Is bathing with ya kids abnormal?

What's wrong with us? Are we all afraid of nudity? That's news to me.

I vividly remember the Bert Lancaster movie about Jim Thorpe. In a scene he was showering with his son. I remember thinking how lucky the kid was to bond like that with his dad. I never saw my dad nude. Had no sexual interest then but wonder had I been exposed to penises, would I be gay now? No regrets...just curious
I say no to a dad bathing with daughters but with a male kid...OK.

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with a parent taking a bath with their child. My mother took baths with me until I was about 3 or so, then she just started supervising until I was old enough to bath myself (She still had to come in to wash my hair for me until I was 8 though, I couldn't do it without using too much shampoo and getting a lot of it in my eyes).

Although, I do think its time that you started supervising with your daughter. She's at the age where she really needs to start learning how to do some little things by herself.

Congrats on the baby by the way.

nothing wrong with that. my dad used to take baths with me. whenn yall do this its bonding. when hes older talk to him about puberty and all

congrats

Congrats on the kids first of all.

People these days get so hung up on nudity and tie it to sex. They're not the same despite what the religious right says.

I don't see anything wrong with being naked around your kids. I've seen both of my parents and my sisters naked when I was growing up. Bathing together is all part of bonding as a family.

You'll probably find that these people who scream about it being perverted and sick are the ones whose own kids won't talk to them when they're older because they haven't built up a proper relationship with them. And before anyone flies off the handle at that comment, it's not necessary to be naked with your kids to build a close relationship with them, but often the people who aren't comfortable in their own skin have a problem bonding with others around them and also tend to have less physical contact with anyone including their own children.

Reading through this thread, it's reassuring to see how many people are sensible about the topic. Basically, the bottom line is there's nothing wrong with bathing or bathing with your kids. The perverts are the ones who sully an innocent, happy, healthy relationship with their own twisted ideas of morality.

At the end of the day, your kids will tell you to leave them alone while bathing if they don't want you there, so let them be your guides in this.

not only do I think there is nothing wrong with it, I believe that it is the parents' responsibility to between the ages to tow to between four and five depending on the child, teach basic human anatomy by example. That is a lot less awkward that saying to a four year old child, "This is a picture of what an adult penis looks like. When you get to be about 12 or so your penis will start changing and......"

Why not just bathe with your kids at that age. I did with my parents and I did with my sons. In those years all swimming pools were totally open communal for everything. So I "just knew" what dicks looked like. No one had to tell me. Dad didn't have to explain anything. We don't have the "nose" talk because we see noses all the time. There isn't a need for a time to sit down and say, "Son, some people have big noses and some have small noses." And the son says, "Dad, what do you mean that I might have some hair that will grow in my nose and i might want to trim it." Father says, "Son, I have to trim the hair in my nose and your grandfather says he does to." Son says, "Can I see your nose to see what you are talking about?" Father says, "Oh, I don't think so. Fathers shouldn't be showing their noses to their sons."

Don't laugh. Muslim women can't show their faces to men outside thier familiy and I'm sure that includes the nose.

It is a complete and total disgrace that all parents are now classified as sexual predators who only mate to have children so they can molest them at whatever age that pleases the parents. And that nudity in and of itself is somehow sinful and dirty and always and everywhere is is sexual sin of the worst kind.

There are child molesters out there to be sure. Parents quiting bathing with three year olds is not going to stop the molestation at all.

Quite the opposite, in the tub totally nude, is a unique opportunity to teach about do's and don'ts about touching. Very quietly. "Let's don't touch there>' and let it go without further comment over time teaches the child what touches are appropriate and which touches are inappropriate. So when that child predator comes along with the wrong kind of touches, the child at what ever age recognizes it as the touch mommy or daddy said let's not touch like that.

People, there are lots of ways to teach children. Example is by far the most effective way. Showing a child from age two to four or five how to behave in a nude setting is a good lesson to teach.


And by example as the child ages, the way the child and parent handle nudity shows the child how to act with other people in the same nude situations. About five, we don't get into a home size tub together to take a bath. But we might be in the nude swimming or in a large hot tub with plenty of physical space if the family are nudests. Non nudist children will learn that the communal shower is OK, but not the little house shower that is almost too small for the adult much less a 12 year old boy.

Yet, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 12 year old boy and his father taking a shower down at the local Y. And some of Y's now have family rooms where the father and son might take showers. Not together, but certainly would be nude in front of each other getting in and out etc.

It is tragic that a child in the tub with a parent has now become a sexual sin, an act of incest in the eyes of some people. And what a real scaring we give children about their bodies. What insecurities, what fears that someday they will mature and become evil adults just like their parents. What a horrible gift to give our children.

True, from the little kids' point-of-view, all they see is a body; any sexual element hasn't even begun to register. He/she with Mum/Dad are just washing. But the point's been made - 'kids are extra smart these days' and are aware of, and talk about, sexual things years before I ever did. So one could be dipping into dangerous waters without ever realising it.

I know members of my own family did this with their kids when they were small. There was absolutely no harm in it, I'm sure. But I couldn't understand then, and don't understand now, WHY adults find it necessary to do this.

Id say that it might not be such a good idea to continue bathing with your daughter, but there is absolutly nothing wrong with bathing/showering with your son.

When I was younger I remember sometimes taking showers with my dad, and in a way it was sort of a bonding experience as he was the first male I saw until I got to like camp as a kid.

Outside of the bathroom I don't see a problem with nudity with a son or daughter up to any age, if say you have a swimming pool in the back yard so thats a recreational situation that can not in any way be considered to be sexual. Long as if they decide they want to no longer be nude that you don't force them to be, and then maybe you could have you and your son wear a speedo so your not totally conservative but have the important things covered, I think its crazy when people bath their kids in swim trunks, especially if there like bathing two boys together as they don't want them to see each other, this is just the type of behavior that is messing up society.

Nudity is no suppose to be shameful, it is natural.

IMHO as long as the child isn't bothered by it and the adult isn't bothered by it, why should it stop? We aren't talking about molestation (otherwise I'd be at the front of the pitchfork wielding mob) we are talking about washing. If it isn't making the child feel uncomfortable then I really don't see the problem. Then again I am one of those odd, not embarassed about my body, European types...

hi, steve congrats on the boy hope he comes out healthy and i think nudity in the family is very healthy, i think the kid will grow up having great self esteem and be comfortable with themselves and not be uptight like most Americans, we should all start doing this, me and my son im 38 he is 15 we still go naked around the house and we have seen each other in all our glory and with the occasional morning wood we just shrug it off cause its normal and no big deal

my kids come in the room when i'm bathing.
they chat when i'm changing.
i think it's healthy...though perhaps i'll stop feeling comfy once my son hits puberty.

why must we teach children that bodies are shameful?

My son is 8 and my daughter is 6,..they wander in and out of the bathroom and bedroom as they please regardless if I am in the bath, shower or dressing.
They are of an age that I don't bath them but they are comfortable seeing me naked and will no break off mid sentance if they barge in when I'm naked asking a question.
There is nothing sexual about it in the slightest.
I am their mum, mum is naked, big fat hairy deal, answer the question mum.
They don't bat an eyelid.

somewhere the line was erased between sex and being naked
I love to be naked always have always will

I would consider showering with children normal if it's the children prefer it like that.

Being naked is not being sexual.
When I am naked around my children there is nothing sexual about it.
My children don't see me as a sexual being I am simply their Mummy regardless if I have clothes on or not.
It barely registers with them.
They show no embarrassment in finding me naked and I show no embarrassment in being found naked.
They are happy enough to parade around the house naked with each other and in front of me until I bellow at them that they will catch their deaths.
They also know that it is not OK to go about naked outside.
They have learnt that being naked is acceptable in some settings and not in others.