When I was growing up, my mom walked around naked all the time. So much so, that when I started bringing my now-husband home, I was worried that I needed to explicitly instruct her to put pajamas on before entering the kitchen in the morning during our visits. Then I reminded myself that she is a successful professional person with many long-lasting friendships. She has an overall history of good judgement.
She has not embarrassed me yet. (I mean, with her nudity.)
I appreciate that my mom — and my dad and my stepmom (who is truly a third parent to me) — all naked-types, wanted me to grow up with a healthy attitude about my body. I want the same for my children and do not wish to introduce the idea of self-consciousness to them before they come upon it naturally. My opposite sex kids bathe together, and play together naked if they get distracted while changing clothes.
I do have to remind them to not touch each other’s private parts. They are curious and find it funny, but it is the rare occasion that it comes up. Usually they are busy with toys or projects and don’t notice the bare skin of their sibling.
I am keeping my eyes peeled for signs of my six and a half year old needing privacy, because I assumed it would be right around the corner, but last weekend while sharing a vacation house with a group of families, I noted that the other six and a half year old boy also wandered around unclothed amongst a mixed group of adults and children. So I guess my answer is not yet.
I participated in a Momversation video on this topic and requested other panelists who have a boy and a girl so I could ask them what they think. Rebecca Woolf has a boy and a girl who are each half a year younger than mine and Jessica Gottlieb‘s kids are few years older. Watch the video and let me know what you think.
Interesting discussion. I think that letting the kid’s be the guide on this one is probably a good way to go within the family. All three of my children bathe together (boys 5 and 3 and girl 1) and it’s not been a big deal.
The boys have definitely noticed that my daughter does not have a penis, but this has been a topic of discussion for them with me for a while. Just going to Target with me would spur on a conversation about where I pee, why I don’t have a vagina, what other holes do I have, where does a baby come out, etc?
I try to be honest and upfront about all those things and point out the differences as just the way we are. I think so far it’s working and they really are pretty ambivalent to the whole nudity thing.
Keeping it factual and calm I think is key and important for a healthy body image in the long run.
The baby, Stella does try to grab her brother’s penis’ in the bathtub since they sort of float, which I do discourage and causes a lot of bathtime laughter from the boys. I’m sure they’ll think it’s hilarious when I tell their future girlfriends about it too.
We don’t make a big deal over nudity in my house. My kids are still young. There is no need to make them self conscious at this age.
However, we are trying to start emphasize modesty when the clothes are on. Does that make sense?
We have separated my now 5 yr old stepson & 7 yr old stepdaughter for 2 years. When the boy started trying to feel up on other girls, that was over with. No more bathing together or dressing in the same room. He learned things from his older cousin who is the same age as his sister that he shouldn’t have learned & as innocent as it may be on his end, if he remembers experimenting & whatnot, later on in life, he my be horribly embarrassed over it.
we need to separate… as our 4 & 5 yr old are now daring eachother to touch their pee-pees…. So we are separating… telling them to stop doesn’t work.
We’re a naked family in a naked house.
I have only girls and thus we are an open to be naked with same gender household. However with my husband he keeps himself covered and thus our daughters have learned that you can only be naked around the same sex. This has helped a lot since our oldest is in kindergarten and it is natural for her to keep everything covered around the boys. I would actually be upset if another mother let her child become so comfortable with being exposed that when i sent my daughter over to play a boy in the house might be seen nude by my daughter when i have tried to teach her simply that our bodies aren’t something for others to sit and look at. Kindergarten seems to be the age where curiosity takes over and though they are simply that curious not ill intentioned at all i think they should learn to be respectful of their bodies and not let the opposite sex be comfortable looking at them in any regard. Hope that makes sense.
Personally, I did not seperate my opposite gender kids until my boy was 10 and my little girl was 9. They played with each others private parts but I really don’t care.