someone mentioned in a recent answer to my nudity question that it's not right for kids to see adults naked

Question

i don't see a problem with it. some people have said to me that little girls shouldn't see a naked man. well why not? what's the big deal? and why is it more ok for boys to see a naked woman? i think it's important to teach kids about the human body. nudity has nothing to do with sex.

so i wonder, what is your opinion on this matter, and what religion are you? i'm curious to see if religion plays a part in your perspective on this matter.

also, many people will shower or bathe with their babies and toddlers, but once they hit a certain age that they start asking questions age 3 or so, the nudity in front of them ends. if you think it's harmful to be naked in front of children, then isn't the "damage" done by that point anyway?

justsyd - why not though? how is it harmful to them?

as far as the sexual abuse issue goes, i would never leave my child in the private company of a nude adult - male or female. but, that being said, i am certainly cautious about leaving my kids in the private company of clothed adults as well!

kaliko - actually my friends know me as the prude pagan lol. i don't do naked. but i do take my kids to clothing optional beaches, so they have seen many naked bodies. just usually not mine.

bambino - immediate family members are more likely to touch your kids than anyone else!

Answer 1

When it comes to children I think you have to consider their level of maturity. But you bring up a good point. There is nothing wrong with the human body. After all, God created it. I think the real issue is the purpose behind the presentation. If it is presented in a way to arouse lust, then there is most definitely a problem with it. If it's presented in a didactic or articistic way, then it's probably okay.

Answer 2

I come from a very liberal family, and I have seen my parents and brothers often enough naked to know what they look like. I am still not scarred for life. I would go skinny dipping until I was 10 years old - before that I rarely ever wore a bathing suit, and it hasn't harmed me at all.

It is a personal decision, but the human body is beautiful as it is, and I see no harm in being natural about it. When my middle brother was 10 we went to an exhibition of Picasso's works, and there were many explicit picture there. Him knowing what a woman looked like certainly ensured that he could appreciate the art and not focus on the less important things.

I am also quite liberal about sex. I mean, I wouldn't like people being too open about it - I am not interested in other people's sex life. But certainly can you tell your 5-year-old where the babies come from, and that it's what mummies and daddies do when they want to show their love. Anything goes if you explain it child-friendly.

Lastly: it is easier to protect your children form something they know about, then to not talk about anything. A child that knows that sex is for adults who love each other is more likely to know right away something is wrong when somebody is advancing on them than a child who has no idea what is actually happening!

To Anthony above my post: what you say is not very well though-through. Children DO have sexual feelings, little boys (babies, toddlers and kids up to normally around 6) "play" with their private parts. I don't think we should teach them about lust and that we should expose them to sexual situations - but they KNOW what their own bodies look like, they KNOW that some feelings are nicer than others. It seems to me much more prudent to explain certain things should be kept private, that some stuff is for adults only and that this is how a woman looks and this how a man looks like. If you explain it on a level that is appropriate for their age, then that does less harm then leaving them in the dark. Do you wonder why so many molested kids don't go to their parents? It's not only because the molester treatens them. It's also because they don't know it is wrong! They have to know what's wrong in order to stay as safe as possible should they ever (hopefully not) be in a doubtful situation.

Answer 3

I think the only reason we have to be careful about nudity in front of children is because the greater society has all these negative ideas about it. While I might not think it's a big deal and attempt to raise my children that way, they will still hear the other messages from outside the home and take something away from that. This outside message could lead to nudity in from of children being traumatic, despite how the parents have raised them.

I wouldn't be likely to run around naked in front of my children very often, especially after the magic age you speak of, but I think it's more my own reaction to the views of society, not really anything I personally feel about nudity. It's just weird for your kids to see you naked, but then again, why?

I agree with Dita, though. And you do have to teach your kids what is appropriate nudity and what is not (i.e. molestation situations).

Answer 4

This is really a cultural issue. And western culture is influenced by histories interpretation of Christianity. In truth, all over the planet, there are entire cultures, where nudity IS the custom. Bora Bora, for example. It is nothing to see 14 year-old girls naked and hanging out on the beach with their uncles or dads.

Now SHOULD this be the custom here? Of course not! "Should" implies ethics, and our culture does not share the same ethical code as Bora Bora, so our customs are different.

As far as a mom showering with her babies and young children, and then stopping when they are older, I do not know if this damages the kids, but it does plant ideas in their minds that they should now be ashamed of their bodies.

Answer 5

I shower with my son, who is almost four. But sometime soon, I'll stop. Why? Because at this age his memory is getting much better, and he'll start to have fluid memories, as opposed to "snapshot" memories that they have at 2 and 3. And they'll last longer.

I don't want him to be 20, and still remembering bathing with Mommy when he was 10, or whatever. That could be traumatic.


I'm an atheist. My husband is Muslim (as are the kids), and he has no problem with this, although he doesn't normally let the kids see HIM naked. He's also African, not American, so there might be a cultural issue there as well; I don't think a child seeing Mommy naked is a very big deal.

Answer 6

I think religion does play a part . . . as do many other aspects (culture, climate, etc).

I was raised and believe that modesty is an attitude of propriety and decency. Also, I do not think, as you say, it is "more ok for boys to see a naked woman"

True it is that the human body is God's sacred creation. We must respect our bodies as a gift from God. Through our dress and appearance, we can show the Lord that we know how precious our bodies are.

Our clothing expresses who we are. It sends messages about us, and it influences the way we and others act. About being modest, there is an understanding of the sacred power of procreation, the ability to bring children into the world. This power is to be used only between husband and wife. Revealing and sexually suggestive clothing (or no clothing) can stimulate desires and actions that violate the Lord's law of chastity.

Answer 7

I wonder what those people do when they go to an art museum? Do they hide the kids eyes and rush him by any painting or statue that has nudity in it? It seems too many equate nudity with porn, which it isn't.

Good point... it's ok for boys to see naked women but it's not ok for girls to see naked men. I'm not sure why that is... obviously has something to do with our society in general. It's just like in high school... if a guy sleeps around he's a stud, but if a girl does it, she's a ****. Just another little hypocritical thing people do in general. *wink*

I don't have a problem with it. Of course, I don't prance around nude in front of children, but nudity is Natural (if it wasn't... we would be born with clothes on). The human body is a beautiful thing and to make one feel like they should be ashamed of it is unnatural (in my opinion). I would rather my son have a healthy attitude towards nudity, than to feel ashamed or embarrassed, which only lowers a persons self-esteem.

Answer 8

I don't like my daughter seeing me naked. I don't rush to cover up like there's something wrong with it, but I do make a point to casually cover myself. Typically the only time she sees anything is when I'm getting out of the shower and she's wandered into our bathroom. She's at that age where she recognizes differences.

That being said, I'm not going to lie or avoid conversations about the differences between boys and girls when she asks. I won't be showing her though, merely explaining it to her.

To each their own though. I don't see a problem with nudity or nudists. I merely don't want to be naked in front of my child.

Answer 9

I think it is more of a cultural issue than a religious. With respect of religion, God covered Adam and Eve with animal skins.

Down in Africa, they still practice "natural" display in front of everyone. Mostly because it is hot as fire most of the time and clothing just makes you hotter.

Hey, if you want to parade around in front of your kids naked, that's your freedom. Do whatever you feel convicted to do. You know in the Eastern block before the fall of communism, nude beaches were also family beaches.

Personally, if they let themselves go, I really don't want to see them naked. I'm not too crazy of the idea of older generations running around naked, either. I think clothing is a good thing.

Answer 10

I beg your pardon, I did not know that answering a question is treating a person like a crap. A crappy questions gets a crappy answers, thats the rules in this life. Your being an honor student won't help you gain respect from any one,show people how you want to be treated ,by posting intelligent questions and answers.