40 Awkward Mom Moments That Can Put A Smile On Anyone’s Face

As we grow up, we eventually realize that our moms knew best after all. Of course, we could never have known that when we were young children—on the contrary, we thought they lived to make our lives even harder. We might not have seen it growing up, but nothing beats a mother’s tender love and care, even if it was expressed through nagging, such as reminding us to do the dishes or telling us to come home earlier than her own curfew time.

However, moms sometimes do certain things they think to be the right, maternal thing to do, but their children find shameful. Take these hilarious people took to social media to share their moms’ embarrassing moments. Every story on this list will make your day that much brighter!

No Makeup

Many moms have high standards when it comes to cleanliness, so seeing them wiping their children’s faces to remove some dirt is normal. Some moms even take it a step further and spit on a tissue before wiping, presumably to make it more “efficient.”

This woman still remembers this incident after all those years. At the local fair, she tried to impress the boy she had a crush on by wearing lipstick and eyeliner. Unfortunately, when her mom saw that she had makeup on, she spat on a tissue and wiped her face clean in front of the boy and everyone else around. How absolutely mortifying!

Mom Pulls a Barney Stinson

Nothing is more enjoyable than playing a light-hearted prank on your parents or siblings, especially an embarrassing one. So when these kids told their mom to snap a selfie on each display gadget before leaving the Apple Store, the cool mom accepted their dare.

Of course, they probably didn’t think that the mom was serious about going through with it, but if nothing else, they learned that their mom is quite the digital nomad (or at least she knows how to take selfies on an iPad).

Live Laugh Love- Mom Version

You might have seen someone who owns a “Live, Laugh, Love” sign in their house. As kitsch as it is, it seems to be a ubiquitous feature in most homes these days. However, some have taken things up a notch by hanging up their own tacky signs.

Fed up with her son mocking her aspirations to “live laugh love” to no end, this mom modified her plaque by making it edgier, with a polar opposite message. We just hope that this isn’t a subtle clue as to her emotional state!

Keeping Tabs

The fact that this guy works at a golf course with his mother as the manager means that she can monitor him, evaluate his performance, and perhaps worst of all—send him the most humiliating mom messages while at work—all at the ripe old age of 35.

Like any mom, she probably thinks that the messages she sends her son are loving and encouraging. But getting called Pumpkin at the age of 35? It would be a little too much at the age of 25, honestly.

On Being A Teacher’s Daughter

The teen years are a time of exploration, having fun, flirting, and goofing around—all of which are slightly harder to experience when your mom is around 24/7. Now, add a school dance to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a situation that can only lead to an embarrassing turn of events.

This young woman was having fun at her dance when someone spilled drinks all over the dancefloor. When her mom swooped in to mop it up, she broke into a dance of her own. Teenagers are already self-conscious around their friends, but imagine having your mom dancing around your friends while trying to strut your stuff at prom!

Starting As You Mean To Go On

This lady isn’t even a mom, and yet she’s already a champ at embarrassing her baby. It’s never too late to start, right? This kid’s baby photos are going to make friends and family cringe for generations if their mom maintains this level of effort!

To be fair to her, this had us in hysterics. We love how she gave her belly a goofy little smile. As long as this kid develops a healthy sense of humor from the get-go, we can tell that there are going to be a lot of laughs in this household. 

A Careless Whisper

It’s no secret that gossiping in crowded places is risky business, but some people just can’t seem to help themselves. Unfortunately, even this mom’s quietest whisper wasn’t quiet enough when she was presented with a TV personality.

When they spotted esteemed actor John Hannah at a restaurant, this mother couldn’t help but openly talk about how much older he looked in real life. Her “whisper” sounds more like it was an open comment. What can we say? Mothers really do have their own ways of making encounters like these memorable. 

Not So Secret Santa

One of the finest Christmas traditions is Secret Santa. In fact, one of the most fun things about receiving a gift is the mystery surrounding its giver. Some people, however, find the concept a little difficult to understand.

This mother, for example, made a switcheroo as she addressed her present to “Surprise” from “Mom.” It is not meant to be a surprise who receives the gift, but rather who gives the gift. We can only hope that she gets it the right way around next Christmas.

Tagging Along

Sometimes, you have to raise your voice in order for things to get done. This mom decided to head down to a store to give the staff a piece of her mind when her new kitchen did not arrive in time, armed with a loudspeaker and her daughter in tow.

She probably had to bring her daughter along for moral support. However, no kid wants to see their parents yell at a public building through a loudspeaker while airing their complaints. It must have been shameful for the daughter, but we do hope that her mom got her kitchen installed faster after that.

The Good Samaritan

This mom was only attempting to do a stranger an act of kindness by making a charitable donation. Unfortunately, the stranger wasn’t asking for assistance but was simply going about their day!

@snowbeasty was shopping at the market when her mother noticed a man in a wheelchair. He seemed to be holding a charity tin, at least to her mother, who decided to do a good deed by tossing a coin inside the can, only to realize much later that it was just a can of coke.  

The Concerned Mom

Most parents want their children to learn the value of responsibilities, independence, and financial literacy. But some might not think we will ever be mature enough to handle that kind of responsibility.

When Alexander was 17 years old, he worked late when it began to snow, and his mother was concerned about his driving home—so much so that she called the store and had them declare over the speakers that she was coming to fetch him.

A Bad Call

This has to be the worst time to forget to put your phone on silent. A few years back, Emma was asked to speak at a memorial service in front of several important faith leaders. If that weren’t nerve-wracking enough, her speech was interrupted in probably the worst way imaginable.

During a minute of reflection, when the room fell silent in respect for the dead, Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” blasted out from someone’s phone—that phone apparently belonging to her mom. Unbelievable. 

Twinning for Halloween

We have nothing but admiration for this mom, who came up with one of the best Halloween costumes to have ever graced the internet. But where is she? Why, she’s standing next to her son! They could pass as twins! It truly is amazing to see the power of makeup and styling unfold.

Although we don’t know for sure how her son felt about the costume, it was probably a little humiliating for him. Nonetheless, it is said that an imitation is a form of flattery. He should be delighted that his mother wants to dress up like him for a day! 

Mama’s Boy

No matter where we are, our mothers will never fail to find ways of looking after us—even after we leave for college. Even after we’ve grown up, mothers never stop worrying about their children as they will always see us as their babies.

When her son was in college and living in the dormitories, she called to let him know that M&S was having a sale on undergarments. She delivered this message to the porter, who placed it on the community notice board for all to see. Of course, with a reminder like this, we find it hard to believe that her son could forget about the special undies discount.

Halloween Special

Most parents wouldn’t try to do embarrassing things on purpose; in fact, they are just mostly trying their best to put smiles on our faces—not that it always works out that way. But how could you be mad at parents who like to put in the effort?

This mom strongly believes that carved meatloaves are in style for Halloween. To showcase her creativity, she tried to make a creepy face from a meatloaf, and now we can never look at meatloaf in the same way ever again. But hey, it really captures the Halloween spirit!

She’s So Into It

This mom felt that dressing up as Danny and Sandy from Grease would be a great surprise for her daughter's party. She had the best intentions of making her baby girl’s birthday special, but clearly, her daughter thought otherwise.

While we all love Grease, we are not so sure that every eight-year-old kid wants to have Danny and Sandy turn up at their birthday party. What’s more, her mother was the one who dressed up as Danny. It sounds like her mom and friend had fun, though.

An Honest Mistake

This is an example where a mom had only good intentions in mind, and her only crime was trying to do something nice for her son. Interestingly, she posted it herself, which means she was aware of her embarrassing move and wanted to take full responsibility.

She wanted to take her son to a car show. Little did she know that the show didn't start until the next day, and she had parked between two exhibits. Yes, it might have been embarrassing for him then, but it now makes for a terrific story that the mom and her son can tell for years to come.

Setting Priorities

Maintaining a lovely garden filled with blooms and vegetables means pests and cats should be kept at bay. This mom was not going to let anyone wreck their beloved tomatoes—not even their house pet—but this didn’t stop the cat from trying.

Thus, when this mother saw the cat playing in her garden, she did what she had to. Why would you not want to safeguard your priceless garden? She was lucky that her snap-happy kid was around to take this amazing picture at the perfect moment. 

Classic Mom Move

When you’re a teenager, everything seems to be a lot more dramatic, which means that you might become embarrassed about most of your parents’ actions or gestures. Take it from Ginger, who had to endure a humiliating moment on the school bus, courtesy of her dear mom.

Do you remember those school trips that were both funny and stressful all at once? The stress got laid on pretty thick for Ginger, whose mother wanted to know if her ten-year-old daughter “had a wee” before she headed off on her school trip. 

Grow Up, Mom

Everybody has moments of clarity in life, which enable us to understand ideas we previously found difficult to grasp. While some people think that stepping into adulthood alone makes us mature and decisive, this mom proves that it isn’t always the case.

We’re glad this mom was able to let go of her homophobia after having three gay kids. Even though it might seem scary to face some deeply held phobias or beliefs, it is never too late to embrace love over fear—especially when it comes to those close to you.

An Emotional Moment

Everyone goes through puberty—it’s natural—and certainly nothing anyone should be ashamed about. However, as natural as it is, there’s also no reason to make puberty the hot topic in the town. After all, puberty can be a challenging time for both kids and their parents, especially when parents realize that their babies are growing up.

After learning that her son had reached puberty, this mother felt compelled to share the good news to her neighbors that her young boy was undergoing puberty. We can imagine the level of embarrassment this young man felt at the time.

Bad Comedy

Mothers don’t tend to want to hear about their daughters’ intimate relationships, no matter their age, and they certainly don’t like hearing their daughters joke about it either. In this case, the mom was the one who took things too far.

This sounds like it was an absolutely mortifying moment for the young couple. Some people see humor as a great way to break through politeness and create connections, but it can go down like a stone balloon if it’s done with so much assumption like this.

Good Intentions Gone Bad

This girl is old enough to have encountered derogatory remarks for the crime of being a woman in public, but this is an instance that we were quite surprised to read about! And to think that all this happened because her mom just tried to help her out with her dress fit.

She had good intentions but ended up causing more damage than good. To be fair to her mother, it sounds like the horrible woman in the street was more to blame. Being the center of attention during a wedding is already a stressful affair. There’s no need to hurl insults like that.

Privacy Matters

A girl’s first period is a watershed moment. It's both exhilarating and scary because you can't predict when it will happen, so you'll always be caught off guard. In such a situation, girls should be able to phone their parents to arrange for a pick-up from school if it becomes too much.

As it is usually a private matter, you naturally want to keep quiet when it happens. But for an embarrassed teenager experiencing something new, you certainly wouldn’t want your school and your dad’s colleagues to celebrate it, either!

Proud Lesbian Mom

When it comes to parents, they will always tell us to be ourselves. While hearing that all the time may be frustrating, it makes sense, given that they understand the negative outcomes of having to live through a persona.

This mom simply wants to send a message to her children and their school to show their true colors—and not to mistakenly believe that conformity is everything. It’s interesting that this mom is proud to be one of those token lesbian mothers.

Mom’s Funny Note

As a kid, you might have wanted to know where your parents were going when they went out. So, this mother did what any mom would and left their kids a note informing them she was taking their father to the hospital to undergo a medical procedure.

However, this mother chose to write the letter in a way that provides a really thorough explanation. Maybe too thorough. She found a very interesting way to say where they were going and what they were doing. Is colonoscopy that hard to spell? Maybe.

Funny Shirt

We can start picking our own clothes when we reach a certain age, but until then, we have to put up with our mother making terrible fashion choices for us. Our mothers frequently force us to wear things that cause maximum embarrassment.

In this case, this son probably isn’t just feeling embarrassment but also a profound realization of exploitation that usually only sets in when people reach the age of legal employment. You can really see it in his face, but also on his shirt.

(Not) A Mama’s Boy

Even if we’re already adults, our mothers will always think of us as their little boys and girls. They have a mother’s instinct that urges them to watch out for and protect us at all times. It may be unpleasant, but you have to remember that it’s the result of years of conditioning.

There was a time when we really were helpless, and they were the only ones who would look after us. This 43-year-old gentleman reports that his mother still instructs him on how to order his steak. She probably offered to cut it for him once or twice as well. 

Embarrassed & Proud

If they really were good to us, we usually come to respect and admire all of the features that we formerly considered obnoxious in our parents as we get older. Even though their quirks were embarrassing to us as teenagers, we learned to appreciate and even like our parents' oddities as we got older.

Suzi’s mother is a trained opera singer who sings loudly at every school occasion. Her voice automatically rose over everyone else's, drawing everyone's attention to her kids. Such attention may be uncomfortable for a little girl, but having an opera singer as a mother is amazing!

Divorce Papers on Stickers

Is it possible to print anything on stickers by mistake? This is a technological blunder only a mother can manage, which makes it highly entertaining and hilarious. After all, what would you do with divorce papers on stickers?

It's quite difficult to read. Furthermore, you don't want random people on the street reading your divorce paperwork and learning about your personal matters. What a mix-up! After printing this incorrect batch, hopefully, she was able to print her form in regular size.

Overly Worried

Since children becoming separated from their beloved parents in a large store is common, you’ll probably hear announcements over the tannoy about it all the time. When a youngster wanders away from his parents, the message directs him to meet them at the customer service section.

The thing is, when this happens, the kids are usually between the ages of four to twelve. You could even stretch it to 15. However, calling on a kid in his thirties is unheard of—but that’s what this mother did. Hilarious!

Birthday Cake

At first glance, this picture of a sweet older woman beside a birthday cake seems entirely conventional. Now get a closer look at the cake. Did you notice the questionable frosting that reads, "Dave Sucks"? It's not quite as sweet anymore.

We have no idea what happened in this family to cause this mother to write such a thing on her son's birthday cake. Perhaps this is just an innocent prank as she seems to be proud of it! Well, we hope that Dave had a fun birthday surprise.

Love Knows No Age

Rugby is a brutal sport, as anybody who has played it knows. It requires a strong stomach just to be able to watch it sometimes, especially for a loving mother to see their children getting harmed on the field in the middle of a match.

When her son's school rugby game became a little violent, this mother couldn't help but go onto the field, shouting, "are you okay?" " and "he's my kid." A decade later, after this guy finally moved on from the experience, his soon-to-be-wife came onto the field and behaved in the exact same way!

Looking For Helen

As teens living under our parents' roof, we all had curfews, and most of us broke them at least once. The daring among us used to violate their curfew often. Even geeks tried it—but for some of us, breaking curfew didn’t go quite to plan, thanks to some devastating anti-curfew tactics courtesy of our moms.

Miss Konstantine’s embarrassing curfew story went beyond just the home; it seeped into her nightlife. One night, while having fun and ripping up the dance floor past her bedtime, her mother reportedly found out where she was and broadcast her bedtime call to everyone. That’s some major street cred loss right there.

The Uninvited Guest

It is never easy to meet your parents' new life partners. Youngsters (and even adults) may find it challenging to comprehend that their parents are divorced and dating other people. It gets much worse when these people are dirty, stinking, and generally undesirable.

During Kevin’s college graduation, his mom brought her new partner—a "barefoot, dreadlocked hippy who sneered at the concept of personal hygiene." To his surprise, his mom’s boyfriend forced himself into her social circle. How embarrassing. We totally feel for you, Kevin.

The Unwanted Remark

We’ve all met people who have an insatiable desire to correct everyone and everything around them. Let’s admit it—grammar and spelling mistakes writ large are annoying. Let’s not forget that not everyone wants or needs to be corrected at any given moment.

When a sign contains a spelling or grammar error, we can usually tell what it is supposed to mean. Correcting strangers at the market is not only impolite, but it is also unnecessary. Even a child can understand this social convention. 

Cool Bookmark

The next time you ask your parents for a present, think twice because otherwise, you risk receiving something humiliating. This girl’s mom granted her wish for a “cool” bookmark. Well, it is definitely one-of-a-kind, and you can tell she must have felt pretty creative when making it.

Now, any time she dips into her favorite book, she’ll have her mom’s face either approving of her choice of activity or silently judging her depending on her reading material or whether her chores are still unfinished. 

Tech Novice

It is no secret that technology has made our lives that much easier. Every technological advancement has led to our more efficient and much simpler lives. With one smartphone tap, we can now do tasks that would have taken hours! Of course, life before may have the magic of nostalgia, but it was undoubtedly much more difficult to get anything done.

However, our beloved parents and grandparents might argue otherwise. Seeing as they grew up in an era without smart technology, these changes must have been a shock. Take this mom who still has a way to go before she can benefit from the wonders of modernity. She could have read the recipes on her iPad, but she opted to photocopy them so she could read them the old-fashioned way. Adorable!

The Aggressive Mom

Nobody likes to lose when it comes down to it. We’ve all been competitive at some point in our lives—some of us more than others. This guy's mother is apparently highly competitive, and he discovered this at the worst possible time—during a friendly kids vs. parents soccer tournament at his school.

When he was ten years old, his mother pushed on him during a game, even breaking an ankle. She did everything she could to win; apparently, she didn’t even feel bad about breaking the kid’s bone. Ouch!

Beaming With Pride

Every mother is proud of her children, but not every mother expresses her feelings to them—or in the same way. This whole situation may have been a tad humiliating for the punk rocker at the time, but we think it's charming! This momma is just like any sweet, proud parent, right?

Jason’s then-16-year-old brother was a lead guitarist in a punk rock band (very cool). Their mom, a musician, dressed up for the gig as if it were one of her performances and stood in the back, watching her son perform and quietly cheering for her son. That must have been one proud mama moment!