Nudity

[nattiecake]

Just watched a documentary about nudism and apparently, one expert feels that small children can be scared of the grown adult body, especially that of men. What do you guys think? How long is nudity in front of your children ok? Is it ever?

Sorry, I wrote that. Forgot to log DP out first!

I think that's bollocks myself. I am happy to be naked around my urchins (but the eldest is only 3). I guess when she gets to six I'll think about it.

I think when my dc, dd15 & ds 11 are no longer comfortable seeing me naked they'll stop following me into the bathroom to chat to me while I'm in the bath, and stay out of my room when I'm getting dressed.

we are still nude around dd(6) and ds(3). They were both in the shower with dh earlier as it was quicker than giving the kids a bath as we were running late with bedtime.

Same here, I imagine that my dd will soon get sick of pointing and laughing at my flab and censor herself. FWIW, my parents never made any attempt to cover up the fact that they were nudey dudey mostly and it didn't do me any harm.

my ds is 7 and we are still naked in font of himand he doesn't seem to mind. He loves being naked and would be all the time if he could!

Personally i never saw my parents naked and still haven't! I think i have more body hang ups than people who grew up with nudity.

My sister and my mum are exactly the same about nudity and when we go away for our girly weekend and allshare a hotel room they have to go to the bathroom to get undressed into thier pj's they even lock the door. I on the other hand often forget to shut the door when i pop to the loo .

Think there are 2 seperae issues here.

1. Is an adult body (esp male) scarey to a small child i.e under 2?

IMO probably for a while... all tha hair and stuff..but then fear is over-taken by curiosity...

2. How long should you be happy to not cover up in front of your kids?

As long as everyone is comfotable? I still chat to my mum sometimes when she is in the bath. Alternatively I know some folk who can never remember seeing their parents in anything oher than full dress... ishoos there I think.

I used to work with someone who had never shared a bathroom with her DH - they had one each . I always wondered what they would be like with children?

FWIW my 2 yo regularly insists on sitting on my knee while I'm on the loo. I do hope I will be able to pee/poo in peace one day....[sigh]

My 3 year old likes to sit at me feet, handing me toilet paper

My 6 year old has started leaving me alone in the shower, at my insistence. NOT because I feel that Nudity Is BAd, but because I don't want Mr Perfectly FormedSix Year Old looking at my flobby bits and asking questions like "Why does your tummy do that, Mum??"

If you have seen the adult male body nude in the form of your loving father since you were born, I am not completely clear how it could be scary. It has no sacry connotations for you and whilst frankly it may look odd, a very small child does not start by associating hairiness with fear.

My dcs are 5 and 6 and we both wander around with no clothes on. They hop in bed with us every morning and find naked parents under the duvet. So far niether of my children seem bothered by this and have certainly never been scared by it (as far as I can tell).

Surely it's good for children to know about different adult bodies, to learn the difference between male and female etc. DD wanders in and pays unthusiastic attention when both DH and I have a shower or go the the toilet, so she knows Daddy has a willy and mummy doesn't etc. Knows that breasts (at the moment) can be used to feed a baby and that mummy had a hurt on her tummy when the baby came out. All of these things make it easier to explain stuff when it comes up, and without having to try and describe things, as they have seen them.

I don't see how it could be harmful in any way. I suppose it stops when someone - either parent or child - feels uncomfortable with it. I imagine the kids will probably want more privay when they get near to puberty, but I suspect that DH will start wearing pants around the place before then.

I am one of three girls, my mum has never stopped being naked around us, my Dad must have stopped at some point, possibly when I ~(the eldest) hit puberty, I don't remember, I still occasionally see him in his undies or running from the toilet to his room in the night with just his hand over his bits. Us girls just started naturally covering up at the start of puberty. I still remember my sister having to be told that maybe my boyfriend didn't want her to be sat with no knickers on and her legs wide apart in front of him when she was about 8 or 9!

I think we will probably be the same with our kids.

I am famed amongst my friends for being super comfortable with my body, I cover up on a day to day basis, but have never been shy about things like going to the loo, getting changed, breastfeeding and so on. I'm also quite proud of the way my body has changed as I have had children and aged, I think because I have worked in care homes, so have seen all sizes and shapes of people.

Not wanting to sound too hippyish, but naked people are always beautiful, what could be more beautiful than the naked human form? (obviously there is an exception if they are doing something ugly, but just stood there is always lovely, maybe not sexy or pretty, but beautiful)

My DD's (9) regularly pop into the bathroom while I am showering with urgent questions that must be answered now - it's not something I bother about. I quite often used to stick them in the bath and then have a shower myself (saves time).

As for them finding the adult male body scary - we live next door to a very free and easy family with 3 young boys. They have a shower in their back garden which is in direct view of our kitchen window (and the girls bedroom window). The father and sons strip off and use this shower every day in the summer and sometimes even in winter (they are a hardy bunch) - my daughters think this is hilarious.

Mean odd/funny as opposed to scary.

DH & I have been asking ourselves when will it be 'inappropriate' for DD1 to jump in the bath with DH. She is almost 9, and has a rapidly changing body shape. She is still happy to bath with DH and DD2, but we are wondering when to stop. Should we just wait until she decides not too?
Seems a real shame to make her aware of herself before she needs to be, but are aware that next summer she won't be able to parade about the beach in just bikini bottoms (she's very tall, blonde and slim )

We are nude around our children, (dd1 is 5, dts are 2) and are all comfortable with it. I suppose we'll do it until they say "urgh, that's gross, get dressed!"

I wouldn't worry about it. I always used to, but there comes a time where they want privacy-I can't remember when-it is just a natural progression.