10 embarrassing things mums do that everyone can relate to

Helen To, 18, Ho Yu College

It was my last day of wearing my school uniform, as we get to wear casual clothes for Year 12 and 13. To commemorate the moment, my mum took a big camera, and took photographs of me from the moment I walked out of the front door until I reached the bus stop. It was like having personal paparazzi, and the flash was blinding. I got really weird stares from people in the lift of my building and on the street.

Belinda Ng, 16, South Island School

I remember when I was in Year 4, I was performing as a rabbit in a school play. As soon as I got on the stage, my mum started waving frantically and practically yelling my name non-stop. Remembering 300 pairs of eyes staring at me, and the awkward silence afterwards, is probably what made this moment so memorable – and so embarrassing!

Nicholas Ng, 14, South Island School

The time I was in a changing room while clothes shopping and she opened the curtain while I was putting my trousers back on.

Joey Jepps, 17, German Swiss International School

I was at school with my mum for our annual Parent Teacher Conference, and I’d told her to tell my teachers that I was a brilliant student who would always focus on my work and was studying 24/7. When we got there, she did the exact opposite and told them how much I enjoyed browsing the internet and opening Facebook – much to my dismay.

Anushka Purohit, 16, Renaissance College Hong Kong

When we were visiting Niagara Falls, we were doing everything we could to get on the last boat of the day. We got separated from the group that we were travelling with, so my mum said to the staff in Chinglish, “We are with a grape, they are on a bird!” While what she meant to say was, “We are with a group, they are on a boat!”

Veronica Lin, 16, HKIS

My mum asked me, “Have you gone to the toilet today?” loudly on the street.

Yannis Li, 13, St Paul’s School (Lam Tin)

As a bookworm, I went out to shop at a local bookstore with my mum as usual. As my mum’s English is quite poor, her definition of a good English book is a thick book full of text. Typical mum logic. One particular book caught her eye, and she waved it excitedly and yelled the name of the book to get my attention. I turned around and to my horror, it was that famous adult fantasy fiction – Fifty Shades of Grey. Everyone stared at me and laughed.

Jessica Leung, 13, St Paul’s Convent School

When I was in Form One, nobody talked about getting their periods (even though now it’s a common topic of conversation). So when I had my first one, I was too embarrassed to ask for help from classmates, so I made a lunchtime phone call to mum asking her to bring me sanitary products.

My friend and I crept out to the school gate and there was my mum, in her business clothes, walking gracefully towards us carrying sanitary pads. I felt my cheeks going bright red as I thanked her.

Little did I know my friend didn’t think it was embarrassing at all, and thought my mum was very cool and graceful. Now I always think of my mum as my very own sanitary-pad-holding superwoman!

Cynthia Chiu, 16, St Stephen’s Girls College

It’s normal for mums to show their children affection, even in public. But I’m not that kind of a touchy person and I get so embarrassed because my mum loves to kiss my forehead all the time. Basically she did it once in front of my friends, but she didn’t stop after a few pecks – she smothered me with kisses. My friends were chuckling and my face was so red and flustered, and it has since become a running joke with all my friends. But my mum is very sweet so of course I still love her, no matter how much she embarrasses me!

Pauline Wong, 14, Maryknoll Convent School