Study reveals the top 10 ways parents embarrass their kids

PARENTS embarrassing their kids is as much a part of having children as changing nappies.

But while the fact that mums and dads embarrass their children — and quite possibly enjoy it — hasn’t changed, it seems they’re doing it in a much more modern way.

A new study has found that the primary route to embarrassment at the hands of parents is the internet, with the majority of the mortifying things kids say their parents do taking place online.

The research by Post Office Broadband revealed today’s teens are suffering social media mortification at the hands of their parents, with 78% of youngsters claiming they are constantly left red-faced because of their parents’ actions on sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Indeed, 14% say they feel more embarrassed by their parents online than in real life.

The report found that more parents are online than ever before, with 70% of parents and 38% of grandparents using sites such as Facebook to keep up with teenagers’ social lives.

As a result, online offences dominate the Top 10 list of embarrassing things parents do.

Complaints from teenagers include parents uploading old family pictures online (31%) and embarrassing comments being posted (28%).

Despite the objections, nearly a third of parents admit they frequently post baby pictures of their teens.

Vicki Shotbolt, chief executive of the parenting site Parentzone, says: “Make sure you’re sharing with the people you want to share with by using privacy settings.

“And if you’re going to publish a photo to the world, make sure it’s one you (and your child) would be happy seeing on a billboard now or at any time in the future.”

A fifth of parents say they often add their children’s schoolfriends as Facebook friends, despite 17% of teens protesting that this mortifies them.

However, 14% of parents believe their kids think they’re cool for using social media, although a savvy 17% of parents admit they follow their children online just to keep tabs on them.

But it’s not all online embarrassment. “Old-fashioned” blunders include parents being badly dressed (22%) or being seen in public with them (21%).

And even waiting in sight when teens are being picked up is a source of embarrassment for 22% of youngsters.

“Parents embarrassing their children is an eternal truth,” admits Vicki.

“However, there’s something very different about causing public distress to children and building a digital footprint of them that causes them upset.”

She explains that parents who purposely post embarrassing content online are undermining important messages about being kind online and thoughtful about what’s shared.

So what are the Top 10 ways teens are left red-faced by parents?

1) Posting childhood pictures on social media (31%)

2) Posting embarrassing comments online (28%)

3) Waiting in sight when being picked up from school/parties (22%)

4) Embarrassing dress sense (22%)

5) Being caught in public together (21%)

6) Excessively liking all social media posts (20%)

7) Posting holiday pictures on social media (17%)

8) Tagging in ‘cringey’ status updates (14%)

9) Following/adding schoolfriends (17%)

10) Posting private messages publicly (6%)