At some point, you needed to get out of the shower in front of your young child — or get dressed or use the toilet — and you either decided to bare it all or cover up. When kids are very young, the consensus seems to be yes, since babies and toddlers are generally oblivious to nudity. She adds that parents need to be on the lookout for any changes to that comfort level. There are a number of reasons you might want to be naked in front of your kids — and an equal number of reasons you might choose a modicum of modesty. When you have very young kids, occasionally being naked in front of them is often a given. Just remember never to make them feel bad for asking a question, no matter how mortifying it may be. Equally important, I want her to grow up seeing her mom being OK with what normal is. Moms of boys can also want to pave the way for a new generation of men who see women as real people, not pinups on a pedestal. As long as nudity is separated from sexuality, there is no disadvantage to a parent being naked around a young child. It may be a result of how you were raised, your cultural background, or your personality.


Top Navigation

Profile Menu
Kelly Wallace, CNN. Kelly Wallace is CNN's digital correspondent and editor-at-large covering family, career and life. She is a mom of two girls. CNN Let me say at the start that there is no way around the topic of nakedness in front of your children without getting personal and slightly uncomfortable.
Account Options
How do you talk to your teen about adults who may try to make sexual advances on them? Here are some tips to get a conversation going. There was a news story recently about a popular camp counselor who was arrested for allegedly having sex with underage girls. Reportedly, two teenage girls willingly accompanied this man to his home and joined him for a nude hot-tub soak. One girl left and the other woke up hours later with signs she'd been sexually assaulted, but with no recollection of the event. What were those girls thinking? A parent might scream, but the answer is that more likely than not, rational thought was not guiding the decisions of the two young women. Teens can be seduced by a predator skilled in the specific art of appealing to their need to feel cool, attractive, mature, and accepted.
My mother-in-law still bathes and showers with my 9-year-old niece. I find this very strange. When I talk to my partner about it, they say "they're close. My first response, without thinking, was "yes, this is weird. Looking outside of the lens of our culture, I more thoughtfully changed my response to, "no, this is not strange. The scenario also brings up interesting considerations around how we teach our children about bodies and boundaries. Nudity among strangers reigns in certain settings, like locker rooms, spas, and French beaches.