Should our 4 year old son see me naked?

[Anonymous]

It seems like yesterday he was a baby. At what age did you start feeling self conscious about being naked and start covering up around your son?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like yesterday he was a baby. At what age did you start feeling self conscious about being naked and start covering up around your son?

At around 2. In my opinion, it serves no purpose to have them see an adult naked. The gender similarities and differences are visible to them even with the clothes on. They'll get ample opportunity over time to learn how a female private parts are different from his own.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

About the age when you can't take him into the women's bathroom anymore, so about 5 or 6?

[Anonymous]

My 5 year old DS occasionally sees me naked, stepping out of the shower and getting dressed. More often, we go to the bathroom together, although he sometimes goes by himself in the Men's room or waits outside for me. I don't think he's too old yet, but it's coming.

[Anonymous]

^and to add, I don't cover myself up immediately, even for my 10 yr old DS. Sometimes, DS will see flashes, and he doesn't seem to care, nor do I.

[Anonymous]

My son is 4.5 and I'm no longer comfortable with him seeing me naked. I won't jump out of my skin and scream if it happens by accident, but it just feels weird somehow these days.

My 2 year old I don't care.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About the age when you can't take him into the women's bathroom anymore, so about 5 or 6?

About four. He needs to go through the men's locker room then.

[Anonymous]

When you get tired of answering questions or you or your child is uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

My almost 6 year old sees me naked. He doesn't seem to care.

[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.

I think the message conveyed is that my body is mine and I'm choosing to keep it private.

[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.

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.

[Anonymous]

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.