Why Are Teenagers Embarrassed by Their Parents?

Just about every parent of a teen knows the drill: the well-placed eye roll and barely audible sigh that indicates that your child is embarrassed or ashamed of you. And while you might not actively try to be embarrassing, your teen's reputation, social life and relationships can be affected by your actions. By understanding what you do that causes your teen to go red in the face, you can avoid the behavior so your teen isn't like, totally embarrassed of you.

  1. Public Discipline

    • When you berate or discipline your teen in front of her friends or in public, you can bet that she'll be embarrassed. As she grows older, she cultivates an idea of independence, making her own choices and living a pseudo-adult lifestyle. When you discipline her in public, it shatters that reputation and puts her right back in her place as your child. This can be highly humiliating, particularly if she's presented a different type of parent-child relationship to her friends. If you do need to discipline your teen, doing it behind closed doors will probably incur less wrath -- or at least fewer eye rolls.

    Not Letting Go

    • Picture this: Your teen is going to the mall with his friends. Instead of just dropping him off at the front doors, you insist on parking, walking him to the designated meeting place and then giving instructions as to what he can and can't do in front of his friends. While it might seem responsible, you could be embarrassing your teen by not giving him the independence he craves, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. While it's a good idea to know where your teen is and what he's doing, it's also smart to give him a little length on the parental leash.

    Old-fashioned Values

    • If you have old-fashioned values about dress, speech and the way you run your household, you might be embarrassing your modern teen. Your teen is growing up in the 21st century, so acting in a manner which she deems "old-fashioned" can have her blushing and hiding her face. Being old-fashioned can make you seem out of touch with her daily experiences.

    Interfering with Social Life

    • Picture this scenario, according to Psychology Today: Your teen has friends over and to be polite, you strike up a conversation and ask about their families, schoolwork and relationships. When his friends leave, your teen tells you how awkward the conversation was. While you were only trying to be nice, interfering with your teen's social relationships can make him feel embarrassed, particularly if the friendships are new. Teens grow up in a more casual society, where what you think of as "just being polite," he sees as nosy and awkward.

    Using Social Media

    • While it's a good idea to be your teen's friend on Facebook, you might end up with a dirty look at dinner if you comment on her pictures, posts and statuses. Abusing social media as a cutesy way to keep in contact with your teen means all of her friends see you using her pet name and telling her she's adorable on her photos, too. Using social media too much could net you a defriending.

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