I’m not sure if this is just me or what. Growing up, I never even saw my parents in their underwear never mind nude. I don’t remember ever having a shower or bath with either one of my parents.
I am 32 years old and have 4 children and I can honestly say I have never had a bath with my child. Not even when they were newborns. Now I hear from other family members and friends that they have baths or showers with their kids. I can’t imagine.
I don’t know if it’s just me or what?? I don’t let my children see me or my husband naked. What is everyone else’s opinion? Is it just something that is “to each his own” or what???
I just personally find it wrong. Especially when they are old enough to start asking questions-what’s this mommy or what’s that daddy?
Us Girls..Our Views 
I dont think that is not nothing bad. I have 5 kids and I bath with them.. I know that if you teach your children the correct names of the pirvate areas they will not make it a big deal if they see one.. Seeing I mean I dont let my girls see my hubby naked. My son is five and we bath.. I dont think it is wrong at all. It saves time, and propane for us.. I think to each his own for sure on this one. I have been though classes on this topic and if the parents dont make a big deal about it, then niether will the child. So I dont know…
I never saw my dad naked but I did my mom. We would never have bathed with them. I have two boys and never took a bath with them either. First of all, it seems like to much work. How do you handle a wet baby when your wet yourself? The only time we did the bath thing with them was when we were at the cabin and my husband would take one in the shower and then the other while I was there to dry and put pj’s on and that was only because we had no tub at the cabin, only a shower.
When our doors were closed, we knocked. We didn’t just go barging in. My boys didn’t either. They always knocked. I didn’t “hide” from them but if I were dressing or something and they walked in or by, I’d turn to the wall. It could have been the day and time and maybe things have changed. I also know it’s a cultural thing to bathe together in some countries. I wasn’t ashamed of my body but I didn’t want anyone staring at me either when I was either bathing or getting dressed.
Besides, baths are really kind of gross to me. All that dirty water and you just sit in it and with a little kid, no thanks. I wouldn’t change it either whether it’s done that way now or not. I would just feel weird. Not ashamed, weird!
I also find it odd that on one hand we say it’s okay to bathe with our kids as long as it’s mom. Why is it okay to not make a big deal out of it “unless” it’s a dad and daughter? If it’s not a big deal, it should be okay with either sex.
I have bathed with my mum and my dad before. But, that was when I was young. It should be okay if your kids are young. There’s nothing wrong with it.
I remember, as a kid, taking showers with my mom, but it was when we were at the pool, or some other place where there were locker rooms, or “public” places.
I’ve never bathed with Josh – I agree with Joy… WAY too slippery!! – but since it’s just the two of us here right now, he’s CONSTANTLY barging in on my showers, knocking first, of course, because he’s very polite! *knock, knock* “Mommy, can I have a snack?”… *knock, knock* “Mommy, I need to go potty!!”… *knock, knock” “Mommy, can I shave the dog?”
I’ve tried to cut down on the interruptions by saying, “Only interrupt me if it’s an emergency”, but apparently, showing me that Lightning McQueen is RED constitutes an emergency. So I just try to hide behind the thin metal frame around the shower door ( because I’m THAT skinny!!!) , and keep the visit to a minimum.
I guess to each his own on this subject. I did not see my parents in the buff at least that I remember. I remember once seeing my Dad in his underwear , the house was on fire he ran into my brothers room and my room grabbed us kids and threw us on the lawn. I guess it one of those things that each family has to decide for themselves what they are comfortable with.
When I was a kid I think I accidently saw my mom naked once. My Dad walked around in his underwear all the time so that was no big deal. I always thought I would never let my kids see me naked, but somehow it just doesn’t matter. I think because I have 2 girls it doesn’t bother me. Now their father on the other hand, they have never seen him in the buff and they probably never will.
I don’t do baths with other people period! Bath water + Me = My relaxation time!
I shower with them, not bath..
I think I bathed with my daughters once, when we were in a big hurry to get ready. They were under 2 at the time and it was certainly no big deal. We’ve also taken turns in the bathtub, with them seeing me get undressed and dressed. They look but they don’t say anything. (They don’t have a dad, so that part is a moot point.)
When they were potty training, I would do my thing while they did their thing, as part of their training. Now that they are 2.5, I’m teaching them about how grownups like privacy. So my older daughter will walk in and ask, “you want pri-cy?” and I say yes, so she shuts the door but stays inside! I don’t mind it but I’m starting to build a distance – they don’t have to see “everything.”
So you’d think my kids wouldn’t even notice nudity, but they do. One night I went to bed in my undies. My daughters came to my room in the morning and pulled off my blanket. My wide-eyed daughter: “Mommy, where your pants?!” “On the floor, right there.” “Put them on! Put them ON!!” Lol.
When I was a kid my mom wasn’t shy about her body in front of us girls, but I felt kind of embarrassed to see her after a certain age.
I only took bath with my daughter once when she was two.First and last.I have always enjoyed my bath time for relaxation.I dont believe daughters should bathe with there dads or sons with there moms when they get older.To me thats not right.Buts thats just my opinion.
I showered with Bailey when he was little but wouldn’t think about it now. I used to take bubble baths with my niece but she’s 3 and I haven’t done that in some time and probably won’t anymore. I don’t think anything is wrong with it. Men are different I think, I wouldn’t want my niece seeing my husband naked, she’d say eeeewwww. But it’s different with me, she and Bailey both see me naked. I don’t dance around but if I’m getting dressed and they happen to walk in I don’t freak out. It’s no big deal to us. Gosh it’s good to be back….
It’s good to have you back. We really missed you.
Me and our little guy sometimes shower together… most of the time we are bathing the dog too.
We don’t shower/bath with the kids, but they’ve seen us naked. Gosh, I hate that word..naked….ugh! Anyway, it’s not like I prance around either, but we don’t make a big deal of it b/c they shouldn’t be ashamed of their bodies and freaking out about it will not help things. I never saw my dad nude (thank God!) and my mom would bath with us when we took sauna’s at grandma’s house. The girls went together and the guys went together. The adult males would all sauna together (and drink I’m sure) but the women never did. Good, because that was one thing I was not doing! It must be partially cultural…us Finlander’s in our saunas!
Hello, I just came across your blog via the ‘bathing’ tag.
When I hear that people have never bathed with their children, I can’t help but think, what a shame to miss out on that experience. My husband and I have bathed with our son from the first day we arrived home from the hospital with him. That first ‘family bath’ is a wonderful memory for me.
It is something that was important to me, to the point that we didn’t buy a baby bath.
Now he’s three, we can’t all fit in our bath but one of us will still often take a bath with him if he invites us to.
Of course, every culture will view it differently. In certain countries, kids join a parent or extended family at the bathhouse. In others, children will never see their children naked. Each to their own – if you’re uncomfortable with it, it probably stands to reason that you won’t enjoy it.
In practical terms, I wonder what people do with their young ones when they need a shower or when nature calls.