Am I Embarrassing?

Surely you remember when you used to walk down the road holding onto one of your parents hands ? One day you see someone who you knew from school , and you suddenly dropped your hand so not to look a baby. I know I did , and can also remember my own children doing it to me . It is just a rite of passage to growing up.

Not at all Calendargirl! It's not you but part of being a teenager. I remember my son siting on a difgernt seat on the bus even when we got on together. Also walking on the otjet side of the street if he was woth his friends, eyes cast down and if I'd had the audacity to call or wave....well. He was lovely kind and chatty when the pals weren't there lol.

Unless something about you could be considered "cool", being seen speaking to you would be regarded by any self-respecting young teenager as distinctly "uncool", a stigma very hard to shake off.

Don't take it personally.

That's just typical.teenage behaviour I'm afraid and teenagers behaved like that in the 1970s and 1980s so it's not new!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

No, normal these days. My youngest son asked that I wouldn't look at him in the street and if he wanted to say hi or talk to me he would initiate the exchange. I admit I was older than almost all the other parents (had him very late) and could easily have been his grandparent but thinking back, it's how I wish it had been with my parents and grandparents when I was that age.

It's just you. It's hardly 'behaviour'

When my son was a teenager I was driving him to the shops. As we pulled up he yelled "drive on". Why? Because his mates were standing outside and he didn't want to be seen with his mother. Teenage insecurity.

I used to be painfully shy as a child and teenager and it was agonising to be obliged to speak to any of my parents friends or friends parents! So I probably came across as rude! mumbling away with down cast eyes. My parents would brook no hint of bad manners, and I would have been in hot water if I had ignored anyone When out especially an elder!
Eldest DD used to find me intolerably embarrassing and used to insist we didn’t walk together! Her most mortifying moment though was when she was aged 15 and a brother of a girl in her year (aged 19 )admitted to her that he fancied me ? unbelievably gross apparently ?

I think that so many parents stress the ‘don’t speak to strangers’ theme that even small children refuse to acknowledge a smile or Hello, even if they know me.

Have you tried saying Hi to them as you pass. I had a great conversation with a small group of teenage boys just by saying Hi. and a small comment. You lot look happy this morning but carry on walking.

Jenpax I used to be painfully shy and while I'm not shy now, I don't enjoy chit chat and when we meet acquaintances DH does all the talking. Therefore I've got a reputation for being quiet if not rude!

You aren't embarrassing, he is embarrassed.

Not the same thing.

Just the whole teenage, must look coll in front of the friends thing... Normal

Also, I'm sure my teenagers and AC would be embarrassed because I just said "cool" lol

Don't take it personally

My passing AC just told me that it's fine to say cool. Just only in a neutral tone and saying "Cool!!!" is embarrassing.

So there we have it lol

My husband's grandson who is now 17 has never spoken a word to either of us ever since he was little. He lives a long way away so we don't see him very often and his mum and dad are not together so he visits with his dad when they do come. His dad just laughs it off but I think the boy should have been encouraged to speak, especially when he was younger. Sadly I now don't try to talk to him much as it only embarrasses us both.

Oh dear, that is hard sadgrandma I am assuming there are no health reasons why your grandson does not speak to you. It must be very hurtful especially when his father treats it so lightly. Does he communicate in other ways ? Email, Whatsapp etc .

We are legal guardians to two of our grandsons, so they live with us. One day last week, we were out when school came out - and the 15 year old tried to walk past us! It was obvious that he’d seen us. Kids!!!

Thank you Sodapop, no there are no health problems, I think he speaks OK to his other grandma and cousins but he doesn't really say much to our daughter either. No he doesn't communicate other ways either. I feel it's sad for my husband.

I can remember doing this sort of thing at that age and I'm 61 now - nothing at all to do with "the current generation" but more to do with the teenage years. They'll grow out of it.

you think thats strange .my daughter didnt say hello to me outside church(not recent) and then she totally ignored me on the bus the other day. till i poked my grandaughter who then said mummy that lady poked me. maybe she didnt recognise me with my mask on.i said girls name ,.oh its nanny !!!!! grandson stifled a giggle.... my daughter didnt even glance at me.so i said so you dont say hello to your mum now ,oh she said i didnt see you....(maybe i turned into an alien)!!

Teenagers. They’ll start talking normally again around age 18+ and say hello normally from them.

Parents - if you don't embarass your children - you ain't doing it right!

I can relate to the youngsters, I was painfully shy when I was young, event before teenage but once I started at Nursing School everything changed, now you cant keep me quiet.

Maybe the girl and her friends were planning to skip school and she was afraid she was already caught Probably much more about her than you.

At the other end of the age spectrum, some time ago I was looking after GS2 one day , giving him a lift in my car. He was four. He said, 'I love this car, Grandma. When I'm older I'll have one'.

I can just see him as a strapping youth wanting a car like his Grandma had... or not!