That night, he needed a new t-shirt for an event, so as I was driving to the store, I said, “Duck!” and pushed his head down. I then told him that I thought the person driving around was a friend from college, and I didn’t want him to see us together. When he asked me why, I told him I was embarrassed. When we arrived at the store, I got out of the car and hurried to the entrance.
When my son caught up with me, I asked him to stay a few feet back in case I ran into someone I knew at the store. He knew what I was doing. I then asked him how it felt to be treated like an embarrassment, and he said, “Not good.”
The next morning, we went to the transit office to pick up a bus pass for him (I told him I no longer wanted to be seen in a car with him and that he would have to take the bus from now on). I expressed aloud how much I regretted having to go into the office with him and that I was more concerned about how the clerk, whom I did not know, would perceive me than how I made him feel. I then asked him to stand by the door and not speak. I think he’s getting the point, but I’m still not sure.
I told my sister about this, and she got furious. She thinks I should understand that this is a phase and he will outgrow it. But I feel like I’ve given him almost 2 years, and this phase is a well-ingrained habit that I’m tired of. What do you guys think?
