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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be upset that dh told me i shouldn't be naked in front of ds, 3?

90 replies

ruty · 17/08/2008 11:31

I don't parade around naked in front of my son, aged 3. however, if I've just had a shower and ds is around I don't cover myself up or shoo him away. I've been told this morning, as i came out of the shower and said something to dh who was playing with ds, that I shouldn't let ds see me naked, because he 'read it in the newspaper' that it is damaging. He can't actually remember who it was that said it, some bloke wrote that it damaged him seeing his mother naked, apparently. I am extremely upset, especially as he said it in front of ds. My mother was very uptight about nakedness and i didn't want to be like that. When dh's sister came she tried to prevent ds seeing me expressing milk for baby dd, and dh's father [now deceased sadly] jumped up and ran away when i once tried to breastfeed ds beside him on the couch.

Dh is now angry that I got upset with him. I feel he is trying to force me into a way of thinking that his family has, and that ds will have ishoos with my body now. Who is right please?

OP posts:
Spidermama · 17/08/2008 16:31

LOL at emerging fully dressed. Like Mr Ben in the clothes shop.

OneBoyOneGirl · 17/08/2008 16:36

I must admit i don't ever remember seeing my parents undressed at all either, they do the bathroom change too!

TheProvincialLady · 17/08/2008 16:41

If these baby exercises are so important and he is the only one who knew about them, what does say about him that he did not do something about it earlier and take some responsibility himself?

Regarding the nudity, no need to get into a row about it. He needn't be nude in front of your children if he doesn't want to but I don't see that he can stop you doing it if and when appropriate.

TheProvincialLady · 17/08/2008 16:43

(By which I mean, as you get out of the shower etc rather...oh I am too stupid today to get my words out properly)

Xenia the upper class people I know are a lot more repressed in just about every way imaginable, whereas the working class ones are less so. They are just people, they come in different kinds.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 17/08/2008 16:44

When women are pregnant the relaxin hormone loosens their pelvis - never heard of exercises for babies and I'm a m/w.

My dd sees dh naked lots and she's 7. I think they're only too old for parental nudity when they start going "eughhhhhhhh"

thomsc · 17/08/2008 21:19

My family never had any probs being naked around each other, in fact, when someone was in the bath was probably the best time to have a chat as they couldn't really go anywhere (is that too much info?)

Anyway, my parents raised three sons who despite being skinny, short and bald with big noses and huge ears, have absolutely no body hang-ups. Really.

Nakedness was never a taboo at home, and nor should it be. FGS, we aren't Puritans!

elmoandella · 17/08/2008 21:30

ds is 2.5 and dd is 1yo. both see me nakes all time. they wander in and out of bathroom as i get washed and dressed every day. i see them naked, they see me naked.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 17/08/2008 21:35

The only leaflet that they give out re exercises are for the mothers not the baby. Some of those exercises I believe can incorporate playing/lifting baby, but, no actual exercises for the baby his/herself. That's just mental really.

You are absolutely right. SHow your DH this thread.

halogen · 17/08/2008 22:22

My daughter is nearly two and sees me and her dad naked every day when we get dressed for the day. She also often likes to come and see me in the bath or my partner in the shower and displays natural curiosity about our bodies (eg she finds it hilarious that I have hair between my legs). I don't think this can possibly be damaging. I'd have thought it would be much more damaging to be around people who feel that normal things like getting dressed must be hidden. YA so NBU in any way. Much better to accept nakedness as natural and normal rather than feeling that one's body must be hidden from other people and is therefore something to be ashamed of!

pointydog · 17/08/2008 22:27

ONly read op. I don't think this is a case of who is right. This is a common issue that crops up and it is for you and your dh to talk about this and come up with an agreed solution. Even if you don't follow the same course of action, you must agree on what each of you is going to do.

OurHamsterisevil · 17/08/2008 22:39

My 2 DS's will se me naked until they are no longer comfortable with it. That is how it should be IMO

ruty · 17/08/2008 22:57

i do have a feeling there may have been a baby massage leaflet and maybe he thought that was a baby exercise leaflet. Any way I've made it quite clear to him how i feel on both counts, and thanks for encouragement here. Didn't realise how much his upbringing had affected him actually.

OP posts:
StormInanEcup · 18/08/2008 10:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

littleducks · 18/08/2008 10:53

ok have not read entire thread as you have plenty of advice here about nudity issue

as for exercises, i did a baby massage course with dd (pfb you see) which incorporated some 'baby yoga' and there were exercises in there that opened up the pelvis, bringing knees to chest at an angle kind of thing, the theory was more related to helping baby to move freely etc. and not these exercises in particular but the whole lot helped with wind and tiring the baby

i wouldn't say exercising a baby is backward, it probably isnt necessary or essential but it is nice for the baby and did seem to encourage the babies to move, all the babies in the group were crawling early it seemed

but i will admit that ds has not really done much of this as with a two year old i dont have time and he is four and a half months dd could get across the room now by pre crawling wriggling (looked like she was crawling but tummy on floor still) ds stays safely on his baby gym which i must admit is easier!

littleducks · 18/08/2008 10:54

i would suggest that dh gives the postnatal ward a ring to ask if there was a leaflet (i doubt it) and to ask if he could go in and pick up another copy

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