Who's the "world's most embarrassing dad" according to the news this week? Stay-at-home-dad Dale Price. He dressed up in a different costume every day this school year to wave goodbye to his 16-year-old son, Rain, on the school bus.

Some of Price's costume highlights include Tinkerbell (spandex and all), the Old Spice guy and a homicidal clown. One morning he read the newspaper on a toilet in front of their house. 170 days, 170 costume changes. Somewhere, Lady Gaga's discarded getups are rolling in their graves.

Unless the Guinness World Records crew was secretly watching, Price's title is just in good fun. All kids are embarrassed by their parents. It's a tale as old as the prehistoric Pangaea their elders were allegedly born into. But for parents with good intentions at heart, what kind of behaviour is over the line?

Anyone who was ever a teenager can sympathize with Rain. You'd hope that if he were genuinely mortified the costumes would stop – that Price wouldn't value the limelight more than their relationship. (If that were the case, Rain could just be thankful he didn't end up in a balloon.)

But Rain enjoyed them. His mother, Rochelle, started a blog showcasing her husband's waves that's climbed to almost 5 million page views. She set the record straight in a recent entry:

"And yes, [Rain] did laugh at the waves. If you look closely at some of the pictures, you'll see that he and his friends were waving back. He knows how to laugh."

Whether it's ridicule or insecurity, there will always be something to blush over (like the name Rain – any kindergartener will tell you that's a bigger problem on a playground than a dad in occasional drag). But if you can laugh your way through an insult, it just becomes a joke. There's no doubt Price has learned that. Wild costumes aside, he also has a prosthetic leg.

Some would look at Price's montage and pity Rain – I'm willing to bet most of them grew up feeling loved and secure in their family relationships. But others would envy Price's dedication.

I know one such person. One of my best friends never had a relationship with her father. And throughout our teens, whenever I complained about something annoying or embarrassing my dad had done, she'd shoot back with: "Well, at least he's trying to be around." It shut me up every time, and it made me a little more appreciative.

That's the bottom line here. Price committed to waving goodbye to his son each morning because he loves him. Any laughter at his (and his costume's) expense is just a gift to the people around him. An excellent example to set for a 16-year-old.

Laugh and the world laughs at you – I mean, with you. Really, what does it matter, as long as we're all laughing?

Picture courtesy: waveatthebus.blogspot.com