Unclothed

United States
January 26, 2008 10:44am CST
Does anyone else have a housefull of boys running around in no more than their underwear? Even if our boys come home from school within a hour they are down to the underwear. I don't get it. I keep wanting to cut the heat, but, my life has lizard blood and it always(always) cold. Anyone care to share their thoughts and experiences?
3 people like this
14 responses
@lightningd (1039)
• United States
26 Jan 08
I have two boys, and they used to be the same way. Especially when they were really little. I am always cold too, so I refuse to cut the heat down. My kids are both nearly grown, so they konw they have to wear some clothes. My oldest only comes home every couple weeks from college, so we have the upstairs heating vents closed off so it's pretty chilly up there where his bedroom is. I usually try to remember to go open the vent so it's not super chilly up there, but when I forget, my oldest says it feels just great to him. I think that it has something to do with youth. They just don't feel the cold as much as we do!!! My youngest's room is downstairs in the basement. It stays a pretty constant temperature down there, but there is a heating vent. To me, it's kind of chilly there as well, but according to my son, it's perfect. As a matter of fact, when we started finishing the basement, he said he'd like to move his bedroom down there. So we built an additional wall, and he moved down there. Our house is 40 feet by 30 feet, and it has a full basement. There are two bedrooms on the main floor (ground level) and all the usual rooms (kitchen, bath, dining, sunroom, living room), and two upstairs, and in the basement there are 5 rooms, (laundry, storage, furnace, den (tv room for the kids with foutons for their friends for sleepovers), and one bedroom. So it's a pretty big place. Heat varies by level.
2 people like this
• United States
27 Jan 08
That's a big basement! Once the kids move out you'll probably start closing off more of the rooms. As to shutting off vents. Not that I necessarily believe it, but, I always happy to learn, I heard an expert talking about vents and he was saying that you should not close vents as houses are supposedly designed in such a way that the heating system will run unbalanced if vents are closed.
• United States
29 Jan 08
By most houses, I guess around here, my house is average sized. I had thought about a wood stove, since I have an abundance of trees on my property, but I'm leaning towards the corn furnace add-on. It attaches to the existing propane unit, and it runs in conjunction with the thermostat. So I can adjust the heat output. Corn stoves are also very efficient, and only produce about a cup of ash a day. It's also cost effective, and even with current corn prices being at an all time high, it's still only about half the cost of propane per BTU output. And best of all, it's a renewable resource, so better for the environment.
• United States
29 Jan 08
That is interesting and you are probably correct about the vent, thinking about it. Have you ever thought of a wood stove? I knew some people who lived in a wood cabin style home and they would crank up the wood stove, which would end up heating the whole cabin/house. In fact, this one was a newer model and so effecient that on many occasions they would open the windows late at night as it would be too hot. The downside(or upside), of course was that you couldn't really turn if off as such, so, the hot embers would continue to put out heat for most of the night. Is 40 x 30 large for a house? I am trying to visulize it. My main room in my house is 25 feet long and the whole house is probably 40 foot wide, so I am thinking it would be a little bigger than the base of my house, the difference is that you have 3 floors and I have 2, so, yes, it must be quite large.
• United States
26 Jan 08
I have a husband and three boys, 2 of which are married and running about naked in their own homes. So yes I understand that boys have no shame! JB, its my hands and feet that I can not stand to get cold. It physically hurts when my hands freeze anymore. I have no signs of arthritis yet other then the cold hurts. I wear gloves to drive or even go out to the mail box. Then I see my Son Jake run across the street to his friends house in freezing air with no shoes or a coat!
2 people like this
• United States
27 Jan 08
.....you maybe a reckneck if? I used to love Jeff Foxworthy when he first came out with those. I enjoy his "Blue Collar tour" even more as Larry the cable guy(who is part of it) is so funny in his own way, he is even funnier on HBO, when he does his adult stand up.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
28 Jan 08
My son and my husband do the same thing, I wish I could walk around like that. Well, I am sure I can but I am the one cooking dinner and hot food on a half naked body is not fun.
1 person likes this
• United States
29 Jan 08
I have been surprised as to how many adults also seem to walk around 1/2 dressed. I personally, like to be dressed, even if it's only a pair of shorts and a shirt. Maybe it's something to do with growing up in a cooler climate, where no clothes generally resulted in getting cold!
@emarie (5442)
• United States
26 Jan 08
Ahaha...thats my boys. Well, it was my fault. During the summer when they were younger and I potty trained them, I let them run around the house naked. Now, they mostly just want to wear underwear. My husband walks around in just shorts so that doesn't help me at all. I tell them at least to wear a shirt or something. I keep all the windows closed and its not THAT cold here. I still have the heat on since its gas and my building pays for the gas bill. So I don't worry about it too much. Just tell them, if they don't want to get sick, they should put some cloths on. What ages are they anyway. Mine are still young. 6 and under so they mostly listen to me. My oldest is starting to wear more cloths.
2 people like this
• United States
27 Jan 08
I don't think you are to blame, as it seems that all boys are doing it!
@shymurl (2765)
• United States
26 Jan 08
LOL my boys are the same way. I don't know why. My husband is the same way too. I'm sure they get it from him. lol. I try to tell them to keep their clothes on but no matter what I do they don't listen.
2 people like this
• United States
27 Jan 08
I am not like that at all. I like to keep cozy, so, I always fully clothed, except no socks.
@YamiKiba (937)
• United States
26 Jan 08
. .wow. It seems to be a guy thing then huh. My younger 17 yr old brother does it all the time. . .my parents complain that he should start wearing shorts at home. . .I just find it improper that anyone should be in their undies regardless of the weather when there are other people around, family or not. Whenever we have guests over he locks himself inside a room and doesn't come out till they are gone. .its really annoying.
1 person likes this
• United States
28 Jan 08
Don't let the details distract you from your misson ;-)
• United States
27 Jan 08
Maybe you should hide all his underwear and see what he does?
@YamiKiba (937)
• United States
27 Jan 08
Hmmmmm. .maybe. lol but thing is our family lives in an apartment. . .a pretty small one to but enough for 4 people. My parents would probably get mad at me for starting another argument with my bro. .even if it is to get him to start wearing shorts around the house. Plus I wouldn't know where to hide them lol.
1 person likes this
@vanities (11395)
• Davao, Philippines
27 Jan 08
ive got only one son in our family but hes not used to running around or playing with underwear only when he was still a child...did you ask your boys why they do that?
• United States
27 Jan 08
Yes we ask them all the time. The answers vary from, them being too hot, to the clothes being uncomfortable, to the clothes restricting their movements, to them spilling something on them...
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
27 Jan 08
You mean to say my boys aren't the only ones? LOL Okay, so they don't like to be shirtless but if we are home they like to be in their underwear. I blame their father for this. LOL Only recently our oldest son is actually wearing pants while kicking back in the house. I think with it being cooler in the house he is more willing to keep the pants on. LOL However our youngest won't go for it. :P Oh well, maybe one day...
1 person likes this
• United States
29 Jan 08
Well I am glad it's not just in my house.
• United States
26 Jan 08
lol my son is just over a year old and the first thing he does when he wakes up is strip. He keeps his clothes on for three hours, tops. But then it all comes off. I'm just glad he usually keeps his diaper on. :P
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 08
You certainly don't want the diaper off do you?
@bhappy2 (327)
• Australia
27 Jan 08
My middle grandson does this. He even wanders around outside in his undies and has been know to walk down the street in them. He doesn't seem to care who sees him. He is 13. My friend took her dog for a walk one morning and in one house she passed there was a man in his garage with the door open with nothing on and he wasn't hte least bit concerned that she saw him. I think people are losing their modesty.
@livintx49 (245)
• United States
27 Jan 08
So my boys are grown but reading this made me remember they used to do the same thing.They had robes-shorts-pj's.Got a question for you-do you were pj's around the house? I always buy them just the mens lounge pants or a gym type short now. Perhaps if you had some they would mock you!! Good Luck but take some photo's they'll put some clothes on!!
1 person likes this
• United States
29 Jan 08
I wear PJ bottoms and a regular type shirt. I usually change into normal clothes fairly early so that's not the issue. The boys tend to keep their pj's on. It's when they have changed out of them into clothes. Most times this happens in my house is later in the day. As to the kids mocking me! They wouldn't dare ;-)
@madasp (563)
• United States
26 Jan 08
LOL this is definately a boy thing. My 15yr old son is the same way. within minutes of him arriving home I'll find his pants laying in 1 room and him in another. On weekends he doesn't even bother putting them on unless he absolutly has to leave the house. the funniest part is he can't stand to be seen without his shirt on. go figure.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 08
Man! I hope my kids are out of it by the time they reach 15. We have started telling the boys, no shirt, no pants, no food. It is our latest table etiquette.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
27 Jan 08
I think it's pretty much universal. My two boys spent much of their pre-school life in just underwear or less. When they were began school, they started to wear more clothes at home and before they were 8 there were no more running around with just undies. I didn't correct them, they decided to clothe themselves. To this day, they aren't ashamed of their bodies but they don't flaunt them, either. I like that attitude and I'm glad I let them decide the issue of modesty for themselves.
@lala766 (239)
• United States
26 Jan 08
my 2 year old loves taking off his pants and running around in his diaper. He is my first boy my daughter was not like this lol... I am just now getting used to it. Right now he has on his cowboy boots and a diaper and is running around like a mad man lol..
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 08
We didn't really have a problem when they were in diapers only when they got a little older, maybe he'll grow out of it sooner.