This is a story I’ve shared more than once over the years. If you’ve ever had a day where you felt totally frustrated with your toddler, you may find this story funny. Today I’m sharing my most embarrassing mom moment ever.

Originally published April 2016. Updated April 2023.

So yeah. I’ve had those days.

This is a story I’ve only shared a few times. With friends and family. Otherwise, it’s a well kept secret.

If you’ve been a reader here at A Virtuous Woman for even a short period of time, you’ve probably heard me talk about my beautiful daughter Sarah who is now 21 years old.

She was just the sweetest, cutest little girl. And when I say little, I mean, she was really little. In fact, because she has Crohn’s Disease, she didn’t grow on schedule and by the time she was three years old, my daughter Emily who is two years younger had already caught up to her in size.

And yet, despite her small size, she found herself right in the middle of my most embarrassing moment. Ever.

So, I’m going to take you back in time with me, to when Sarah was this tiny three year old girl.

It was a typical afternoon. My son was at school and I had taken Sarah and Emily shopping. We entered a department store called Upton’s. I don’t know if Upton’s still exist but it was a lot like a Kohl’s department store. I put Emily in her stroller and Sarah was walking along side me.

You know how, as a mom, you see your child doing something and you just know if they continue, someone or something will get hurt?

Yeah.

So you say something like I said that day.

“Sarah, don’t run. You’ll break something.”

So, I know what you’re thinking. But you have no idea where this story is going. You think you do. But you can’t even imagine.

So, I’m walking down the wide aisle, pushing the stroller as Sarah takes off running. She must have been going pretty fast.

And either she didn’t hear me tell her to stop running, or more likely, she just didn’t listen. But, you can imagine my horror when I saw her tiny little body collide with a rack of clothes.

So, that wouldn’t have been so bad. Really. I would have been thrilled if that’s all that happened.

But no. I wasn’t so lucky that day.

Have you ever played with Dominos? And you carefully stack the Dominos in a row and then you tap the one on the end and it hits the next one… and the next… and the next… until all of the Dominos have fallen?

Yes. Yes, you have.

So like I said, Sarah must have been running really fast. Or maybe that first rack of clothes was unsteady to begin with. But I watched as one by one every. single. rack. of. clothing toppled over like a game of Dominos – all the way down the ENTIRE aisle.

I was helpless to make it stop.

And of course the ENTIRE store turned to look. And stare.

My face turned red.

Sarah’s little head popped up from beneath the pile of clothes she was under and she looked around. I think she was almost as embarrassed as I was. Okay. Wait. Probably not.

I had no idea what to say to the store clerk who came rushing toward me.

Apologizing profusely, I grabbed Sarah by the hand and pushed that stroller outside as quickly as possible. And I never shopped there again.

True story.

Every bit of it.

I am not exaggerating! 

I want you to know every mom has those days. Those hard days when you just want to crawl under a rock and hide.

Be sure to leave a comment and share with me your most embarrassing mom moment! What would you have done if your child knocked of an entire aisle of clothing racks?

P.S. At the time it was utterly horrifying, but I can laugh about my most embarrassing moment now!

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