Mum reading Fifty Shades and sending a text message saying 'LOL'... The most embarrassing parent behaviour that makes children cringe

Gone are the days when your mum wiping your face with a wet tissue in public was the most embarrassing thing ever.

Now having them text you slang abbreviations such as YOLO, OMG and LOL or being caught with a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey are some of the things offspring find the most cringeworthy parent behaviour.

A new study has today revealed the worst things parents can do to make their children squirm, with having to suffer through a movie sex scene topping the list.

Just talking about sex with parents was deemed one of the most embarrassing things ever too, with seeing your parents be affectionate sending many sons and daughters recoiling in horror.

Interestingly the effect of modern technology was clearly evident in the poll, with discovering dodgy search histories on your parent's computers making the top 10 list of the most cringeworthy parent activities.

Symptoms of a 'mid-life crisis' also made the "Cringe Index," with dressing too young and buying a sports car deemed positively criminal by embarrassed children.

[Mum's Diary: Why I can't wait to embarrass my children too]
[Mums admit their biggest cringe moments EVER]
[10 questions parents DREAD their children asking]

The survey, conducted on 2,000 adults, also found that parents who copy their children's dress sense was cause for serious cringe factor - along with children discovering mums and dads had had a few too many.

Speaking about the findings, Steve North, spokesman for TV channel Gold who commissioned the study, said: "It is clear from our research that parents are causing their offspring great embarrassment."

Top 10 most embarrassing things parents do:

1. Watching sex scenes in movies with parents
2. Parents talking about sex
3. Parents using abbreviations such as YOLO, OMG and LOL
4. Public displays of affection between parents
5. Mid life crisis behaviour of dad (dressing too young and buying sports cars)
6. Questionable parental literature - mum reading Fifty Shades of Grey
7. Embarrassing swimwear and cycling gear
8. Drunk parents
9. Discovering dodgy search histories on your parents' computers
10. Parents copying your dress sense

You, Me & Them is on Gold on Wednesday evenings, 9pm.