Dad dancing, the number one way to embarrass children - Study

 Dad dancing, public displays of affection and using youth slang are the most embarrassing things parents do to make their children cringe, according to new research.

The study of 2,000 parents of children aged five to 20 found that 70 per cent are stuck in a "generational timewarp" and acting far younger than their age.

Most people over 40 feel on average 20 per cent younger - meaning a 40-year-old "dad dancer" has a mental age of 32.

And the research pinpoints the top 10 flashpoints where parents are likely to cause embarrassment:

1. Dad/mum dancing
2. Public displays of affection - to children or with each other
3. Using outdated slang and trying to join in with "youth speak" or "youthful lingo"
4. Wearing age-inappropriate clothes
5. Telling cringeworthy stories, anecdotes or baby stories
6. Tidying up after children
7. Joining social media and friending children
8. Being useless at tech in general
9. Talking about the facts of life
10. Drinking too much

The poll revealed that, on average, people stop learning new dance moves at the age of 25 - so any party pieces are likely to be decades old when they are performed.
Many parents continue to confuse outdated slang such as "duh", "take a chill pill" and "as if" with modern day "youth speak", the survey found. Children were revealed to be the most embarrassed by their parents at the age of 14.
The survey was commissioned to mark the start of Island Beats, Thope Park's summer-long music festival. It follows the viral sensation of "Dancing Dad" - a camera phone video of a father dancing to The Vamps at the first gig of the festival, which has clocked up more than five million views online.