naturism and children.

i think you are lucky to feel this way
i know my body's fine but i wish i loved it more

did you ever read the book'precious bane' it is a beautiful book about a girl with a hare lip?

I don't think there is anything wrong with that lifestyle, but I don't think it's for me and my family. If I am somewhere beautiful where nudity is appropriate, like at a natural hot springs, and everyone is naked, then I get naked too. Or in a sweat lodge.. who wants to wear a suit when sweating out toxins? I'm also a big fan of skinny dipping in lakes and rivers. As far as seeking out a naturist campsite and playing tennis in the nude... doesn't appeal to me, really, but I respect other's wish to do so. I hope my own attitude towards nudity will rub off on my son, and hopefully he will develop a healthy appreciation for his body. My husband is a bit modest (even around me) and I have been known to have my shy moments if I'm carrying a bit of extra weight or something. I, too, wish I had even more confidence and could feel comfortable in my skin regardless, but after years of being treated like a sexual object it's hard to shake that feeling when I'm around men. Good on you, though! Do you have children already, and if not, when you do will you take them to nudist camps?

I think its fabulous that you were raised like that..I feel the same way about nudity (though these days I'll admit I'm not AS comfortable wiht my body as I used to be but I'm trying to get back to that mindset) and I have no problem being naked and there was a time when my kids werent phased by it either (we use to roam around the house in our bday suits all the time LOL) until I met my now husband who isnt cool with it...He was raised in a "prim and proper" home where things like nudity would be unheard of to talk about let alone letting everything sway in the breeze in front of others! LOL

The nearest thing I've ever had to this is living down the street from an apt complex that had gone clothing optional. One night we had a wreck outside of our place, a man who had been drinking too much had hit a telephone pole. Turned out that he lived in the clothing optional complex.

A few months later my dad mentioned that one of his employees lived in the clothing optional place & had been injured in a car wreck. I asked if he had the wreck driving home & asked if he was a not too tall, blond fellow. Dad said yes. I said, you know, I'm the one that called the cops & ambulance when he wrecked the car. About a month after that I stopped into my dad's office & got to meet him in a less stressful place. He said he really didn't remember too much about the wreck - I told him that I wasn't surprised, he smelled like he'd had a few drinks.

It sounds wonderful to me, that you got all that out of the experiences you had. I'm not against children at naturism places, and I think you make some really good point about the benefits.

Personally, I wouldn't be caught dead at such places, because nudity among strangers would trigger me. But I certainly don't mind a little skinny-dipping or nude dancing or anything among people I already know and trust.

It's a shame that in this "civilized" society we're often given the belief that nudity is sinful or dirty,,that we should be ashamed of our bodies..and our bodies should be hidden..I remember hearing time and time again that in the more primitive cultures say in South America, where the natives are often naked or half dressed that there was no shame or guilt...and at the same time there was no lusting of one another and that their nudity wasn't given the sexual connotations that our society has...it was only after these native people were "exposed" to "proper" behavior of what was right or wrong that they felt shame for their nudity and "covered" up.. Ironic no?

It was not your comprehension that has a brought a perfectness in the sense of balance of thoughts that you enjoy within you.Rather I should say it was just the thinking inculcated in you by your parents at hat time which has brought in a persionaliy resident within you that has brought great development and growth and also made the thinking very homespun regarding nudity.

I completely appreciate that you are so comfortable in the buff. I, however, am not, and I could never be that open about my body. I would like my children to grow up to be comfortable with their bodies, but I also do not want them seeing nudity this early in life. I just don't think it is appropriate, and I think that it just prompts many more questions that they are just too young to know the answers to. Just an opinion. I applaud you for being so out in the open about it!

Personally I've always had "issues" with my own body although I'm probably more comfortable with it now than I have ever been in the past.

I agree there is nothing wrong with children seeing nudity in a healthy, laid back way. I certainly wasn't brought up that way but I tried to do that with my own daughter and I think more or less succeeded in that she is pretty comfortable with nudity - her own and other peoples. So many adults view nudity only in sexualised terms or as something "indecent" and sadly they pass these hang-ups and prejudices on to their children.