Most of the time I’m totally grateful for the memories I’m making with our kids, but not always.
I read a hilarious post on ScaryMommy last night about a texting lesson she had with her 13 year old son that reminded me of a horrifying life-scarring situation I created for my oldest daughter earlier this year.
It’s easy to think of my 14 year old as an adult since she’s so responsible and ultra helpful. She’s wired to nurture and can’t help managing everyone around her.
So last summer she was mothering me. I remember the moment like a film strip, and can relive it frame-by-frame in my mind…
I’d been tracking my calories in an app on my phone for a few weeks, trying to lose some weight before BlogHer. We’d been shopping, I was tired and probably a bit grouchy, having dragged three kids from store-after-store all day. It was suppertime and while we were discussing what to plan for dinner, my daughter asked me if I’d added my lunch to my app.
I hadn’t, and since I was driving, she offered to add it for me. I was explaining to her how to search for the various foods (a tutorial she didn’t need) as she typed on my phone, faster than I’ll ever be able to, every little thing I’d eaten since we left the house.
Afterwards, she mentioned that we’d done a ton of walking and I should enter that as exercise, since it might earn me a few extra calories for dinner.
“Great, Thanks!” I said; my mind elsewhere.
It was then I heard the gasp, followed by the “Eeew” and felt her big blue eyes staring at me in total disgust.
“What?”
Speechless, she just held up the phone for me to see with her index finger and thumb, like she was grossed out to even touch it.
The app showed the exercise I’d done that day. It also listed the exercises I’d done most frequently in the past to make entering them easier. At the top of the list, most frequently used was “Sexual Activity.”
What’s a mom to say? Of course I added it into the app—-every calorie counts! I’d never, in a million years, thought that she would see it.
I started to laugh nervously while apologizing profusely. I tried (stupidly) to say something about it being a normal part of a happy marriage, which grossed her out even more.
“Oh my goodness, that’s disgusting. It’s so disturbing! I don’t want to know that!” She said I could enter my own exercise from now on, and then said, “I thought you hated exercise? Apparently not!”
I don’t know what’s worse, having her know we had “wake-up” sex that morning or her realizing we “did it” rather frequently?
Thankfully we ended up laughing about it. While I am sorry she saw it and sorry we had to experience such an awkward moment, I’m also glad. She gets to benefit from living in a house with parents who love each other.
I hope someday she’s as lucky as I am and finds an awesome husband she is still attracted to after 17+ years of marriage and 3 kids!
As for the dieting app, I’ve got it password protected now.
Heather Stephens
Heather C. Stephens is a serial blogger who writes on Becoming-Me.com about personal development, personal finance, weight loss as well as her many adventures as a mom of three. She also is a blogger for FatWallet.com where she shares money saving shopping tips and deal guides to help people stretch their dollar.
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I'm Heather, wife, mom of 3, social media director, and small business marketing consultant. Do you love who you are but know you can be and do better? Me too! That's what this blog will be 
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
OMG that is funny. Love it. I’ll be careful not to do that in the future. :)
Tracy recently posted..How To Know What To Do With Your Life
Thanks for the comment, Tracy! I know with 3 kids there will be more moments like this to come, no matter how hard I try to think a few steps ahead of them. :)
Twitter: reachnathalie
February 1, 2013 at 10:33 am
That is SO funny Heather! I have a 13 year old daughter and I can just imagine how her reaction would have probably been similar…Teenagers are funny and so unpredictable. I wish I could be more open with Meghann but she is becoming really private about a lot of her emotions.
In a way your daughter’s discovery probably opened up her mind though and she probably feels lucky to have parents who have a “Healthy” realationship…though she won’t admeit it…LOL
Great share! ;)
Nathalie
Nathalie Villeneuve recently posted..7 Tips to Create a Successful Facebook Group
Thanks Nathalie!
It’s so hard to be open with our daughters, although I know how important it is. There is a fine line between open and too much information, which I obviously crossed. This raising teenagers thing is harder than it looks!
:)
Heather
OMG that is so funny! I have two girls, 15 and 12, and can only imagine their reaction if they saw that. Though you obviously have more sex than we do lol. Good for you ;)
Louise Edington recently posted..Chicken Parenting
Thanks Louise! Like all marriages, we go in cycles! :)
Twitter: TonyaSheridan
February 1, 2013 at 10:54 am
What a funny story and having a 14yr old myself I can relate! I am glad you are exercising in a fun and healthy way. :)
Tonya Sheridan recently posted..5 Ways The Law of Attraction Can Increase Your Business
Thanks Tonya! Having a 14 year old is something else, isn’t it? Glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for stopping by! :)
Thanks for the morning laugh! Really enjoyed this and yes, the kid reaction to that knowledge is usually ewwww! That was my reaction when I learned at 10 the facts of life from my college cousin! I said “There is no way my mom and dad did that!” with an emphasis on THAT!
Julieanne Case
Always from the heart!
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Julieanne Case recently posted..A Return to God
No kidding, I cried when my mom told me about the facts of life and thanked her for doing something so yucky just to get me. :) We’ve laughed about it since I became an adult. It’s never fun to think of your parents that way until you’re grown up enough to understand it.
Thanks for the comment, Julieanne!