Kate Says Stuff is all about life with four fabulous children and a Supertrucker husband. Kate writes of family life, recipes and household organisation along with regular product reviews and giveaways. She is also a founding blogger at Autism: In Our Own Words sharing the trials and tribulations of having two children on the autism spectrum.
How naked is your house?
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When I was growing up, I don’t recall my parents wandering around with no clothes on.
That’s not to say it didn’t happen. I don’t remember there being any awkwardness about it and I know I used to talk to Mum when she had a shower sometimes… they certainly didn’t hide their bodies from us. It just wasn’t a big deal that I recall.
I am the oldest of four girls, so I was well familiar with the female body. Not having brothers meant that I wasn’t quite so familiar or comfortable with the male body… although I now have four kids myself so obviously I got over that.
My nine year old son has reached the stage that he sometimes does not want me to see his body. He will close the door when he showers and dress in his room on occasions. At other times he is completely nonplussed by walking around the house starkers. With two children of each gender there is no discomfort with the naked body at our place, for the moment. In fact when my son was seven he witnessed the birth of our youngest child and is very comfortable with the fact that I breastfeed, shower and dress with no concerns about who may be watching (within our family, not publicly obviously).
I know this is likely to shift as my older children reach puberty, but I am very aware that I want them to retain their sense that bodies are just bodies. That some things we do with some parts of our bodies are to be done in private, but that there are all sorts of shapes and sizes and colours of bodies and that they are all amazing and to be respected.
I wonder in years to come how to manage it to be honest. I want to respect my children’s privacy and for them to know that there are times when grown ups like to be alone and have their privacy respected as well. But I also want them to feel free to be naked in our own space as they are comfortable without pressure either way.
How has this gone down at your place? Are you happy to be naked around the house or is a greater level of privacy the go?
