posted July 16, 2005 05:05 AM         

Does anyone think there is an age in a child's life where you shouldnt walk around naked or do you think it is good to raise kids with the attitude that nudity is fine and just bare all?

Would love to hear from Mums and Dads!

Love to all

posted July 16, 2005 06:51 AM         

I'm not a parent either, but I think that kids should be exposed to their parent's nude bodies when the kids are young at least.

In the teen years it seems like it would get a bit strange, but I suppose it would depend on how often your kid is seeing you in the buff. I mean if you're a nudist or something, and they see you naked all the time, they may have an odd puberty, but I suppose they would be used to your nudity.

And then there's the artful picture of mom naked, or pregnant and naked, which won't seem so erotic while still exposing the kid to nudity.

And then there's the situation I've heard (maybe it doesn't happen often) where a girl accidentally runs into dad in the middle of the night and he's got an erection. Know that she will be telling her friends, so maybe that's to be avoided.

posted July 16, 2005 11:40 AM         

Nudity was an absolute no-go area in our house, funnily enough, my maternal GRANDMOTHER reckoned I had been brought up in a very prudish manner (they were European and seemingly more open abt. their bodies than over here).

posted July 16, 2005 12:51 PM         

My son is five, and like Pix and her beebees, we breastfed for a long time, so there is a comfort with our bodies going on here.

In my apartment we only have a standup shower, so until about six months ago I showered with my son out of necessity. When he began to get upset with me for entering the bathroom while he was using it, I took that as a cue to start solo showers.

It isn't uncommon for him to see me in my underwear, though. Neither of us makes any issue about it, and I kind of like that he doesn't have any hangups about bodies. As he gets older, like Pix's son, those boundaries will become more rigid. But for now I see no need to implement them as he is not at a point in life where this is an issue, and creating an issue where none exists seems counterproductive. If he walks in in me while I'm dressing, I continue to dress. I remind him that he needs to knock and by not doing so he is invading my privacy.

Sometimes he leaves and sometimes he just says, "okay. I'll remember next time."

He is clear that bodies aren't for "public" exposure though. I feel comfortable with looser boundaries within the home, though.

Interested in hearing from more of you.

posted July 16, 2005 02:47 PM         

My husband is modest. He never allows them to seem him naked. When they were really little, he would take baths with them in his boxers.

(I pee with the door open sometimes too )

hehe, Pixie, my girls are always asking me when they get to get boobies and hair on their potties (especially in the shower) . To which I reply, "Sooner than you think, honey."

posted July 16, 2005 04:03 PM         

My boy is 9 now and hasn't gotten self-conscious yet. He'll trot around the house in the altogether after a bath and think nothing of it.

When he was little I didn't make a big deal of either of our bodies, so he hasn't developed any kind of sense of taboo (at least not that I'm aware of). He'll burst into my room sometimes when I'm dressing with that Arien eagerness to share something, but I don't make a fuss about being caught -- I just mention that we need to be respectful about other peoples' privacy.....

posted July 16, 2005 05:09 PM         

My daughter and I also shower and bathe together. I walk around in the nude, she pinches my tooshie, I pinch hers.. I don't know if I will ever need to cover up around her, however when I was a kid I felt really uncomfy when my mom walked around nude, so I will have to wait to see how my daughter feels. Unlike me, my mother did not respect my wishes. She thought I was acting silly.

Libra. Oh no! Was it the Northridge quake by any chance? I had a similar thing with my step dad. The fire alarm went off and it woke me and my sister up. Next thing I see is a naked man jogging down the hallway with his willy swinging about. That picture was burned into my brain..forever unfortunately.

I'm not sure how I will handle having a son. I imagine around 3 y/o i will cover up. I think with the same sex is different. My hubby still roams around in the nude and they shower together too. She hasn't mentioned his "dinky" as they call it, but i'm sure to hear it any day now~

posted July 18, 2005 02:13 PM         

Thanks everyone for replies, I learned a lot from reading them. I think a few of you said about the cut off point and I agree with that, as much as I agree with not making nudity something "wrong". My son always laughs at me when he sees me naked (he is 6), great for the self esteem LOL. I just dont make a big deal of it, but as he gets older I will not want to embarrass him too much!!!

Thanks again guys

Love and laughter