Should our 4 year old son see me naked?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the reasoning for covering up at all. The message being conveyed is that your body is something to be ashamed of. Hiding your body will o oh result in greater curiosity over what a naked female looks like. And I certainly don't want the only naked female body my kids see to be some image they find on the Internet.

+1!

And, I just heard last month that Playboy isn't going to be putting naked women in the magazines anymore, so know the kids' only option is internet searches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 10.5 year old son sees me naked often and neither of us cares one bit. I see him naked as well (when he has taken a shower or is changing clothes). He will come into the bathroom when I am showering or getting dressed and we carry on a conversation. Bodies and nakedness are no big deal in my household.

He just started taking FLE (family life education) this year and was able to come home and relate to us the lessons about the human body, puberty, women's menstrual cycles in a completely matter-of-fact way. Truth is he knew it all anyway, we have never hidden anything from him and always answered his questions honestly.

This.

I have a 5, 10, and 12 year old. They occasionally see me or my husband naked. We see them more often. NBD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 10.5 year old son sees me naked often and neither of us cares one bit. I see him naked as well (when he has taken a shower or is changing clothes). He will come into the bathroom when I am showering or getting dressed and we carry on a conversation. Bodies and nakedness are no big deal in my household.

He just started taking FLE (family life education) this year and was able to come home and relate to us the lessons about the human body, puberty, women's menstrual cycles in a completely matter-of-fact way. Truth is he knew it all anyway, we have never hidden anything from him and always answered his questions honestly.

This.

I have a 5, 10, and 12 year old. They occasionally see me or my husband naked. We see them more often. NBD.

Yup. Me too. I don't do it purposely but I don't worry about it if he walks into my room when I'm changing or sees me getting out of the shower. He does't worry at all about changing in front of me....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about your daughter? Yes, seriously. For this question it does not matter what gender anyone is.

Answer: You are his mother. There is no reason to be conscious or worried or anything, really. Ever.
By the time he gets embarrassed and starts turning away, make comments like "Mommyyyyyyy not nakeeeed!", blushes or the likes you can either start covering up or do what my parents did (and all other parents in the culture I grew up in), ignore the childish embarrassment and treat naked bodies like the beautiful natural phenomenon they are

Even though I never was the confident naked person and thought it was embarrassing for my parents to not lock the bathroom door when showring etc. I am VERY glad today they didn't hide their bodies from us. I very firmly believe natural positive body image can only come from being raised by parents who live it.

So well said.

If your kid doesn't see normal, naked, human bodies at home, how is he/she ever going to learn what they are supposed to look like - when not airbrushed?

I still get dressed around my 8 year old. I don't walk around the house naked, but if he walks in, it's NBD. When/if he starts feeling embarrassed, I'll stop.

There is nothing wrong with being naked. Nothing shameful about the human body.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the reasoning for covering up at all. The message being conveyed is that your body is something to be ashamed of. Hiding your body will o oh result in greater curiosity over what a naked female looks like. And I certainly don't want the only naked female body my kids see to be some image they find on the Internet.

It says more about you that you think covering up means you're ashamed of your body than it does about me that I think my son shouldn't see me naked.

NP here. I disagree. That you don't think your son should see you naked definitely says a lot about you.

[Anonymous]

Question - where are all of you on the threads about girls seeing fathers naked?

I think this is the flip side of this question, and I agree that it's perfectly ok and normal.

In our own home, in bedrooms and bathrooms, places where some nakedness is normal, there is no reason for covering up.

If someone is uncomfortable, fine, but it isn't harmful to be seen by your opposite sex child in appropriate settings.

Now, if you're prancing around the house nude constantly, that's another level.

[Anonymous]

Y'all are messed up.

[Anonymous]

Those of you who claim you're so cool with nudity – would you be OK with other family members being naked around your children? Your siblings, for example, or your parents? Serious question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the reasoning for covering up at all. The message being conveyed is that your body is something to be ashamed of. Hiding your body will o oh result in greater curiosity over what a naked female looks like. And I certainly don't want the only naked female body my kids see to be some image they find on the Internet.

It says more about you that you think covering up means you're ashamed of your body than it does about me that I think my son shouldn't see me naked.

NP here. I disagree. That you don't think your son should see you naked definitely says a lot about you.

Like what? Serious question. If he happens to walk in while I'm changing I don't freak out, but I also don't walk around naked or shower in front of my children. I'm really surprised that so many of you do.

[Anonymous]

Re: showering, we only have one bathroom upstairs, no master. So yes, sometimes someone walks in on someone else while they're showering.

[Anonymous]

I have a nearly 10 yo boy. I generally don't walk around the house naked, but if I'm changing when he walks in, so be it. He usually just ignores me, but if he wanted to walk away, that would be fine too.

He chooses not to be naked in front of me. That's his choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question - where are all of you on the threads about girls seeing fathers naked?

I think this is the flip side of this question, and I agree that it's perfectly ok and normal.

In our own home, in bedrooms and bathrooms, places where some nakedness is normal, there is no reason for covering up.

If someone is uncomfortable, fine, but it isn't harmful to be seen by your opposite sex child in appropriate settings.

Now, if you're prancing around the house nude constantly, that's another level.

So I never dangle my jungle out in the open. I know my little girl doesnt like horror movies. My jungle is rated R, and my wife is the only one who has the permit.

[Anonymous]

I think you'll know when it is time. At some point, you'll either feel really uncomfortable or your child will appear uncomfortable. At that point, you should make a conscious decision to talk to your child about nakedness and comfort. It is healthy for a child do understand that nudity is natural and beautiful, while equally important for them to understand that some people want privacy and that is important and should also be respected. Talk to them about their feelings - do they feel uncomfortable? Do they want privacy? Do they not mind at all? Go with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the reasoning for covering up at all. The message being conveyed is that your body is something to be ashamed of. Hiding your body will o oh result in greater curiosity over what a naked female looks like. And I certainly don't want the only naked female body my kids see to be some image they find on the Internet.

+1!

And, I just heard last month that Playboy isn't going to be putting naked women in the magazines anymore, so know the kids' only option is internet searches.

So you use your naked body to keep you kids away from naked internet images? Interesting!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you'll know when it is time. At some point, you'll either feel really uncomfortable or your child will appear uncomfortable. At that point, you should make a conscious decision to talk to your child about nakedness and comfort. It is healthy for a child do understand that nudity is natural and beautiful, while equally important for them to understand that some people want privacy and that is important and should also be respected. Talk to them about their feelings - do they feel uncomfortable? Do they want privacy? Do they not mind at all? Go with it.

I think that you have that talk a long long time before you notice your child feeling uncomfortable around you. We started talking about this at the same time as we started talking about autonomy, who can touch their body and when and how and whatnot….at like 2. We are still comfortable with our children seeing us naked (as are they from their actions)/they are all 7 and under and I still occasionally take showers with the kids/they still shower together sometimes (especially the brothers at this point or my daughter with me when she needs or wants help conditioning her long hair. I don't think that you wait on this stuff, ever.