Naked parents....

[Wilkie]

This is gonna sound really odd so please bear with me.

Have a DS who is 5 months old and this morning I walked in to his nursery naked (I sleep naked) and picked him up to bring him through to our bedroom. This Q suddenly struck me!

When do you feel it is inappropriate to wander around naked in front of you children?? My DH and I tend to walk round naked (upstairs between bathroom and bedroom - not generally round the house ).

At what age would you consider 'covering up'?? Or those of you that have older children what was your experience of it.

Sorry if it sounds weird but was just pondering....

[kslatts]

My Dd's (7 and 5)often see me naked and don't seem to mind. Last week dd2 said "when I grow up will my tummy wobble like yours does?"

Both dds feel comfortable walking round the house naked, they don't yet feel the need to cover up after bath, etc.

DH walks around in just his boxer shorts, dd's don't tend to see him naked as he has a shower in the evening when they are in bed, but I don't think dh or dd's would feel embarressed if they did.

I remember seeing my parents naked when I was growing up, my mum has always got undressed in front of me and still would now at a swimming pool without feeling uncomfortable, I can't remeber what age I was when my dad started to cover up in front of me.

[ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands]

I don't 'walk around naked' in front of the kids but I don't rush to cover up when they barge in when I am dressing/undressing (as they frequently do! ). DS1 (nearly 15) is always barging in when I am in the bath, either to use to bathroom, or talk to me. I do sit discreetly although don't really bother about him seeing my boobs.. and he doesn't really bother about seeing them, although when he has barged into the bathroom without knowing I am in the bath and been unprepared for seeing me sitting in it he has dramatically covered his eyes and gone "Ohhhhh noooooooo!" (jokingly!) as if the sight of a naked mother is the worst ever!

We have to cover up in front of DS2 (6) who has various SNs as he just grabs, points and comments at body parts/sights that he does not see routinely. He has no idea or concern over what is appropriate and what is not.. his mind doesn't work that way!

[LoveAngel]

I read somewhere (I think it was one of those 'What to expect...' books) that it starts to become inappropriate for the opposite sex parent to be naked around that child at about the age of 5? I don't know how true that is. I never remember my dad being naked around the house, but my mum still wanders around naked infront of me now and I'm 30! My 2 yr old son is very interested in our bodies- 'ooh, boobies!, willy!' etc - and I don't see anything wrong with that natural curiosity. We both take baths with him and he sees us naked when we are getting up in the morning, but that's about it - we don't generally wander around naked a lot.

[Sixer]

DS's 5 & 3, we still wander around upstairs naked. The only problem i have found, is at 5am when I have to go into DC room, to tell them it's tooooo early and go back to sleep. I normally have to open the door, then hit the floor double quick. The DC have already opened the cutains!

[filthymindedvixen]

my 2 boys are 6.5 and 9.5 and I am a naked sleeper/potterer Agree with Sophable, I will stop when they show signs of embarrassment. I have had a minor 'breakthrough' as younger ds has decidedthat he wants privacy while on the loo! (Yay! Means I now get privacy on the loo after @ 9 years of a running commentary..)

[bozza]

We are still doing it with a 6yo DS and a 3yo DD. Neither of them seem to have any inhibitions whatsoever. I am slightly surprised that DS is still this way. eg insisted on getting undressed to nothing and into his pjs in front of BIL's family plus BIL's brother's girlfriend who none of us had ever met.

[3catstoo]

My 3 see me naked everyday. They are 7, 6 and 3.
Not sure when DS (7) will get funny with it.
I can't go to the toilet without at least one of them standing there chatting to me .

I think it gives them a good indication that you are comfortable with your body.

My 'grey' area is when DD1 (6) stands in front of the window or comes into the front garden with nothing on (no pants).
I do wonder whether this is acceptable in the current climate, iyswim. I'm happy to have naked children in the house but not in front of strangers.

DH is a bit more prudish than me but I think that is because the girls (6 and 3) find his hairy dangly bits very interesting .

[3catstoo]

I must add that I still see my Mum naked and she's 58 and I'm 32. But it's different if you are both female, I guess.
My Dad died when I was very young so I didn't get to experience the naked father bit. My step dad always keeps his pants on though. I was a teenager when he moved in and he had never had (still hasn't, other than looking after me) children.

[PinkTulips]

my dad still wanders about the house naked when i'm there and i'm 23 and my mom will call me to come into he room and chat to her and start changing her clothes while i'm in there.

no reason at all to cover up imo, unless the kid asks you to obviously!

[WigWamBam]

There's nothing wrong with bodies, and there's nothing wrong with nudity. How can I expect my dd to have a healthy attitude towards her own body if I'm prudish about mine?

Dd is just 6 and sees both dh and I naked - when she becomes uncomfortable with it then we will stop. But until then, I can't see what the big deal is ... they're just bodies.

It's secrecy around nudity that children need to be taught to be wary of, not openness.

[3catstoo]

Well said WigWam

[SueBaroo]

We don't wander about starkers now. Eldest is 5. I don't mind so much with the same sex parent, but we're happier with idea of 'private'. Not naughty or shameful, just special and private.

[YeahBut]

I think we take our cues from the dc. They're not embarassed by either our nudity or their own yet (aged 7.5, 5.5, and 1). TBH, we don't lock bathroom doors and we don't shower with clothes on so they are going to see us naked in those situations if they wander in. It's as big a deal as you make it.

[tibsy]

we have a bit of a division in our household as dps parents kept themselves covered up when he was growing up, so he does the same, although he will walk around in his shorts. i'm turning him
my parents left the bathroom door open whilst they were in there, so its something that i do too. i'm not bothered about ds (12) seeing me naked, although he chooses to avert his eyes when he comes into the bathroom if i'm having a shower.
he also likes his privacy when he showers/gets changed, so i respect that and knock the door rather than burst in.

[MamaMaiasaura]

I amnot worried about covering up infront of ds7, dp (not ds's dad) has always covered up.

Ds told me the other day my boobies look like a bottom .. he doesnt seem fazed/embarrassed.

[Lizzylou]

DH and I are both naked in front of DS's (1 and 3) often...I have been asked when I will "grow" a willy and also if DS1 could touch my "squidgy boobies"...he them commented how he wanted some when he grew up.
I think it is a healthy thing, and, as the only female in our house, I think it is good that the boys see me in a natural and umembarrassed way.

[tibsy]

lizzylou, i lol at your 'squidgey boobies', made me remember something ds said to me when he was little. sat looking at my boobs, think i had a vest top on or something like, anyway, he poked at them with his finger and said 'whats your great, big, wobbly, boobies doing?'... kids, dont you just love em?!!!!

[ChipButty]

Have always wandered around naked at home when getting ready in a morning and it feels totally natural, although both my parents were pretty prudish when we were growing up. Think it's good for children to not be embarrassed about their bodies. Will stop from my children's cue when they are older.

[laughalot]

at you wilks

[SueBaroo]

my three year old rather enjoys wobbling my bottom She'd live naked if she could, tbh. Her eldest sister has just started wanting to have baths in privacy, and I'm very cool with that.

Like I say, I think there's a difference between feeling ashamed and learning to appreciate privacy.

[Wotz]

When they notice that you are naked and have 'bits' and run away from you in fright or embarisment.

[Lizzylou]

LOL Tibsy, my "squdgy boobies" are a direct result of feeding two hungry boys...I think I will keep mentioning that when they are older!

[SueBaroo]

Well, that's not happened yet. But there has been a couple of moments when we've been accidently walked in on naked in the morning, and dd1 has apologized and come back in a few minutes.

Mind you, it wouldn't seem wierd to me if she ran away in fright after seeing daddy's willy. I don't see it much myself, it might be quite a shock.

[Wotz]

SueBaroo - lol

[PetitFilou1]

Both me and dh sleep naked and wander round naked from bathroom to bedroom in the mornings. I have no intention of covering up until they ask me to (and neither does dh) My mum wandered around naked even when we were in our teens, my dad started wearing a dressing gown at some point (I am one of three girls). When I first saw a willy I got a massive shock as I have no recollection of ever seeing his. I don't particularly want dd to get the fright I did so will only get dh to cover up when she starts to be embarrassed. Both ds and dd are hilarious at bathtime, their clothes come off and they shout 'NAKED!' and run around madly after each other. But then they are only 3 and nearly 2 at the moment...!