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Sunday, December 6, 2009

and just when I thought nothing would embarrass me...

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I mean seriously, that applebees trip wasn't so much embarrassing as hugely annoying, and frustrating. I'm not the embarrass easily type, never really have been, I feel it's kind of a useless emotion, doesn't change what just happened, doesn't fix the problem. I'm practical like that.

There is always going to be an exception to any rule though, right?

I decided after I picked Will up from preschool yesterday to take advantage of the warm sunny weather and go to the playground before heading home for naptime. In October in New England if you get a nice day you are silly not to take advantage of it. I'm a veteran mom now, I know full well what being in the house all winter long means, caged animals for children and me wanting to run screaming for the hills.

So we go to the playground closest to his school, I should probably fill in here that the preschool I send him too is not in our neighborhood. Its in a nicer neighborhood, in a nicer ymca. So while the playground is packed it isn't people from the same social bracket as my husband and I. It would not be outside of the norm for the adults tending to the children to be nannies and not moms and dads. Picture painted? Ok, we can move on..

I'm chatting up the parents who are also pushing their younger children on the swing while Will plays on the large piece of equipment behind me. All is going well for the first like 15 minutes we are there, until a mom eating a salad on a bench yells, "Is that someones child!?" Yeah you guessed it, I turn around and it is my child, he is standing on the bottom platform of the equipment, and peeing into the sand in the middle of the playground. In full view of ummm everyone. I of course run to my child, explain to him that he can not pee in playgrounds, that he should come to me and tell me if he has to pee, he looks up at me with big, brown innocent eyes and says "But mom, there aren't any bathrooms here" I told him I would have found him one (or found him a nice big private tree..) and tell him not to do it again. He says "Ok mom," and then he reassured me " I don't feel pee-pee's anymore!" Yeah well no kidding kiddo, you already took care of that problem.

I did not however leave or hang my head, I went back to pushing Ben and watched some of the other parents migrate away from me, I mean obviously I have taught my child nothing, and their kid could you know catch it.

Except the only dad there, who was doing his darnedest not to laugh out loud, and said, "Well I guess he isn't shy!" As we were leaving one mom said "how old is he? I said 3 and a half. "She said "This guy is three, is that what I have to look forward too?" Then she told me she thought it was cute!

At least some people understand children.

Related: kids, funny, embarrassing

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Comments 1-10 of 19
  • Charlene Prince Birkeland, Shine staff's Avatar
    Posted by Charlene Prince Birkeland, Shine staff Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:14pm PDT

    That is hysterical! I have two boys...can empathize, for sure.

    Glad you made it to BlogHer Boston. And it's nice to see you on Shine :)

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  • JoKTM's Avatar
    Posted by JoKTM Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:34pm PDT

    I have worked in child care centers off and on for 11years and what your son did is normal. Most people who havent been around kids much are in for a rude awakening. They pee outside,fake choke, hide from you,and oh yes refuse to wear or do what you want them to and not silently. LOL, I now work at gymboree and parents gets emberassed over everything.Everyday I have to assure parents it is normal for the kids to scream when they are being made to leave the tv.

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  • joannie g's Avatar
    Posted by joannie g Fri Oct 24, 2008 12:14am PDT

    Soooo funny!! I raised three son's... very very typical. Brought back some really "boyish" memories for me, ty.

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  • mommaofsun's Avatar
    Posted by mommaofsun Fri Oct 24, 2008 7:49am PDT

    I would have been laughing hysterically. I also have 2 boys and nothing has surprised me with them. I think some parents are two wound up about things and have got to loosen up.

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  • Beth's Avatar
    Posted by Beth Fri Oct 24, 2008 8:03am PDT

    That's hilarious. Anyone who wouldn't laugh is stuck up. My son is 5 months, I hope I'm ready for the antics of a little boy, LOL.

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  • lena_abf's Avatar
    Posted by lena_abf Fri Oct 24, 2008 8:55am PDT

    That is FUNNY. I have a son and nephew......they go everywhere if they don't have their diapers on. LOL

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  • James L's Avatar
    Posted by James L Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:04am PDT

    HA..KIDS do stuff like that you were right not be embarressed its funny how the other paents moved like you're kid might make thier kid want to go pee in playground or give them something wow

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  • jessica's Avatar
    Posted by jessica Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:11am PDT

    I know what you mean, i have a eight year old boy & he use to do funny things like that , but the older he gets he will grow out of that, mine did he would also say stuff like that, but told him he needed to find a bush or wait till i could stop somewhere that had a restroom.

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  • buddhabrown's Avatar
    Posted by buddhabrown Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:24am PDT

    My Mom likes to tell the story of when I was three and we went to Sears back in the 1970s. This was around the time she was successfully potty training me. I say successfully because I apparently used the display potty seat in the childrens section right in front of everyone. It must have made some sort of impression on me as I don't dare use the public restroom anywhere now if I can help it.

    And every time she tells the story I apologize to her and thank her for not giving up on me.

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  • Mimi-pz's Avatar
    Posted by Mimi-pz Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:38am PDT

    Oh yeah... As the mother of two boys I can honestly say "Been there, done that."

    My 3 year old loves to pee outside. I guess he feels like since he "can" pee outside standing up, he "will" pee outside standing up!

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Comments 1-10 of 19

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