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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask how many of you had a mum who was naked at home a lot?

142 replies

ladyrosy · 28/06/2015 07:01

A couple of days ago, I had spent all day in PJs and no bra (my excuse being my beautiful DS1 is 9 weeks old and some days are trickier than others!) and I thought to myself "I am turning into my mum by not wearing a bra! No wait, I would have to be naked in the house all the time to be my mum. Wait... what?"

It was a moment of realising that something that was completely normal to me as a child may not actually be that normal. I suspect this will end up filed under "more evidence my mum is bonkers", but to make sure I am not being unreasonable, may I ask you if your mums (or either parent I guess!) spent most of their time in the house naked? She would do it with the curtains/blinds open, and it would be all day, not just a pre-shower moment, so pretty extensive nakedness.

I don't feel I can ask the people I know in real life. I suspect I'll sound a bit odd.

OP posts:
ShipShapeAhoy · 28/06/2015 08:52

I've wondered about this as I sleep in just knickers and dd comes into our bed most nights. She's only 1 so too young to notice at the moment. I think it's OK but I'm sure others will disagree.

SylvaniansAtEase · 28/06/2015 08:56

Parents not nudey types, no... but one grandmother was the exact opposite, you'd occasionally catch her flitting between rooms with curlers still in and face powder not quite fully applied and she'd make a squeak of dismay and hide as if you'd caught her in full nip! So funny.

Aramynta · 28/06/2015 09:00

We were a naked family, and me and DH are, too.

When we went on holiday as kids and it used to get super hot we would all strip off and lounge around. We used to call ourselves the sedish family and everyone thought it was hilarious Blush

MsDragons · 28/06/2015 09:00

My parents were usually fully clothed, but nobody cared if we saw them naked when they were showering or in bed or something. I don't think it's normal to have been naked a lot, but I'm sure we all do things that other people consider abnormal.

Aramynta · 28/06/2015 09:00

Swedish, not sedish..... Hmm

Artandco · 28/06/2015 09:01

Ship - that's what ours do and they are older (4 and 5). I don't see the problem tbh

expatinscotland · 28/06/2015 09:13

No.

TRexingInAsda · 28/06/2015 09:17

I'm naked reasonably often - I bath with the kids, I sleep naked, and when they wake up I'll often get them breakfast before getting dressed. Never thought about it being odd. I hope they will be body confident and not embarrassed by nakedness.

ender · 28/06/2015 09:20

My mother used to walk round in her pants sometimes, when it was hot. I remember feeling uncomfortable about it when I was about 6 or 7 and wishing she wouldn't.

Librarina · 28/06/2015 09:33

Can I ask, what is a normal age to become less nudey in front of your children. DD is 2 and likes to bath with me or her Dad, she is potty training arm so often watches me week and less often her Dad. In the morning she often is sitting on our bed while we get dressed. When does it become wierd and not ok? When do I need to start shutting the door?

My parents were pretty nudey when I was little but I don't remember it as I got bigger. Definitely never saw my Dad naked after I was about 8 or 9, see my Mum from time to time as we go on holiday together.

ememem84 · 28/06/2015 09:36

Parents were never naked at home as far as I remember. I find it quite freeing and sometimes prance about naked if I'm at home.

SpecificOcean · 28/06/2015 09:43

My dmum often went bra less and quite often topless. They took us to plays at the theatre were people stripped off.
I can't ever remember feeling it was weird and didn't bat an eyelid when we saw people topless/nude on holiday.

I've not walked about naked with my DC though I stick to bra and pants.
Obvs when she was little DD has seen me naked in swimming pool changing rooms etc. Not DS though.
But I would quite happily go nude in front of strangers say at a nudist beach and used to go topless pre holidays with DC.

ZenNudist · 28/06/2015 09:46

I was reading this thread thinking of my friends who had nudist parents and how it was just part of life for her but notable for everyone else (we never saw them). I think nudism or bring free and easy with nakedness is an each to his own thing. Contrary to my username, not my thing, too chilly, and ew!

GaryBaldy · 28/06/2015 09:48

No both parents always dressed.

I've never hidden from the DC so if they came in when I was dressing then so be it. However I've always given them privacy by knocking before going in their rooms so they do the same to me.

DS nearly 17 would be horrified to see me in the buff.

CainInThePunting · 28/06/2015 09:50

It was quite the norm in our household to see someone naked, it wasn't that we pointedly wandered around naked but more a case of doors not being closed when getting dressed, wandering between bedroom and bathroom naked. It just wasn't a big deal.
I'm the same now with DS, I had a BF once tell me it was wrong and damaging of me to allow DS to see me naked but I don't agree.
He is comfortable with his body, he understands there is a line between nakedness in the privacy of our home and flashing in public but he feels no shame about his body and I think that is healthy.

PlummyBrummy · 28/06/2015 09:53

Crystalhaze - I'm also very glad indeed that I'm not the only one who has parents with wildly selective memories...

pitterpattar · 28/06/2015 09:57

Completely a side issue, but how can you go braless with a 9 week old?

If I did that there would be milk everywhere!

Alibabsandthe40Musketeers · 28/06/2015 09:59

I would see my parents naked when they were getting dressed, getting out of the shower or whatever - it was never hidden but they didn't stride about the place starkers either.

DH and I often sleep naked, the DSs still come in the shower with us, they see us getting dressed. They are 4 and 6.

If they start to become uncomfortable with it then we would cover up more, lock the bathroom door etc - but I think it is good for them to see normal bodies.

Specific I'm curious why you have made a distinction between your son and daughter - has he really never seen you naked even when he was small?

ender · 28/06/2015 10:02

Can you be sure your children aren't bothered by parental nakedness? As a 6 yr old I didn't like my mother wandering about in her pants but I don't think she knew and I never said anything to her about it.

Alibabsandthe40Musketeers · 28/06/2015 10:04

Absolutely ender They will both happily climb in bed with us, come into the bathroom for a chat while one of us is in the shower etc.

Thurlow · 28/06/2015 10:04

Nudity wasn't hidden, no, and if I wandered in to have a chat with mum while she was getting dressed or in the bath then we'd just carry on.

Pretty much the same now - 3.5yo still bathes and showers with us, is in the room when getting dressed. And it'll carry on like that until the day she sprints from the room and makes it clear she's uncomfortable.

OP, I don't actually think there's anything that weird. Not what most people do, but if it was just that she didn't like wearing clothes in the house... nothing too bad.

peggyundercrackers · 28/06/2015 10:29

Yes my DM did, still does even now. I don't particularly like seeing her neck kid but it doesn't really bother me. Our dd sees us naked all the time, in bed, wandering about, in the shower, getting the toilet etc. we don't bother and just treat it as normal - she doesn't bother either. We think she's a bit of an exhibitionist as she's always taking her trousers and pants off and running about with nothing on her bottom half, she is only coming up for three so think she will grow out of it.

SpamAnderson · 28/06/2015 10:34

I came in to go, 'oh I do that', but then read and no I am not always naked. But we do seem to like being nude in our house, my girls included, although the eldest (nearly 8) is getting boobs now so is a bit more conscious than she used to be. My mum never hid being nude from me, I'd walk in and have a natter when she was in the bath or we'd chat while she was getting dressed etc, it was never weird and I still don't really think it's weird. DH does cover himself up around the kids obviously, he prefers to be in pj bottoms or will wander around in the morning with just his boxers on while he's getting ready for work etc.
I sleep in the nude, don't shut the door when we shower etc so the girls often wander in. I'm 29 weeks pregnant so at the moment the girls find it quite interesting to see mummy with her belly out etc. I have been wondering about what to do when my son is here though, do I need to cover up once he's toddling about, or a bit older?! I'm an only child and only have DDs now so no clue what is 'normal' with a child of the opposite sex! Or if it should be any different at all :/

whois · 28/06/2015 10:50

Nope.

There wasn't much modesty (eg dad would walk naked from bedroom to shower) but no one hung out naked!

whois · 28/06/2015 10:50

Like with poster above me, mum never hid being naked from me which I think has helped me be quite comfortable being naked and in communal changing rooms etc