This week’s Friday Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Susie Newday. She asked our writers,
“Until what age do you feel comfortable undressing in front of your children? Does it make a difference whether it is a boy or girl?”
Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…
Karyn Van Der Zwet of New Zealand writes:
“We have a nine year-old son, and I am still happy to be naked in front of him. I figure that there are so many false images of women around, the more he and his younger brothers see of a ‘real’ saggy, aging, ex-pregnant body the better!
That being said: if they start getting creepy in the way they look at me, it’ll change.”
Multitasking Mumma of Ontario, Canada writes:
“My daughter is only 16 months so at this point I’m not really thinking about this… also, being her mom I don’t really see a problem with it. However, her dad is another issue. Maybe when she’s more aware??”
Salma of Ontario, Canada writes:
“My son is an infant and I feel comfortable. I think I have to play it by ear with him because he is the only boy. However, I figure, after I stop nursing it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to see me naked.
Generally, I don’t undress in front of my girls (12 & 13) anymore, but, I am not totally against it. If we are sharing a room (a hotel for example), I would change in the washroom. I think they would be more embarrassed than anything else, so I try not to embarrass them.”
FireCrystals of India writes:
“My son is nearly 18 months now, and even though I don’t mind undressing in front of him for now, that is probably going to stop once he turns 2….or when he seems more aware.”
ThirdEyeMom of Minnesota, USA writes:
“I have both a boy and girl and honestly I felt more of a need to be private with my son, and at a pretty young age. I think for sure by age 2 I was more cautious.
For my daughter, she is four and a half and I just want my privacy. I don’t think there is anything wrong with her coming into the room when I’m in the shower, it is just a personal choice. What has become more difficult recently has been stopping the shared bath between my daughter and son. They are 4.5 and 6.5 and it just doesn’t work anymore…sniff sniff.”
MamaRobinJ of British Columbia, Canada writes:
“Am I a freak? My son is 3 and I don’t mind if he sees me naked. I was just thinking about this the other day, though. I’m sure there will come a point where I’m not comfortable with it, I just don’t know when that will be.”
Tara B. of Washington State, USA writes:
“I have 2 sons, 5 years old and 17 months old. I try to be more private these days with my older son, but the reality is that I can’t always do that. That is especially true when we go to the pool and change in the locker room, use a public restroom, or stay away from home all together in one sleeping area. It’s inevitable they see me or others in various states of undress. But we do discuss keeping “private” parts private, and I talk with my older son about appropriate bathroom/locker room behavior. He can ask me anything about the human body at home, but he knows he needs to respect others and keep his “eyes to himself” in these public situations.”
Kyla P’an of Massachusetts, USA writes:
“My kids are 5 (girl) and 2.5 (boy) and we all seem to be happiest when we’re naked. It doesn’t feel weird to us at all (not unless my kids push on my squishy bits or comment about something jiggly (like my bottom) that is). I LOVE nudie kids and hope they’ll never feel ashamed or shy around us. Judging by their current dispositions, I think we still have a few years to go!”
Jenna Farelyn of North Carolina, USA writes:
“My daughters are 11, 8, and 5. I am comfortable with them seeing me in various forms of undress. Right now because of my oldest two being in differing stages of puberty, there’s quite a bit of discussion about similarities and differences in our bodies.
My son is 3. I am still ok with him seeing me in various forms of undress, but he is also old enough to stand to wait outside the door while I dry off from a shower or change clothing. Those instances where he is with me in the room don’t happen often.”
Maman Aya of New York, USA writes:
“My son is 4 1/2 and my daughter is 14 months old, and my husband and I have no problem being naked, or various forms of undress in front of either one of them. The fact that we have glass shower doors, means that if I am in the shower, and my son comes into the bathroom, he sees me anyway. I am also still nursing, so he sees my breasts all the time while I nurse. So I suppose, until I am done nursing there is no point in trying to hide it. :)”
Jennifer Burden of New Jersey, USA states:
I have two little girls, and I don’t think twice about it. I want them to be comfortable in their bodies, so, I guess, it helps if I’m comfortable in mine! I also think that smaller kids are around you more during situations when you need to change. As they get older and you each have a little more space, it probably won’t be something that comes up as much, or at all.
Eva Fannon of Washington State, USA writes:
“Since I have two girls, I am not at all uncomfortable undressing in front of my children. On the other hand, my husband always dresses/undresses in the bathroom, so my girls have never seen him naked. This made for interesting conversation when my oldest (then about 4 years old) accidentally kicked him in the groin, and he curled over in pain, and she said “Momma, did I hurt daddy in his vagina?” I couldn’t stop myself from laughing out loud, but then realized it was time to whip out my old anatomy book to help explain that boys don’t have vaginas :).”
What about you…until what age do you feel comfortable undressing in front of your children…and does it make a difference whether it’s a boy or girl?
And do you have a question you would like to pose to our WMB writers? If so, email us at wmbsidebareditor@gmail.com to see what they have to say.
Don’t forget to come back tomorrow to read Jennifer Burden’s Saturday Layover!
– World Moms Blog
Photo credit to Scott Feldstein http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottfeldstein/318059833/. This photo has a creative commons attribute license.
At first I didn’t really know what to do about it. My son is 4 and daughter is 2 and I am very comfortable being naked and often prefer it at night. My son has asked questions about my parts and his parts but it’s never felt yucky or creepy so I think it’s just going to be one of those things that stops when he is uncomfortable with it. With my daughter I want her to have an understanding of what happeneds to a womans body as they to through life and I don’t want to hide any of my scars, marks or sags from her. I want her always to be proud of what she looks like there for I must be proud of what I look like.
Interesting question and I meant to answer it earlier. I never hesitated to change in front of my kids. I want them to be comfortable with their bodies. Having a boy and a girl also helps them understand what makes girls and boys different anatomically and takes away the mystery. I think that’s a good thing. But, now that my son is 7, I do try to be more discreet. I don’t make a big deal about it, but we do talk about private time and things like that. All in all, I just don’t want it to be taboo and I want them to know what is appropriate and what is not. I follow their lead and talk about things as they seem ready.
Thanks, Eva, for putting this all together! 🙂
That’s a perfect question, because there’s no answer in any guide book. Hmm. Can’t remember the age, but when he started looking at me different as if to say ‘Put some clothes on please mum’ – just that look, I took it in, and decided not to be semi naked in front of him any more. It was sooner than 9 years old though!!!