Cultural attitudes toward nudity

[Anonymous]

The subject of nudity in the home seems to come up frequently here, with attitudes ranging from extremely casual to extremely uptight. I wonder what role cultural background might play in how comfortable we are with the human body.

Other than bathing, how often and under what circumstances are you nude at home (if at all), how casual are you about it around children, and what is your ethnicity?

[Anonymous]

I'm often nude, we're very casual about it, and our kids are now grown and seemingly normal. My mom is German--she came to the U.S. when she was 20 and raised me and my three siblings the way Germans raise their kids (nudity is no big deal). My mom remembers being told in the early seventies that her daughters should wear tops on outdoors. We used to run around topless in the summer.

My kids are less casual than my DH and I are, but they're not in the least bit uptight about nudity.

[Anonymous]

I comment on those threads frequently about how I saw my parents in various stages of undress pretty frequently and it was no big deal. I am of European descent, but our families have been here for several generations (one can trace our roots to just after the mayflower)

I'm actually a pretty modest person and cover myself up when it comes to being in public, but if my child happens to see me naked, so what?

My 8 year old comes barging into our master bedroom frequently when we are getting out of the shower. My husband makes the walk from the bathroom to his dresser in the buff. Again, big freaking deal. She doesn't seem to notice or care.

We're not exhibitionists or nudists - we just don't feel the need to HIDE when we're in our own spaces. Our bedroom and bathroom are the two places where being undressed is ok, right?

[Anonymous]

I'm of Italian, Irish, German and Swedish descent, in America since the 19th and early 20th centuries. The attitude seemed to be more relaxed on the Italian side, which makes sense when you consider the climate Mediterranean people come from.

My parents were casual about necessary nudity (in the bathroom, bedroom, and in between with doors open) until I was about 6 or 7, then they began to be more mindful and careful to cover up. Really the only reason they were ever naked was bathing or getting dressed.

I'm pretty much the same, except that I also sleep in the nude. But that's something I just discovered on my own when I was around 12, and as far as I know, I'm the exception in my family when it comes to that.

[Anonymous]

I'm from the UK, spouse from the US.

I find US attitudes toward the nudity of children to be less relaxed than my own upbringing, but I think that my parents were themselves more relaxed compared to other folks where we are from. I wouldn't blink at a 3 or 4 year old changing clothes in the open at the beach, for example; all of our family casually walk around the house naked (except by windows). I skinny dip without reservation when out in the wilderness (well I did -- don't seem to be out in the middle of nowhere quite so much these days!)

My child wanders around our house naked but weirdly requires that he be in his own room with the door closed to get dressed, but I suspect that's so we'll stop bugging him to hurry up.

[Anonymous]

I am M with a 12 yo DD. I generally do not go around nude, at least since DD was about 3 or 4. I do often go around with just my Jockies on though. DD used to not care, until she started developing.

[Anonymous]

grew up in a fairly traditional Italian household

I saw my mother naked but only in her room. Neither parent walked around even partially undressed. never saw my dad naked

I, however, have no issues with it. My kids are 10 (girl) and 6 (boy) and both have seen me naked. My son will feign disgust, but he really isn't bothered by it. My daughter barely even notices. lol

[Anonymous]

I'm from Russia. I have not seen my parents naked

I'm very casual around DH, but not DS. I hold the opinion that very, very few people should be seen naked by strangers

[Anonymous]

I'm European and find American attitudes to nudity really odd. I don't see the big deal about baked naked in front of my kids or them in front of me or each other.

The most peculiar thing though is the steps people take at the gym to avoid anyone seeing them when they get changed.

[Anonymous]

Italian family on my father's side. Southern culture on my mother's side. I never saw them naked. They were uptight about nudity. My mother was very judgmental about women who showed too much skin when out.

I am open about nudity with my child. Now that she's 12, she is uncomfortable with nudity. I cover up, but I'm not uptight about it. Her father is the same way.

[Anonymous]

Italian and Southern! quite a combination!!!

Anonymous wrote:Italian family on my father's side. Southern culture on my mother's side. I never saw them naked. They were uptight about nudity. My mother was very judgmental about women who showed too much skin when out.

I am open about nudity with my child. Now that she's 12, she is uncomfortable with nudity. I cover up, but I'm not uptight about it. Her father is the same way.

[Anonymous]

To me , most naked bodies over the age of 40 effect me emotionally similar to the subject of death. They are a reality but should be contemplated only when not concerned with actually living.

[Anonymous]

Oh, good. I have a couple more years before 40. Skinny dipping and streaking it is!

I answered above about us, but our daughter doesn't run around unclothed in public, either. She has no qualms about walking around buck naked on our bedroom level, though. For some reason, she likes to get dressed in our room rather than hers. She'll put on her undies then walk with her clothes to our room. It's kind of annoying, actually.

[Anonymous]

Put me in cultural uptight with kids involved.

I have 6.5 and 9 year old boys. F-ing creepy for them to see their mother naked. Dad- doesn't matter. They have the same parts.

As we approach puberty even creepier!!!!

Adult nudity and baby/toddler not a problem--but nudity in front of opposite sex kids--yucky.

[Anonymous]

My DH moved to this country when he was 3. In his 40's, he still shudders at the thought of seeing his mom shirtless when he was in elementary school. For her, it wasn't a big deal.