When we went on vacations, my parents didn't want to spend money on alcohol in restaurants, so they'd split a can of beer from a cooler while in the car in front of the restaurant.

Clearly, not horribly embarrassing, but when you're 12 or 13 and seeing people in the parking lot looking in the car windows, waiting for them to finish that beer seemed like it took forever.

I grew up in an area with a lot of snow. My dad routinely engaged in snowball fights with the neighborhood kids who pelted our car as we came and went. It sounds like a sweet childhood memory, but they only did it to laugh at him. After the first time, they figured he was an easy mark, because he could never just let it go and drive on. He'd jump out of the car and try to fight back with terrible aim and walnut-sized snowballs, screaming at us to help him (while my mom screamed at him to stop), but my siblings and I just hunkered down in the back seat, writhing with embarrassment. He could never tell which kids it was, because everyone wore similar snowsuits and toboggans.

There was a very long thread on this.

Aw, that’s really cute!

Anonymous wrote:My father would wear his bikini underwear as a swimsuit.

Oh yeah, my dad would walk around in his white briefs on a hot day. We had no AC.

My mom, who is usually prissy about language (we were not allowed to say "pee") to this day cannot reference breasts or armpits without dropping her voice low and shouting BOOBS or PITS. Mortifying.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of these are legit embarrassing! I thought they’d be more mild like the national park sign photos.

Right? I'm trying to think of something that comes remotely close to these but can't.

I was trying to think of something to share that looking back would be really endearing and sweet like OPs, but I can’t think of any. They are all still just embarrassing.

Anonymous wrote:Most of these are legit embarrassing! I thought they’d be more mild like the national park sign photos.

Right? I'm trying to think of something that comes remotely close to these but can't.

My father would wear his bikini underwear as a swimsuit.

Most of these are legit embarrassing! I thought they’d be more mild like the national park sign photos.

We took a family picture in front of the entrance sign for every national park we visited.

My mom made our clothes (bad enough) and had us model them in local fashion shows hosted by the fabric store.

When I was 17, my parents were going to drop me off at the local used bookstore to pick up some books for vacation. It was in a solid middle class neighborhood, no mansions, but certainly not the slums. When we got there, Dad decided to come in and scout out the store to make sure there weren’t any sinister characters lurking around. Then he goes up to the counter (by this time I’m hiding in the back) and explains to the clerk that they’re not using the bookstore as a babysitting service, but will be purchasing whatever books I pick out.

One time when my grandparents came to pick me up for a weekend visit, my Dad had a last minute thought, which prompted him to come running down the driveway, waving his arms and yelling at the top of his lungs to flag down their car, calling out to make sure I had my pads and sanitary products.

Growing up we had no a/c. On some really hot days my mom would take off her top at the dinner table. She didn't even wear a bra. My brother and I were teenagers and cringed hard inwardly.

She also liked to say really crass things (related to bowel movements) to make a point. Every time she did it I'd call her out, and she'd persist on doing it.

Taking home the extra ketchup packets or sugar packets from a restaurant.

Pulling the car over to dig up wild growing flowering plants on the side of the road.

Some parents think their teenage kids are embarrassing. A lot of teenagers think their parents are embarrassing in the way they act, dress, talk ...

What are the things your parents did you thought were 'embarrassing' when you were growing up? Nothing bad or obnoxious. Just ... embarrassing (lighthearted).

I remember when I was about 14 years old, and on vacation with my parents, we went back to the hotel after having spent time at the beach and there was this beautiful cream 1930s convertible car in the hotel car park. Very clean and shiny. My mother thought it was funny to drape herself over the car (wearing her beach gear) and asked my father to take a picture of her. I got so annoyed and embarrassed with her and I asked her to behave herself! I thought the owner of the car would turn up any minute.
The more annoyed I got with my mother the harder and louder she started giggling.

Mom died more than 20 years ago. I still have that photo of her on that car and I treasure it now.