Family Nudity

You never know what goes on behind closed doors, though in some families those doors are always open — and so are their buttons and flies. While American society has a reputation for covering up, especially in front of the kids, in some homes it's perfectly natural to let it all hang out in the open. That is, until an incident, conversation, or birthday sends mom and dad heading for some cover.

Over the weekend, the subject of family nudity was debated in The New York Times when a mother of two boys, ages 8 and 12, asked if it was time to start hiding the family jewels. Aviva Rubin wrote:

That ease with one another's nudity is part of the depth of my connection to them — something closed doors don't offer. I know it has to change, but when? In my childhood home no private parts were actively on display, so no moment ever came when they had to be hidden away.

Our readers have been very vocal about whether parents should be naked in front of the kids. Now we want to know what actually sent you for cover — was it the birth of your child, some pointing and laughing, or just a feeling that it was time?

A family that bathes together stays together? I was so mesmerized by the images of an immaculately toned and coiffed Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover of Harper's Bazaar this week that I barely noticed her quotes about family life inside the Paltrow-Martin household in London. Within the article, the mom-of-two describes her family's evening routine and it seems that many mamas are taking issue with it. According to the magazine:

But it's Gwyneth who gives the children their bath—"we all get into the tub together"—and she's the one who cooks dinner for them before Apple and Moses go to bed at 8:00. It's a family dinner, unless she goes out with Chris to eat at her favorite Japanese restaurants in London or for seafood at the members-only Arts Club.

The issue is not that Gwyneth actually cooks her kids meals, but that she and the kids — Apple, 7, and Moses, 5 — all bathe together. There's no clear-cut answer as to when parents should stop bathing with their kids, or even when they should cover up in front of them. Tori Spelling recently wondered aloud if she needed to stop changing in front of her kids after her son commented on her rear end.

What do you think? Is there a specific age when mom needs to get out of her tots' bath?

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori takes on the subject of family nudity.

As I was changing the other evening, Liam shrieked, covered his eyes, and said:

"Oh no! I do not need to see that! Get that out of my face. That huge thing sitting on top of your legs. Your butt is ginormous."

Related: A Love Letter to My Soul Mate

Changing in front of my kids always seemed so natural and normal. After all they are just toddlers, and I did make them from this body. But, for the first time, I think I blushed and quickly covered up. Is this it? At 4 years old, is Liam now too old for me to be changing in front of him?

Do you change in front of your kids? What age do you think is appropriate and what's not?

More great stories from ToriSpelling.com:
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Happy First Month, Hattie
Keep the Kids Entertained This Thanksgiving Weekend