妈妈常会和女儿说：你不可以那样穿！但在我和女儿这里状况却反过来了。在女儿想把褐色头发染黑时，我对她说：你看我把头发染成紫色如何？那可是你父亲最喜欢的颜色
The true meaning of the bumper1 sticker, which says, Live long enough to embarrass your kids has new meaning once you have a teenager. My daughter just turned 15 and suddenly I am now the most embarrassing person she can be seen with. Rather than take this personally I have decided2 to revel3 in the power it gives me.
Of course many of you have had the You arent wearing THAT argument but I turned the tables on my daughter. She was wanting to wear midriff TOPs and tanks with bra straps4 showing both of which I had been carefully taught were fashion no-nos. The other day I picked her up from school and sTOPped at the grocery store. Mom! You cant go in dressed like that! I am staying in the car!
Imagine ... a 50-year-old dressed just like her 15-year-old, and she does not want to be seen with me. Well ... I admit the embarrassment5 was worth every moment...she has now dressed a bit more conservatively. She HAD to go in the store with me as it was too hot to sit in the car. It was a priceless moment that also was a bit cheeky of me to enjoy so much.
Recently she wanted to dye her beautiful auburn hair black. Yes she has naturally beautiful auburn hair but wants it to be black because she states, Auburn is SO boring! Of course my reply, Oh my gosh women all over the world for die for your hair! was ineffective, however, as I plopped the box of purple hair dye onto the counter and said Sure, just as soon as I am finished dying mine purple.
Yep, the purple dye sat on the counter ... I had called her bluff6. Perhaps if we both wait a couple weeks and you still insist on dying your hair black, mine will be purple just in time for me to chaperon your next school dance. That is coming up in two weeks, right I bet your friends will think I am the coolest mom there! She is visibly cringing7. I can see thoughts racing8 through her mind. Her mom with purple hair at her school dance.
I am praying, please, PLEASE dont dare me to go with purple hair, but I stand firm. Yes, I think Id be pretty with purple hair. It is Dads favorite color. She knows it really is his favorite color. Finally she shrugs9 and says Nevermind. Whew ... she changed her mind. I am so relieved but I keep rambling10 on about purple hair as she leaves the room.
She knows I would do it. I have done sillier things to prove a point. I am not sure how long I can keep this up. I am praying she does not ask about piercing next, but I have already asked my husband to pick up a pamphlet from our nearest piercing place, just so I can whip it out and show her which one Mom might get, too. Of course she may never go that far. I am hoping ... praying ... and a bit nervous. When Mom wants to do it toosuddenly it just isnt that cool.
Yep ... I can be pretty silly. Looking at life with humor makes it bearable sometimes. It isnt all fun and games.
