'm a teacher and even I get a bit tongue-tied when I see students in the wider world. I let them lead. Some say Hi but most do the head down shuffle. It's ok. It can be awkward.
I'm sure those Year 7s you saw are super young people. Don't give up on them!

Teenager. That is what they do.

Yes. You are very embarrassing.
If she was alone maybe not.

Only to teenagers

Don't worry
They have probably not been taught manners by their parents. Just pla9 ignorant.

I don’t think it should be expected as normal no matter what age. These teenagers have different age groups in there own families and I’m sure they don’t ignore them. Luckily my gds are always polite to there elders and do acknowledge them even when they are with there friends.

Yeah, if i had to go into his school for anything (hand in a form, sort out any arrangements for appts,etc if bell went& my son appeared he would pass by as though he didn't know me at that age! Same if i was on bus (downstairs) from town, he'd sail straight past with his mates& go sit upstairs!

Oopsminty- especially my mother! In my 40s my old school had a centenary celebration. I arranged to go with a friend. My mother was very interested but it was an Old Girls event.
I was shocked to see a lively, chatty, older lady being shown around by a 6th former.
‘I left the high school in 1925’ she was explaining.
Oh, mother! She went to a completely different high school in another county far away. My friend, who knew her of old, and I turned, and went the other way. She already given us a triumphant grin!
I must admit now to admiring her cheek and she'd had a lovely afternoon!

Your wrong caragran, & juicylucy, my children HAVE been brought up with manners, as are my GC, but some kids these days are shy, and wouldnt speak to people not family, without their parents, some struggle with ASD issues, so wont speak to anyone, but look perfectly like a 'usual teenager' to rest of the world! Please dont make assumptions! I remember at that age we'd be out with friends and sometimes smile if i passed a neighbour, but not speak to them! Things arent like the war& post war years now, young 'uns just don't communicate with friends of their parents as they used to in those days

geekesse
I've had similar encounters. In the 80s and 90s I worked in local playgroups. The last job I had before I retired was in the local Jobcentre taking new benefit claims and I often had young people (20 somethings) sit in front of me and say they remembered me teaching them at playgroup. Did make me feel old sometimes but I obviously made some sort of impression on them.

Yes,once they get out of teenage years, most 'kids' transform to 'normal' speaking mode, but some still struggle with this if they have underlying issues, so please dont assume theyre just rude, its best to just give them an encouraging (silent) smile & walk on, they may one day realise the worlds not such a 'scary' place after all, but to some of them, it is.?

Don't worry. It's just an adolescent thing. It's not done to be seen fraternising with older people - no matter how much they like you.

I don't think this has anything to do with the fact that times change.

I remember behaving exactly like this young girl, at her age.

I was too embarrassed to greet my parents' friends and acquaintances in the street, and embarrassed not to do so, as I knew I was being impolite, but I couldn't conquer my shyness and speak to them.

Say hello to her next time, if she is like me, she will find it easier to return a greeting than to have to make one.

oh gosh, my 11 year old soon to be 12 year old gd waves madly at me if I go by, (not very often) even if with a crowd of other friends..

and my 14 year old gs, is also the same... older gs,, similarly.

Teenagers in groups are not all equal.
A shy teenager who isn't one of the 'cool' ones in the group may be very wary of doing anything that might cause teasing from the others.

I remember going out for a morning of shopping with my daughter when she was 13 and being ordered to walk behind her because I was 'too embarrassing' and one of her friends might see her with me!