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Original poster

Do you let your children see you naked???

78 replies

TheQueenOfQuotes · 06/09/2007 13:09

Is so is it both parents they see naked, and up to what age, if not why not??? Does it make a difference if it's DS's/DD's etc?

(just had a discussion with DH about it and wondered what other people's views were).

OP posts:
tegan · 06/09/2007 13:53

both dh and i are very happy to walk around naked in front of dd2 (3) but dh doesn't infront of dd1 (9) anymore abviously because of her age.

littleducks · 06/09/2007 13:57

not really, dd has occassionally seen me naked but never seen dh naked, she is under two

we werent naked much before she came along though so its not a big change

paulaplumpbottom · 06/09/2007 13:58

My dd sees me naked and doesn't think much of it. We have a bath together every night. My husband has stopped being nude around her though, she is 4 and I think he feels weird about it now.

pagwatch · 06/09/2007 14:00

Yep - they frequently walk in on bath stuff or getting dressed and DC3 (5) still likes to come and snuggle in bed 1st thing.
Biggest one is now showing much increased signs of needing privacy ( age 14) so we respect that and reciprocate and try to be much more covered upwhen he is around. I also have to protect my self esteem as last time he walked in as I was emerging from shower he shouted " dear god - my eyes my eyes !" and ran out

SixKindsofCrisis · 06/09/2007 14:03

at pagwatch. Glad you mention your older boy as I was beginning to feel anxious that no-one else had mentioned a child as old as my 12yo ds. My feeling is that when he starts to hide himself modestly, I will hide myself too.

WigWamBam · 06/09/2007 14:10

There's nothing wrong with bodies, and there's nothing wrong with nudity. How can dh and I expect our dd to have a healthy attitude towards her own body if we are prudish about ours? If we hide them away or make her feel that she shouldn't see us, we're giving her the idea that there's something dirty or secretive about bodies - and there's not.

Dd is 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.

MrsScavo · 06/09/2007 14:14

LOL pagwatch!

sillysausages · 06/09/2007 14:14

my ds is nearly 12 DH & I still both walk aroud naked - i will stop when he starts saying yuk or your embarassing me which i am sure will happen very soon

SixKindsofCrisis · 06/09/2007 14:17

My 12yo is always saying 'You're embarrassing me' when I am fully clothed. Time to buy a very large paper bag to stand in.

maisemor · 06/09/2007 14:20

Yes they see us both naked.

TheQueenOfQuotes, you could tell your husband that it is good for your children to see you naked so that when their bodies start to change they know that it is normal and not something to be ashamed off.

I am not saying that they should have no inhibitions whatsoever, but they should be brought up knowing that (basically) we all look the same.

Hope this makes sense, at work and trying to do too many things at the same time .

TigerFeet · 06/09/2007 14:20

Funny really, I have massive hangups about my body but I'm really not bothered about dd seing me naked. DH is a bit more cautious but he is fairly reserved anyway. DD has recently turned into a naturist, as soon as she gets in through the door of an evening all her clothes come off but she is only 3 so will probably grow out of that at some point.

Like others have said, I will carry on bathing with her and being unconcerned about her seeing me naked until she decides she doesn't like it.

I do wish she wouldn't grab bits of me and wobble them and laugh though

Fauve · 06/09/2007 14:22

But I have a pre-teen dd and a teen ds and I don't see why any of us should stop walking around naked when it's just us. We do cover up when we have guests At least I get to know how their puberty is progressing.
Is there any reason why we shouldn't?

(Hi WWB [waving]. Back online...)

uptomyeyes · 06/09/2007 14:24

Our 3 sons see us naked all the time - more in a can't be bothered to cover up way, than its a natural thing to do . DS1 is 10 and to be honest as he cavorted naked on the landing this mornig I did sort of think I'll be glad when they are all grown up and I won't have to see any more boys willies about the house! There are absolutely no signs of him becoming more self conscious about nudity.

My biggest problem at the moment is that I have builders doing our loft and half the bathroom ceiling is missing - so the kids seeing me naked is the least of my problems!

jo25 · 06/09/2007 14:24

Our ds sees both of us naked and he is often naked himself! We also believe in open doors, which means usually if one of us is on the loo ds comes and has a chat with us or whatever, sometimes we are all in the bathroom together! no problems apart from when to go to other peoples houses and ds is yelling because he wants to be in the loo having his normal chat!!!! he is 4.11 btw. and finds the human body fascinating.

Nbg · 06/09/2007 14:24

Interesting to read this.

I was becoming a bit concerned about it. Both dh and I have always slept naked and walked in the house naked.
Dh tends to have the odd bath with dd (4)which she loves but the other night she asked dh if she could touch his bum (meaning his penis).
I think he was a bit shocked at first but just said no we dont touch peoples bits.

I know its just curiosity but I wondered if this was the cue for stopping the nakedness.
After reading this though it seems its not a huge deal and people are doing it with much older children.

PregnantGrrrl · 06/09/2007 14:26

i think kids will soon let you know if / when it makes them uncomfortable. my DS is only 14mths, so it's not really an issue. he laughs at my boobs (there's nothing wrong with them BTW!) and he made a grab for DH's penis the other day...i think he wondered what it was and why it was there! I've got another boy on the way, so i'd imagine my nudity will stop before DH's...maybe if i had girls it wouldn't matter at all.

pyjamagirl · 06/09/2007 14:32

think the whole streets seem me naked since the hallway blind fell down

I didn't used to mind been naked round the dc until two years ago when my ds thought he was paying me a huge compliment by telling me a looked like the gorilla we had watched on tv the night before I was 9 montyhs pregnant at the time nice one son

pyjamagirl · 06/09/2007 14:33

think the whole streets seem me naked since the hallway blind fell down

I didn't used to mind been naked round the dc until two years ago when my ds thought he was paying me a huge compliment by telling me a looked like the gorilla we had watched on tv the night before I was 9 montyhs pregnant at the time nice one son

nooka · 06/09/2007 14:33

I don't worry about this. The children see me in whatever state I'm in really (and vice versa) they are 8 and nearly 7. My mother still likes to talk to us when she is in her bath, and my big sister is in her 40's, so I think there is a way to go for me yet! dh is less naked than he used to be as his flat is very public, and I'm not sure he wants all the world to see him in his glory. But I've not noticed him covering himself up "for the kids". I think you have to go with your children's reactions (and your own preferences too), and cover up if it doesn't feel right, but not worry if it does.

hellish · 06/09/2007 14:34

My dds (7 and 5) see me naked all the time as they will never leave me alone when I'm in the bathroom.
They are very interested in my "bits" and often make comments like "your bottom is very big isn't it?" to which I reply "yes it's comfy for sitting on" and "why is your tummy all wrinkly" etc.

I really want to show them that I am comfortable with my body and not preoccupied with body image, so I smile and tell them " yes, I like my big legs becuase they help me walk faster"

I think that ALL women will eventually have bits of their body that they would like to change, but I don't want my daughters to start thinking about it yet.

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 06/09/2007 14:35

my dd and ds (hes only 10mo and doesnt really ocunt) see both me and dh naked, mostly getting dressed in the morning as we tend to shower once their asleep but its likely that as they get a bit older and i can shower during the day without them toturing the cat or combining their efforts to open the stairgates they will see more of me naked. this will only stop when they express embarrassment/disgust to my nakedness!

Hulababy · 06/09/2007 14:39

DD is 5 and she sees both me and Dh naked. I guess it will continue to happen until she begins to show an embarrasment or dislike of it.

Ripeberry · 06/09/2007 14:42

Gets a bit embarassing in the swimming pool changing rooms as when i've got my two DDs with me (aged 5 and 2) they pippe up and say
"Look Mummy's Booby milks!" and "Why is your bottom hairy Mummy?".
Embarassing but also quite funny i suppose.
AB

jo25 · 06/09/2007 14:49

I know how that feels rb, apart from my ds calls my boobs "bellies" he always has and i never correct him because he is always talking about thme and if we are out in public people just think we are discussing Bellies. lol, it is quite handy! shame he has learn't the phrase HAiry triangle! thats so easy to understand!!!!

meowmix · 06/09/2007 14:57

oh yes. In fact DS will discuss my physical failings with pretty much any passing security guard/delivery man/random stranger

"My Mummy doesn't have a willy-tackle and she has a big scar on her tummy. She can't pee standing up either" [shakes head sadly]

DH is apparently a specimen of perfection

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