We’ve all been there.
Is there a person alive who doesn’t look back on their younger years and cringe over certain memories? I had some very awkward times before I finally felt comfortable in my own skin.
As parent to a toddler, I look back on how my mum handled each crisis of my developing body. She laid the foundations for me with calm words and emotional support. There wasn’t a time when my champion of a mother didn’t have my back.
I’m still quite new to the world of parenthood and my child is yet to encounter any embarrassing moments of his own, but I can only hope to pass on the same wisdom that my mother shared with me when I was growing up.
Here are some of the lesser mentioned moments of growing up and ideas on how to get your child through them.
Catching Warts
Confession time. At age 12 I had an outbreak of plantar warts on the soles of my feet. They were contagious, numerous and uncomfortable. I was into dancing at the time and I remember wincing in my ballet shoes - every step felt like I was treading on glass.
The only person I was able to be honest with was Mum. She took me to different doctors and held my hand when the remedies on offer back in the nineties failed to work. I suffered through painful procedures that made my feet feel like they were on fire. The bills reached hundreds of dollars, all for the pleasure of having doctors come at my feet with the dreaded dry ice treatment, time after time, and to no avail.
Those days seem so long ago because treatment has come so far. Every now and then I do get another outbreak, but it’s so much simpler to take care of than it used to be. In fact, with new at home treatments I don’t even have to leave the house to visit a doctor - and I can still confide in my Mum.
First Period
Puberty hits and not only are you a head taller than all the boys, your first period can ‘strike’ at any time. Woo.
As a parent, preparation is key. Buy a discreet travel bag and pack it with a couple of pads and a spare pair of underpants. I remember being very embarrassed when my Mum tucked these into my bag on my first day of high school and thinking that the day would never come when I needed them. When it did, I was completely informed and I was able to take this massive life event in my stride.
The agony of a first crush
My ten year old diary was covered in blue biro love hearts and the name of one specific boy. Then my brother found out and told his friends.
And I died.
Agony is not a good enough word for this pre-pubescent introduction to emotional suffering. The thought of my crush finding out that I liked had me sobbing on my bed. I didn’t even get up to watch Degrassi Junior High on the ABC that afternoon.
Poor tween me. But Mum was there. She helped me to understand that minor social humiliation is part of life. What did it matter if this boy knew I liked him? She reassured me that it wasn’t the end of the world without making me feel ridiculous.
Head lice
Lice is part of being a kid the same way accidentally wearing your shirt inside out to work is part of being a grown up. Yes, we should be more careful, but sometimes these things just happen.
I had long blonde hair when lice struck at age six and my mother had the patience of a saint, applying the special medicated shampoo and brushing the evidence out with a fine tooth comb.
While the kids at school might make a big deal of this kind of event, as a parent there’s no need to fuss. Sort it out with the right supplies (hopefully without having to resort to scissors) and move on.
Bullying
This is a tough one for parents because often a child won’t talk about bullying.
Australian Government website Bullying. No Way! says that you might suspect a child is being bullied if they are reluctant to go to school, they are missing belongings or they become fearful and anxious.
The experts recommend staying calm and positive, talking to your child about the situation and getting the school involved. The government’s website a good place to start for resources so that you can tackle the problem together as a family.
Wetting the bed
Children can feel very sensitive about wetting the bed. It happens in between five and ten percent of kids, even up to the age of six. Remind your child that they are not alone in this problem and that there is nothing they are doing “wrong”. Talk to a doctor if it is happening after they turn six to figure out if there’s a specific medical reason and try to work on a plan to get it to stop.
There is no better guide through the stressful and emotional embarrassments of childhood than a calm and supportive parent. I’m fortunate to be able to hold up my mother as a great example and will be asking for her techniques as I raise my own little one.
What are your most memorable embarrassing problems as a kid?
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