Embarrassing situations are not easy on anyone. And just because you are a child, it doesn’t make them less so. Kids can cringe and go red just like adults but, we’re more likely to tell them to get on with it, saying ‘sure it happens to everybody’.
But, instead of making light of the situation, you need to do the following:
Don’t laugh at them but with them
Whatever you do, don’t laugh. This is so important. You wouldn’t like anyone to laugh at you if say you tripped up and fell right in front of a crowd of people. Pick them up, dust them off and say whoops-a-daisy or something along those lines. Only laugh if they do too.
Don’t make it any bigger than it is
So your little one farted in front of their friends, no biggie. But they will be embarrassed, there is no doubt about that. What you need to do is, bring it down a level – obviously it will seem hugely significant to your child at the time - and simply say ‘it happens to everybody’. 'Cause it does. If your son or daughter makes a big deal about it by crying or running off they are only going to make the situation worse. Tell them to face what is happening and move on. It’s never as big as they make it out to be.
Relate to it
After any sort of embarrassing situation, your child can feel like they are the only ones to ever have to go through it. But of course they aren’t. Try to relate to the situation and, if possible, tell them about a time when it happened to you. This way they won't feel like they are on theri own.
Teach them appropriate responses
Embarrassing situations happen all the time, so teach your child how to react to them when they happen. If someone is laughing at them for burping in class or tummy rumbling, teach them to handle it lightly and not to get offended by it. The best response is for her to acknowledge it happened and laugh it off. If someone keeps laughing tell your little one to say something along the lines of ‘it’s not that funny’ or ‘so you don’t burp ever?’
