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Originally Posted by SpoiledPrincess  I think it's fine to bathe with your childen up to the age where they give out signals they're no longer comfortable you seeing them naked (and they make it very clear when they consider they're too old to be naked) or you're sick of them taking up all the room in the bath. The human body isn't something to be ashamed of and letting your kids see you naked day to day in non sexual situations teaches them what is appropriate (eg it's fine for mum and dad to see them naked, it's not for most other people) and if you screech like a girl if your kid catches you naked it sends out the message that bodies are dirty. I bathed with my kids until they were about seven or so, it was easier, one lot of bath water and I didn't end up with soaked clothes from washing and drying duties. They stopped bathing with their dad (although it was infrequently that they had, he found it a pain) when they were about four but not for any reasons that it was 'indecent' or wrong, just because he enjoyed his bath more when he had it to himself. I loved bathing with my kids, we'd soap one anothers hair and do sonic type hairstyles, play wih bath toys and have a general good time. |
Wonderful response, SP. I agree completely.
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Originally Posted by SirConcis Giving a bath to a child involves very close proximity and parent taking care of the child's body. So it is a very different type of event. |
Most children aren't toilet trained until about 3 years old, and many still need help with wiping and proper toilet hygeine beyond that. That is, GASP,
taking care of a child's GENITALS.
Seriously, though, think about it. You've got to wipe your kids' asses until well into the third year, so what's the difference between that and taking a bath with them? Nudity is NOT sexuality AT ALL. It's not the same.
A lot of times I think those of you without kids really don't and won't know the proper boundaries until/unless you have children. It's a very different thing in reality than it is in theory. I don't know how someone can look at a 4 or 5 year old child and think about sex, which is really what all this is about.
There are no hard and fast rules. Parenting is about learning as you go along, even if you have other children. Go with you instincts and what you're comfortable with.
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But in a bath, the parent touches the kid's body. And there comes a time when the kid's sexuality starts to awaken, at which point, you want the bathing to become as "hospital/asexual" as possible so you don't want to be naked in bath with child anymore.
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Are you saying parents should stop kissing and hugging their children because in other contexts it's considered sexual? That uses the same reasoning as your argument about the bath.