Relationships

Is it appropriate to be naked in front of your grandkids?

Jul 30, 2018

One woman has ignited debate among fellow parents. Source: Getty

Some parents are sticklers for privacy from as soon as their bundle of joy has the potential to walk in on them in the bathroom, while others are still letting it all hang out even when their offspring are entering their teens, but is it appropriate for grandparents to do so?

One woman has ignited debate among fellow parents after asking if it’s acceptable for grandparents to be naked in front of their grandkids. The concerned mother took to online forum Mumsnet to ask for advice, explaining how her mother-in-law was walking around naked while babysitting her two sons aged 12 and seven.

The women explained that her mother-in-law was graciously looking after the boys to help out with childcare in school holidays, but rather than coming home with exciting tales of fun and games, the biggest news of the day was gran’s bare bottom.

“Ds1 came home and said ‘gran was walking round naked!’ It turns out she had gone for a mid-morning shower and was walking about naked,” the woman wrote.

She then asked readers if she was being unreasonable to think it was odd to wander around naked while babysitting, especially given her sons’ ages.

Plenty of Mumsnet readers agreed it was out of the ordinary and suggested it would be embarrassing for the boys, who are definitely old enough to remember copping a full frontal view of grandma’s naked body.

One mum wrote: “Shocked at people that think it’s reasonable. It’s massively inappropriate to walk round naked in front of your 12-year-old grandson. Why the hell should they have to see that. Makes you wonder why she’d do it.”

However, others said they didn’t have a problem with it and that people shouldn’t be ashamed of their bodies, especially around their families.

“I’m naked in front of my 12 year old sometimes… I don’t flaunt anything but neither do I hide away like natural nudity is shameful,” one commentator wrote.

Another reader said general nudity is fine. “I remember seeing my paps willy when I was a kid, if he had a wee whilst I was in the bath or whatever… there was nothing untoward or inappropriate,” they wrote.

Some European countries have a well-earned reputation for being comfortable with family nudity, while other nationalities tend to be much more buttoned-up. Generally though, issues like this seem to depend on the families themselves and what kind of environment they’re comfortable living in.