Experts Weigh In As Mom Discloses Why She Goes Naked In Her Home With Her Teenage Son Around

"Just because I'm naked doesn't mean it's sexual, that’s the viewers' mentality"

Maryjane

• Published in Interesting
• September 30, 2024

You had to use the restroom, change clothes, or exit the shower in front of your small child at some point. You had the option to cover up or reveal everything.

Was that the right choice, and is it the right choice today? Parents frequently are unaware that this is a contentious matter until they speak with other parents who handle things differently.

It's a surprisingly divisive topic. Generally speaking, both sides have thought it through well, speculating about what is and is not psychologically beneficial.

So, is it appropriate to go nude in front of your kids? Since newborns and toddlers typically don't notice nudity, the overall consensus seems to be yes when it comes to very young children.

The answer isn't always clear-cut, especially when discussing kids of different sexes as they get older. But one mother revealed that she converses with her child while she is naked.

Experts offered their opinions on the psychological effects of seeing one's parents while they're naked. Molly Manning, an Australian mother of one, has been proactive in educating her teenage son about sex.

The 49-year-old, who first moved to Los Angeles from Australia due to financial difficulties, is currently trying to provide her son and herself with a "comfortable" existence.

Here is Molly Manning, an Australian mom of one

After settling in Los Angeles, Manning expanded her career by producing mainstream pornography in addition to producing content for OnlyFans. She continues to be a loving mother at home, attempting to teach her kid that a nude body need not always be interpreted as sexual.

"I'm very comfortable with my sexuality. I'm the kind of person who doesn't have a problem occasionally walking around naked,” she explained.

"My son will have a conversation with me and I'll be topless or getting dressed; just because I'm naked doesn't mean it's sexual, that’s the viewers' mentality. I’m very liberal in regards to nudity and there's nothing sexual about me being naked at home."

She also continued saying:

"The reality of it is, if a child can't see a naked female or male at home and that be their first point of reference for nudity, then there's something wrong."

Experts are commenting on the topic

Susan Bartell, a child and parenting psychologist located in New York, and parent coach Dawn Huebner have also weighed in on Manning's comments which encourages nudity in the house. Hubner made a claim saying:

"The goal with children is to foster delight and confidence in their bodies while gradually, over time, teaching norms related to privacy and consent.”

The coach claims that exposing young children to their parents' nude behavior can help them become more aware of how their bodies work.

Casual nudity in front of small children helps them learn to be accepting of bodies — to see that bodies are functional, strong, and normal, regardless of shape or size,” the expert explained.

It is understood that kids start to "develop a sense of modesty" about their own bodies between the ages of four and eight. "And a corresponding discomfort with seeing their parents’ naked bodies,” writes Huebner.

So, it is important for parents to "respect the needs and sensibilities" of their kids.

"You want them to see that they have a right to choose what feels OK and what doesn’t when it comes to their own bodies.”

Bartell has commented on a woman's decision for her husband to never be fully dressed in front of their daughter.

"If you’re very clear what the boundaries are, then that child has no question whatsoever,” she said. “It never OK [for that little girl] to see an adult man naked — that is clear for that child.”

Negative dynamics can arise from opposite sex relationships

Bartell asserts that although it's always acceptable for kids to be nude around their same-sex parents, the dynamics between moms and sons and fathers and daughters gradually change.

A report titled "Early Childhood Exposure to Parental Nudity and Scenes of parental sexuality ('Primal Scenes'): an 18-year Longitudinal Study of Outcome" was published in 1998 by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles.

The study, which tracked many families over an 18-year period, discovered that teenagers who frequently saw their parents naked between the ages of three and six did not experience any long-term effects.

The research made the claim that "pervasive beliefs in the harmfulness of the predictor variables are exaggerated," despite the fact that there haven't been many studies on the topic.

Maryjane