kids seeing you naked

aniellasmom08

Hello all,

My daughter just turned 2 and right now shes always in the bathroom with us weather its for a shower or going to the bathroom. We are 1st time parents and I grew up with very conservative household and my husband didn't.  When does it become inapproriate for your kids to see you naked?  I may be over thinking this....

EastCoastBride

I wouldn't worry about it at 2.  My DS is almost 2 and he sees us naked and actually watches me pee.  I don't mind because I'm using it to teach him about the concept of using a potty, etc. 

May be TMI, but he will actually go and get you some toilet paper and then will flush.  He does it too early- but it cracks me up that he's bascially my bathroom valet.

BunMom90

EastCoastBride:

May be TMI, but he will actually go and get you some toilet paper and then will flush.  He does it too early- but it cracks me up that he's bascially my bathroom valet.

Oh, ECB, I'm giggling at the image of your little man standing beside you with a  towel draped over his forearm, "All done, Momma?" Hee.

OP, I'm a prudish nudist but I also didn't want my kids to be ashamed about their bodies. I didn't mind them in the bathroom when they were under age 5. Like ECB noted, observation is a great way to teach them about potty and about bodies in general.  I never walked around nude, per se, but they would see me briefly toweling off after a shower or my H using the toilet.

magsugar13

I don't think there is anything wrong with all. It is nothing to be embarassed about.

aniellasmom08

Yes she definetly learned how to use the potty by watching us, and would clap when we started to pee (which is so funny).  Now any time someone leaves the room to use the restroom she yells "Poop!" Weather you are at home, the mall, a restaurant:)

scherza

Using a toilet to urinate/defecate is NOT a natural thing to do.  Children can't learn it unless they see it modeled for them!

As long as you'ren not being exhibitionists about it, I don't think there's some huge deal about a toddler seeing parental nudity.  There's a much larger danger, IMHO, of an unsupervised toddler getting into trouble while the parents are in the bathroom with the door closed than there is a danger of a child being somehow permanently scarred by seeing his/her parents drying off after a shower or using the toilet.

karatechrissy

I still sit outside the bathroom and have conversations with my mom while she pee's. We grew up with just us girls in the house, though. We were always naked. haha. I used to come home and strip at the door because I hate clothes... I've seen my mom and sister naked more times in my life time than I can count. I don't intend on ever making DD aware of 'oh don't look at me I'm naked'. I think with cross gendered children there is an age, but I'm not sure what that would be. I have a step son, so it's inappropriate for him to see me without clothes period. ha! If I had a son, I'd say if he started asking questions that would be when it would stop.

KateLouise

I grew up in a household that was very conservative about many things but completely relaxed about nudity.

My parents would walk naked from the shower to their bedroom, and swim naked in our pool. 

They are 72. I still see them naked on occasion.

I don't think it's about age but about context. Of course you're naked in the shower, and if it's easiest or most convenient for your LO to be in the bathroom with you then they will see you, and i think that's completely ok.

I think as long as you teach kids about modesty in public, when people visit, the courtesy of knocking on a bathroom door etc etc then they will develop their own sense of, "I don't want to see Mum naked" in their own time. 

Manda+Chase

My sister and I took showers with both parents. We stopped taking showers with my dad, according to my parents, when we started to ask questions and notice different body parts. However, I remember taking showers with my mom until I was probably 8 or so. I also saw her naked plenty of times. I'm 24 now, and if she were still alive, I'm sure there would still be times I'd see her naked. I don't think there's anything wrong with your children seeing you naked. It's your body, it's natural, and it sets a healthy precedent for body image,

Myna

Manda+Chase:

My sister and I took showers with both parents. We stopped taking showers with my dad, according to my parents, when we started to ask questions and notice different body parts.

This was how I was raised and how I raised DD. We did a lot of camping and 'the women of the house' would still go to showers together at the campground. It wasn't a big deal even in our teens. Even today if I were taking a shower at parents house I would not have a problem if my mom needed to come into the bathroom for something.

amaretto*sour

This might be due to a German upbringing, but I remember when I was growing up, I would sit in the bathroom with my mom while she took a bath all the time. All of us girls did.

We didn't think it was strange and some of the best talks we ever had one on one occurred then. 

lilmadison

We used to shower with our mom and dad, separately of course, when we were little. My mom said I stopped showering with my dad when I started asking questions about parts too. My sister and I still see my mom naked. My parents have a big bathroom attached to their room with no door, and we sit on her bed and have girl time chats while she's in the bath. We'll also share fitting rooms when we go shopping. However, I haven't seen my father naked in many many years. 

mmb248

I was raised in a super conservative household, but my mom frequently walked around the house in the nude.  I mean, she didn't strip down just to hang out, but if she would walk around the house nude while she got dressed (even ironing nude occasionally).  Even now, if I'm at her house while she's getting dressed, we'll hang out in the bathroom talking while we do our make-up and she's generally not dressed!  Her reasoning was that obviously, my dad was used to her body and my sister and I came out of it, so no need to get modest now!

However, I am a prude and I am ALWAYS dressed.

I should note that my dad was NEVER nude.  I never saw him wearing less than a full bathrobe or shorts and t-shirt.  I think that would have freaked me out.

susiederkins

BunMom90:

EastCoastBride:

May be TMI, but he will actually go and get you some toilet paper and then will flush.  He does it too early- but it cracks me up that he's bascially my bathroom valet.

Oh, ECB, I'm giggling at the image of your little man standing beside you with a  towel draped over his forearm, "All done, Momma?" Hee.

OP, I'm a prudish nudist but I also didn't want my kids to be ashamed about

LMAO. Kiddo does exactly this. He's like velcro when we get home from daycare. He'll come in to the bathroom with me. Once he hears I'm done peeing he says "Mama done!" and gets me some TP.

EastCoastBride

susiederkins:

BunMom90:

EastCoastBride:

May be TMI, but he will actually go and get you some toilet paper and then will flush.  He does it too early- but it cracks me up that he's bascially my bathroom valet.

Oh, ECB, I'm giggling at the image of your little man standing beside you with a  towel draped over his forearm, "All done, Momma?" Hee.

OP, I'm a prudish nudist but I also didn't want my kids to be ashamed about

LMAO. Kiddo does exactly this. He's like velcro when we get home from daycare. He'll come in to the bathroom with me. Once he hears I'm done peeing he says "Mama done!" and gets me some TP.

To add to it, he does it to my mother too.  She can't say "I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back" or he's running right behind her.  It cracks me up.  She doesn't care- she lets him come w/ her.  But it's just too funny. 

The benefit, though, is that when I'm downstairs w/ him and really need to go, and he's playing, I can say "Mommy needs to go pee pee.  Can you come up w/ me?" and he jumps up and leads the way.

 

grrlygirl

EastCoastBride:

susiederkins:

BunMom90:

EastCoastBride:

May be TMI, but he will actually go and get you some toilet paper and then will flush.  He does it too early- but it cracks me up that he's bascially my bathroom valet.

Oh, ECB, I'm giggling at the image of your little man standing beside you with a  towel draped over his forearm, "All done, Momma?" Hee.

OP, I'm a prudish nudist but I also didn't want my kids to be ashamed about

LMAO. Kiddo does exactly this. He's like velcro when we get home from daycare. He'll come in to the bathroom with me. Once he hears I'm done peeing he says "Mama done!" and gets me some TP.

To add to it, he does it to my mother too.  She can't say "I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back" or he's running right behind her.  It cracks me up.  She doesn't care- she lets him come w/ her.  But it's just too funny. 

The benefit, though, is that when I'm downstairs w/ him and really need to go, and he's playing, I can say "Mommy needs to go pee pee.  Can you come up w/ me?" and he jumps up and leads the way.

 

DD does too.  She also needs to say 'bye-bye wawa' when we flush.

 

MarynJoe

N has seen me and a few other adults naked when changing clothes, bathing, etc.  We don't make a big deal out of it.  We once had a discussion about how some boobies are big, some small, and how they all look different.  I think that was great for her to know that we all don't have to look alike.  Or some weird idealized version of perfect.

LMandCJ

It is a personal choice and everyone has different comfort levels so do what feel is best.