It is really great to see a post like this, in general, and you also touch on some very interesting specifics. I am a father of a boy and a girl, and as I read this I kept thinking it is not much different with a boy. The general being naked around, or being seen naked is different with a boy, as that can be perceived as “normal” into adulthood, but bathing presents many of the same quandaries you describe (the child’s curiosity and desire to touch, and just thinking through the socialized perception of it as the parent). I agree that we society (and therefore we as parents as well) teach kids to become ashamed of their bodies. I think that is inevitable in some ways, but as with many other aspects of youth and parenting, I will keep allowing my family to enjoy any youthful naïveté we can for as long as it lasts. That said, I’ve noticed lately that my son might be reaching an age where he might need to stop taking baths with his sister soon — a whole other dynamic that has nothing to do with me. Anyway, I really just wanted to express my appreciation for you taking on this topic in a public forum like this. You handle it with a high level of insight, sensitivity and rationality — not always easy to balance those things. Thanks!
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