We reveal why children like to embarrass their parents

Well, it’s that time again: WTF Wednesday, where your best questions meet my worst answers.

Today’s question comes from Anna Nonamus (@AnnaNonamus). She runs a blog called Because You’re a Moron (I think she was talking about me but I can’t prove it).

Anna asks:

Dear IBMP,

Why do kids have to be embarrassing ass#*&$@s in front of other parents? Or is that just mine?

Ms. Nonamus, I have some disturbing news for you: It’s only yours. Nobody else’s kids ever do that kind of thing. Ask them; they’ll tell you.

OK, maybe some people’s kids do but mine doesn’t.

Well, sometimes he does.

More often than not, really, I suppose.

Anyway, for a question like this, I’ve turned to the expert. According to my son, there are four reasons for this behavior. In order of least to most important, they are:

4. They like the attention from others. Fair enough. My kid would do just about anything to get the room focused on him.

3. To make other people laugh. It seems that kids have learned that parents love to laugh at the misfortune of other parents. (Admit it, you know that’s true).

2. Just to be annoying. Because, in his words, “Parents get all angry and they have a really weird face when they get angry.”

But, according to my son, the biggest reason that kids like to embarrass their parents in front of other parents is:

1.  Payback.

Yup, that’s my son’s number one reason that kids like to embarrass their parents: payback for all the times we parents have embarrassed our kids. Which, according to my son is most of the time.

So there’s your answer, Anna.

Problem solved. You’re welcome!