CNN is running a story on this right now and it surprises me how many people appear to have real hang ups about this. I guess because I grew up in a house where it wasn’t a big deal, mostly because it was hot in the summer with no AC and the bathroom had no fan and one small window, so my parents would shower, etc. with the door open to let the steam out. It’s not like they were nudists or anything and they certainly weren’t sexually progressive, in fact to the best of my recollection sex was never ever mentioned when I was growing up, never a birds and bees talk of any stripe. But I don’t remember ever being made to feel that nudity was somehow bad and you had to cover yourself 24/7.
And now with our kids it’s more or less the same. We don’t go out of our way to make sure they never see us naked, some of this due to the design of our old house, where you have to walk through our room to get to the bathroom. The kids themselves appear to develop their own healthy sense of modesty but don’t worry about something like changing clothes in the same room as us.
I think when they are little its no big deal, but my kids are 19 & 15. Out of respect to my daughter and my son, neither my wife and I need to run around naked.
I think when they are little its no big deal, but my kids are 19 & 15. Out of respect to my daughter and my son, neither my wife and I need to run around naked.
Yeah just to be clear I’m not talking about being a nudist or something and sitting around the house naked, I’m talking about going out of your way to make sure no one in the family ever sees anyone else naked. For example not letting your kids in the room if you’re changing, making sure you cover up if they come into the bathroom to get something while you’re drying off from a shower, etc.
Seems like to me there is a healthy middle ground between being a nudist and being a prude.
It’s not being a prude. I just think bathrooms and bedrooms are “private” areas… you sleep, dress, clean, and shit there and you shouldn’t be disturbed while doing the above.
Of course, my one year old daughter gets very mad when Daddy has use the toilet and closes the door. Normally it’s enough to just come bang on the vanity doors but last week she insisted on sitting on my lap while I was crapping.
We have two little girls, my wife does not make any special arrangements to keep them from seeing her naked. I do my best to keep them from seeing the full monty but shirtless is fine and occasionally in my boxer briefs. They are both young and I don’t want them to become ashamed of their bodies but I just feel a little weird hanging it out at eye level.
We have a friend who is extreme in letting her son and daughter see/touch/who-knows-what her naked body. And the other day she shared this gem of a conversation on facebook:
Son (to his sister): That’s a boy toy, give it to me
Mom: Do you play with it with your penis?
Son: No
Mom: Then it’s not a boy toy
Growing up we didn’t have indoor plumbing other than a pump faucet in the kitchen. Wood stove. That significantly changes your modesty values. Oh, everyone slept in the upstairs. One big room. If you were modest you would not have children. Frickin first world problems.
It’s not being a prude. I just think bathrooms and bedrooms are “private” areas… you sleep, dress, clean, and shit there and you shouldn’t be disturbed while doing the above.
Of course, my one year old daughter gets very mad when Daddy has use the toilet and closes the door. Normally it’s enough to just come bang on the vanity doors but last week she insisted on sitting on my lap while I was crapping.
Well I agree on the not having anyone else in the room when you’re going to the bathroom.
At this point my kids are bigger prudes than I am. But it’s their damned problem if they insist on barging in and talking to me when I’m toweling off in the en-suite or getting dressed in my bedroom. I’m not going to tell them they can’t do that, and if they don’t like what they see that’s their problem.
Naked on a Monday
Naked all year long
Naked is never right
Naked is always wrong
So get the hell away from me
You goddamn Naked Man
Go the fuck away from me
Back to Naked Land
-Butthole Surfers
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The house I grew up in had one bathroom, there were five of us in the family. Frequently when you were in the shower someone else would come in and do their business. This never phased me one bit as it was “normal”.
At this point my kids are bigger prudes than I am. But it’s their damned problem if they insist on barging in and talking to me when I’m toweling off in the en-suite or getting dressed in my bedroom. I’m not going to tell them they can’t do that, and if they don’t like what they see that’s their problem.
Two boys, 8 and (almost, 1 more week) 11.
I have a son 12 and daughter 9 and I think quite naturally they are more modest than we are and I respect that but yeah if I’m going to change and they come in the room they see what they see. I guess it would seem prudish to me to say I need you to stay out of the room while I change clothes.
It’s not being a prude. I just think bathrooms and bedrooms are “private” areas… you sleep, dress, clean, and shit there and you shouldn’t be disturbed while doing the above.
Of course, my one year old daughter gets very mad when Daddy has use the toilet and closes the door. Normally it’s enough to just come bang on the vanity doors but last week she insisted on sitting on my lap while I was crapping.
Hate to break it to you but if you want to potty train her, it helps quite a bit to actually encourage her to see you using the toilet. oh and youre going to have to start sittting to pee like she will.
It’s not being a prude. I just think bathrooms and bedrooms are “private” areas… you sleep, dress, clean, and shit there and you shouldn’t be disturbed while doing the above.
Of course, my one year old daughter gets very mad when Daddy has use the toilet and closes the door. Normally it’s enough to just come bang on the vanity doors but last week she insisted on sitting on my lap while I was crapping.
Hate to break it to you but if you want to potty train her, it helps quite a bit to actually encourage her to see you using the toilet. oh and youre going to have to start sittting to pee like she will.
The house I grew up in had one bathroom, there were five of us in the family. Frequently when you were in the shower someone else would come in and do their business. This never phased me one bit as it was “normal”.
My wife was horrified to learn this.
That was my upbringing and Wife’s reaction too. She’s from a higher, income family and lived in a house with 4 bathrooms (which sort of blew me away the first time I saw it). Now, we have a house with a single bathroom and doesn’t seem to mind it when I’m showering and she needs to take care of her business. On the vice versa, however, she can’t stand that. #DoubleStandards
I grew up in a house with 3 boys and we had 1 bathroom until I was 10 years old. My father would walk from the bedroom to the bathroom in the morning to get ready for work. Always nude. And usually dropping ass. Since it was just the boys and my mom, it made perfect sense.
Fast forward to now. I have two girls. I was fine being nude in front of them (shower/bathroom) until my oldest daughter was about 5 years old. Then all the questions started so I put forth a bit more effort to locking the door when I showered. My wife is naked in front of our girls all the time and my daughters have zero hangups about running around naked in front of me (10 and 7 years old). I think my oldest is going to start catching the modesty bug soon.
I had read that article you posted and pretty much agreed with it. I have no problems with nudity as long as both the viewer and the viewee are comfortable with it.
Also agree with NCTri on this. First world problems.
Bigger issue for me is why my second grader was in tears this morning about her standardized testing today. She is brilliant and will ace it, but she said she was so nervous she couldn’t stop crying. Teachers won’t shut up about how important these tests are. WTF kind of pressure is that for a 7 year old?
