To think that parents should occasionally let their pubic hair grow as nature intended to educate their children as to what adult bodies look like?

[ikeaismylocal]

I have been having this discussion with dp, our dc are still very young so puberty is a long way off but I was wondering how children know that pubic hair is normal if they only every see their parents with minimal/absent pubic hair?

Dp has light hair and shaves his pubic hair most of the time so he doesn't really have any visable pubic hair, obviously that is his preference and his right to choose but do parents owe it to their children to show them what an unmodified adult body looks like so it isn't such a shock to them when they thelself start growing pubic hair?

A friend of mine told me that her 10 year old recently told her her pubic hair "needed a trip" the 10 year old will very likely have her own pubic hair soon and the idea of her thinking the correct thing to do is trim or get rid of the hair compleatly really makes me feel something has gone wrong in our society (and I remember the state of my legs when I first experimented with shaving!).

I don't know. Maybe Brazilians are popular now as a throw-back from seeing parent's pubes throughout the 70s and 80s.

Sounds to me like your old man is desperate for you to have a Brazilian but ain't got the nerve to tell you.

A friend of mine got her pubes shaved into the shape of a Mercedes badge for her DP. He was utterly appalled.

My ds regularly points at my pubic hair and shouts "dirty poo bottom!"
Well, regularly might be an exaggeration, but it has happened more than I like!
This is at five though, I doubt he'll still be following me to the bathroom by puberty.

My dh shaves sometimes. Most of the men I've dated have had a dabble in a bit of shaving down there. It's a very modern thing. No big deal in my opinion.

I shave all mine off. Because I want to. I started when I was single because I fancied seeing what it was like and I hated my pubes getting stuck on sanitary towels occasionally. I liked it so I kept it.

I don't think it matters a jot what people do with their pubic hair and I doubt any young kids have any views on it at all... If we're going to go all nature intended I better stop dyeing my hair red and chuck my contact lenses away. . And let my boobs droop free without my bra.

I care what my children feel about their bodies, they could dye it pink for all I care I just want them to realise that the way they are naturally is not wrong and doesn't need to be changed unless they want to for themselves.

MN is bloody obsessed with pubes.

I'm bewildered by the number of posters who are surprised that children see their parents naked! Do you change behind locked doors in the dark?

Our kids have probably seen each of us naked most days since they were born - dressing in the morning, showers, going to bed, changing to swim etc etc.

OP you could try asking this question over in Feminism if you'd like some less incredulous answers..

Any minute now someone will mention 'pornification' of our children, call people who shave their pubes and people who like it as akin to pedophiles, brainwashed by the patriarchy, blah, blah....yada, yada, yada...predictable and boring.

My daughter can do whatever she wants with her pubes when she gets them. It's none of my business.

Don't you just tell your children that they will grow hair as part of normal age-appropriate talks about sex, well before puberty?

I care what my children feel about their bodies, they could dye it pink for all I care I just want them to realise that the way they are naturally is not wrong and doesn't need to be changed unless they want to for themselves.

And you think showing them your hairy fanny will achieve this?

Do you ever

Dye your hair?
Pluck your eyebrows?
Shave your legs?
Shave under your arms?
Pluck any stray hairs from your chin?
Wear makeup?

Is your DH sporting a full beard and moustache?

Kids don't have to be shown everything to know they have a choice, you can simply tell them.

Fine if this is what you want to do, but I'm not sure why you think everyone else should too?

I'm bewildered by the number of posters who are surprised that children see their parents naked! Do you change behind locked doors in the dark?

No, why would I need to lock the door? I simply change in my bedroom.

I'm not surprised other kids see their parents naked, but I'm always surprised at the reaction when some people say they don't walk around naked in front of their kids.

Horses for cources

to be honest my 70's style bush will probably have the opposite effect - all 3 girls are horrified by it

*NB they come and chat to me in the bath I don't tend to walk around commanding them to pay attention to my fanny afro

I agree with you. Neither of my parents ever did anything with their pubic hair, and I certainly did see them naked a lot- my family home was and still is a super naked house.... To this day my dad needs reminding to put some clothes on a lot of the time - and I know that my mums au natural look have me the confidence as a teen/in my early 20s to tell boyfriends to sod off if they ever said or insinuated they'd like to see a bald fanny or less furry armpit.

Fine if this is what you want to do, but I'm not sure why you think everyone else should too?

Worra, I think the OP was probably up for a discussion. As far as I know, she hasn't been round your house and hidden all the razors

I'm not convinced Clock

If I wake up with the Jackson 5 in my knickers, there'll be trouble

My DH shaves his head. I do not. When DCs get body hair I will let them know that there are similar choices available.

I've no idea what my mum did with her pubes. I made my own mind up what not to do about mine.

As nature intended!! Well, my nature dictates that I colour my grey hair, use botox, self tan, use all sorts of garish eye colour and if I was truly only desiring to "educate" others with my body choices, it would be only to say, tis your body do what you will! Beauty and diversity of expression, what a a fabulous issue to teach and then of course, you'd mention, oh yeah and other people do seem to be overly concerned with pubes.

If I wake up with the Jackson 5 in my knickers, there'll be trouble

True - people have been jailed for less...

My mum never shaved her legs or her armpits and very rarely wore make-up.

I started shaving my legs as soon as I worked out how to use my dad's razor (in secret) because I hated the hairy look and didn't want to be like my Mum.

Even then I knew I had a choice.

I think kids are smarter than some people give them credit for.

I am 'as nature intended' but there is no way I am going to allow my teenage sons to see my genitals so that they can see I have hair there in the hope that seeing their mum's pubic hair will convince them that women should have pubes.

I dont want to! Other people can wander round in the nud if they want to but its not for me.

they can make do with the books and the talk. I dont suppose they want to see my fanny any more than I want to show it to them. Theres nothing wrong with that.

you dont have to physically show them everything in order to teach them stuff.

i think there has been a recent push for women to take back their body hair, its all over the guardian every other day and a couple of others.

so i would like to say i am pro body hair choice, by telling me i have to grow it, you are denying my right to cut/shave/wax/pluck.

pro hair choice

Well I don't feel the need to show them what my armpits look like in their natural state so I would take this as the same argument.

Should we stop going to the gym and let it all hang out to show them what our bodies would look like in their natural state?

Should we build some kind of nest in the garden show them how they would sleep in the wild, away from society's influence?

'Take back their body hair'

That makes it sound like they're being pushed to open the sewers or scrape it off of little wax strips