We all know the feeling of when we were younger when our parents embarrassed us or we were slightly embarrassed about bringing our friends to our home because of what they might see. Research has shown that these days, kids are a lot more aware of their social status, with the huge rise of social media, images, brands, fashion etc.
A recent study in the UK shows that children aged between 11-16 years old were very aware of their surroundings at home with regards to feeling proud or in some cases ashamed of where they live. It shows that kids that are happier to invite their friends around have better and stronger bonds with their family and therefore spend more time at home both alone and with their friends…
The place is a mess!
When you share a space with your family, it’s hard to escape that well-meaning chaos that results in the living room, bathroom and other communal spaces. Toys, keys and clothes find their way all over the house in some sort of systematically chaotic non-formation and when Callum brings his friends round, he might get very self-conscious about it. He has after all, seen what a respectable middle class family house is supposed to look like on TV and Netflix…
The colour scheme is tacky
One of the things about belonging to a different generation from your children is that your ideas about style and design are generally about 15 years out of date.
The neighbourhood isn’t great
Much as you may try not to show it, kids know when they live in the ‘wrong’ part of town. Apart from your overprotectiveness whenever they have to step out of the house, the other kids at school are probably brutally honest about their thoughts on where they live. To your eyes, it may not quite be Boys In The Hood, but in his opinion you might as well be living In the ghetto…
The house is too small
Emma watches TV and goes to school with people who live in plush 5-bedroom houses with nannies and helpers. You might not realise it, but even at her early age, she can tell that there is a bit of a difference between her house and Caoimhe’s house. Enough to make herself conscious about it.
