Is parental nudity bad for kids?

Answer 1

Yes, and no. (Nothing in life is completely black or white.) We need first to define parental nudity.

1. There could be Blatant, Deliberate Parental Nudity
2. There could be Incidental, in-Context Parental Nudity with Boundaries taught
3. There could be Accidental but Incidental, in-Context Parental Nudity with Boundaries taught
4. There could be Accidental but Inappropriate Parental Nudity.
5. There could also be Body Shaming of both the child's and parents' nude bodies.
6. Or, there could be Body Acceptance Without Shaming but also without flaunting nudity.

Incidental, in-Context Parental Nudity with Boundaries taught

Most parents strive for a middle ground in their values concerning nudity and age-based guidelines concerning nudity. For example, typically parents are more lax about nudity between infancy to pre-school ages. By age 3-4, most kids begin to notice sex differences between themselves and parents, and between their parents. A little girl may notice her daddy urinates standing up; a little boy may suddenly notice his mother's breasts. When babies are breastfed beyond 2-years old, the breast may be more commonplace, almost seen as a cup to drink from, not a breast with any other purpose.

So by age 3-4, parents begin setting more boundaries. Besides moms seeking peace and quiet away from her kids "for a couple minutes", moms start closing (even locking) the bathroom door. The opposite sex parent especially concerning an opposite sex child begins to shower, bathe, dress, and use the toilet "in private". Kids also begin to understand that they can close the bathroom door (hopefully not lock it! Parents MUST keep a spare key for every door that can lock, and / or know how to unlock a locked door knob!) Kids as young as 3-4 are already in daycare where privacy becomes reinforced.

By K-school ages, the right and need for privacy is becoming the rule in children's daily living and moral development. Before 3rd grade and beyond, kids begin to object to parents helping them to bathe and dress, or said better, to object to parents seeing the child's nudity. This has more to do with independence than modesty, but modesty also plays a role in this stage of development.

By pre-teen years, kids object loudly to having their privacy invaded. If a parent happens to walk in on a child undressed, most kids will be quite vocal about it. Same with bathroom rights, even if the pre-teen is only preening in the mirror but fully dressed. This continues with parents through teenage years.

However, by accident, kids and parents DO happen to see each other nude or partly nude.

All of the above should fall into Incidental, in-Context Parental Nudity and Body Acceptance Without Shaming but also without flaunting nudity, both middle ground positions on the continuum.

Blatant, Deliberate Parental Nudity

However, some parents practice nudity before having children. They may (or may not) continue these practices once they have children. If they do practice nudity, most parents still strive for Body Acceptance. Nudists might set their own boundaries about what is acceptable or unacceptable--for example, closing/locking the bathroom door.

A second type of Blatant, Deliberate Parental Nudity is often abusive because other parenting skills are absent or lacking. These parents might shame, belittle, or make fun of genitals, size of genitals, etc. There may be inappropriate touching (molestation) or even sexual abuse. The parents may be inconsistent with their values, for example, violating their kids privacy but shaming and punishing a child who even accidentally violates a parent's inconsistent rules. For example, a parent who barges into the bathroom when their pre-teen is using the toilet, but punishing the pre-teen if he/she does the same thing, but otherwise, the parents walk around nude or semi-nude.

Accidental but Inappropriate Parental Nudity

Every kid and parent accidentally see each other nude, even when the home practices strict modesty. The most common accidental seeing of parental nudity is when kids walk in on their parents having sex. Parents deal with this by age-appropriate means, and setting limits and boundaries. For example: "When our bedroom door is closed, you must knock and wait."

Where accidental nudity can become inappropriate is when a parent uses that incident to encourage looking, touching, or to entice a child to look, touch, etc. This very often is a precursor to molestation or sexual abuse. It is far better for a child to learn modesty and boundaries---especially concerning their own bodies, but also concerning someone else's "person" as well. The better we teach kids boundaries, the better they can avoid becoming victims with persons in the extended family and with others.

Answer 2

Children need to learn about lines, privacy, and boundaries. Every family has this at a different level. It is not uncommon to do a quick change of clothes in front of a very young child, but as the child gets older, that sort of thing is normally phased out.

If an older child accidentally sees their parent nude, it is not the end of the world. They won't shrivel up and be scarred for life. At the same time, they need to know that is not the norm. In general, the majority parents would not walk around the house totally nude with children present.

In most households, if an older child was to forget to knock and walk in on a parent changing clothes, they would be expected to close the door and come back later, as that would be showing respect for another person's privacy.

Some households have much looser standards on this, but they would only involve casual nudity. Any sex acts in front of a child would be bad for them, and would usually also be illegal.

Answer 3

yes it should be removed