How old is "too old" for LO to see parents naked?

[atlambert]

I know there's a difference between same- and opposite-sex parents, but I'd like your opinion!

[kristi96]

I'd love to hear some thoughts on this as well. I remember being at my grandmas when I was a child and she would use the restroom with the door open walk from room to room naked or half dressed looking for clothes. Actually now that I think of it she still does that.

[Just My Opinion]

I don't think there is a set age, personally. DD is nearly 4 and she and dh still feel perfectly comfortable being naked in each other's company when appropriate situations arise.

I think there will just naturally come a time where dh is not comfortable with dd seeing him nude, or vice versa, or even when dd may not be comfortable seeing me nude or vice versa (personal comfort levels vary widely).

Having that understanding, it is just not something I worry about or can put an arbitrary pulled-out-of-thin-air age on.

Hope that helps

ETA: we have ongoing dialogues relating to personal space, personal boundaries, comfort levels and the sort -- so I have faith that as dd ages, she will have no issue letting us know if something is not within her comfort level.

[LynnS6]

I voted "other" because I think it's older than 5. Ds is 8, and I don't mind him seeing me naked.

I don't know if I'll feel different when my kids hit puberty or not. For same sex parents, I don't think there is an upper age limit. For opposite sex parents, my gut is telling me that in about 2-3 years, I'd prefer not to have ds see me naked.

[prothyraia]

When it starts to bother either the parents or the children. Which I can't imagine happening until well over 5 years, honestly.

[flowers]

How about "never"!

We just go by what feels appropriate, but to tell you the truth my mom was so conservative and I remember really resenting that it was awkward for her to change in front of me. My mil and sil come right into the changing room with me and I find that much more normal and body feel good than hiding. I guess it's up to how the person feels.

Opposite sex, same thing though. I don't think there is anything wrong with older children seeing their parents naked on the way into the shower or quickly changing or something. I would rather my sons see a normal female body instead of thinking everyone looks like an airbrushed model.

[PhoenixMommaToTwo]

I voted 5+ but I'm really not sure. DD is 6 and dh has never really been confortable with her seeing him nude, but ds is 3 and I don't really see being uncomfortable in front of him anytime soon. I think it depends on the parent's and the child's comfort level

[happybunny]

Originally Posted by flowers

How about "never"!

We just go by what feels appropriate, but to tell you the truth my mom was so conservative and I remember really resenting that it was awkward for her to change in front of me. My mil and sil come right into the changing room with me and I find that much more normal and body feel good than hiding. I guess it's up to how the person feels.

Opposite sex, same thing though. I don't think there is anything wrong with older children seeing their parents naked on the way into the shower or quickly changing or something. I would rather my sons see a normal female body instead of thinking everyone looks like an airbrushed model.

I agree 100%. Although I have to say that it would make me feel uncomfortable to see my dad naked, now that I am 25 and married
My mom has always been very open and I still see her naked at times (when she comes to visit me from Germany that is ) I don't have a problem with nudity unless it makes either person feel uncomfortable. But us Europeans tend to be less concerned about naked skin anyways

[vegemamato]

Assuming that everyone is comfortable, I would say 5+

Some children may not feel so good about it, and those feelings should absolutely be respected but I don't see why I would want to hide my body from my children if they don't care.

fwiw, my girls are 8, 4.5 and nearly 15 mos..

(we don't 'kick-it' nekkid though- just change clothes/shower together)

ETA: my mom was very open with her body and changed frequently in front of me.. the problem, however, is that she always made negative comments about her size and shape I think that a lot of my body issues come from seeing/hearing her.. I am very careful to avoid doing what she did.. (which I would advise against, obviously)

[4evermom]

Well, we haven't gotten there yet at almost 8.

[tinuviel_k]

I voted "other."
I think nudity only becomes inappropriate when someone is uncomfortable. When I was growing up that was never: I've seen both parents naked from the time I was a baby to now. At some point (probably around puberty) I stopped going naked around the house, but I didn't mind seeing my mom naked at all. And now that i am an adult I am all fine with nudity around my mom and sisters. Heck, i wouldn't mind in front of my brother, but it would make him uncomfortable so i won't, of course.

[ChampagneBlossom]

I dunno. I remember I was *always* bothered by seeing my father naked, growing up, but then again it was never "normal" - we didn't live with him until I was about 5 years old anyway. I started being bothered by my mom's nudity when I was about... oh... older elementary school. I didn't really express it but it bothered me.

[MusicianDad]

If parents and kids are comfortable with it, then the kids aren't too old.

[Peony]

Originally Posted by prothyraia

When it starts to bother either the parents or the children. Which I can't imagine happening until well over 5 years, honestly.

Yep. DD1 is 6 and we all are very comfortable with nudity still.

[nudhistbudhist]

We are pretty openminded around here, and as long as everyone is comfortable, anything goes I guess no one is surprised :P

[NiteNicole]

to tell you the truth my mom was so conservative and I remember really resenting that it was awkward for her to change in front of me.

I am the other side of this, I'm like your mother. It isn't that I'm conservative, it's that my pregnancy made me feel like such public property and then having an infant who was very needy and unhappy just zapped up so much of ME, it just felt like my body should sometimes be JUST FOR ME. For whatever reason, bathroom time and changing clothes are my lines in the sand. I need SOME privacy and some sense of belonging just to myself. I would be very resentful if my need to change in privacy and have some personal space to use the bathroom and have my own body to myself were called into question by my child. Even now, when I run into the bathroom for the two minutes it takes to go and wash hands and she stands outside tapping on the door I think come ON. Do I not get ANY time to myself? I can't understand resenting your mother for enforcing personal boundaries about nudity. I know children feel a certain amount of entitlement to their parents, but that seems extreme.

As to the OP's question, to me, when anyone starts to get uncomfortable it's time to stop being naked around each other. I know for some families this kind of never happens and for other people, like me, I have never really wanted to share bathroom time, baths, getting dressed, etc. I just want something for myself.

[mjg013]

Until either party becomes uncomfortable. Dh was raised in a VERY modest family and he won't even walk around in his underwear in front of the kids. I was raised in a very non-modest family and I don't really care. The kids don't have a problem with it. My oldest has developed some modesty now that she has hit puberty. My grandmother is one that will walk around half dressed looking for clothes. As kids and even teens we all dressed in the same room, the room with the heater in the winter. Nudity isn't really a big deal.

[flowers]

Originally Posted by NiteNicole

I am the other side of this, I'm like your mother. It isn't that I'm conservative, it's that my pregnancy made me feel like such public property and then having an infant who was very needy and unhappy just zapped up so much of ME, it just felt like my body should sometimes be JUST FOR ME. For whatever reason, bathroom time and changing clothes are my lines in the sand. I need SOME privacy and some sense of belonging just to myself. I would be very resentful if my need to change in privacy and have some personal space to use the bathroom and have my own body to myself were called into question by my child. Even now, when I run into the bathroom for the two minutes it takes to go and wash hands and she stands outside tapping on the door I think come ON. Do I not get ANY time to myself? I can't understand resenting your mother for enforcing personal boundaries about nudity. I know children feel a certain amount of entitlement to their parents, but that seems extreme.

Thanks for that perspective. I guess for me it was more than that. We never could talk about bras or periods or anything without it being so awkward. I really just wanted that "girl time" yk. I didn't have any sisters and it everything about being naked and girly was very awkward.

But again, it does help to think about other reasons and not just being stuck in my childhood hurting.

[guestmama9916]

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[Rico'sAlice]

There had never been an age when my mom and I couldn't be naked around eachother. Not like we were eating dinner nude, but changing, walking in while she was in the shower, etc.
I remember at some point I told my mom I didn't want to see my dad naked anymore, not sure how old I was, maybe 5 or 6? Definitely not before 5 (b/c I remember which house we were living in.) I don't remember being naked myself in front of him after that time either.