Parenting is the sort of thing that makes minefields look like a walk in the park. You know there are all kinds of dangers out there, and you can protect your kids from the ones you know about, but life is going to throw the unexpected at you, too.
Parenting is the sort of thing that makes minefields look like a walk in the park. You know there are all kinds of dangers out there, and you can protect your kids from the ones you know about, but life is going to throw the unexpected at you, too.
Honestly, I'm not sure if you can every be prepared for all the curve balls life will toss your way. For example, this odd disagreement between two parents.
And why not? It's a huge saver of precious time and energy. But at some point, those parents will feel the time is right for their youngsters to start bathing separately. The question is, when is the right time?
In a since-deleted post, the dad asked for some guidance for his particular situation involving his twin son and daughter.
"And because it's easier to keep an eye on them if they're in the same place," he explained.
"But they're about to hit puberty (Just turned 11 last month) and I don't think they should be doing it anymore."
"When I was younger I never saw my siblings naked, and I think that's the way it should be. It's not just this, though. They're very close."
"They hug all the time and they hold hands in public." He explained.
The real friction, however, is that his wife disagrees with him.
"She says they've been doing it their whole life, they're just kids, etc, what's the problem with it? She says it's wrong for me to sexualize them in the first place, since they're just kids and they're siblings. What do you think? Am I just being a prude?"
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion," wrote one user. "Your opinion is based on societal norms and pressures and I think your wife’s opinion either stems from this being normal in her family."
The commenter finished, "(leaning toward the latter based on her comment)". It can be hard to accept that your kids aren't little kids anymore, or that they won't be forever.
"Please don’t listen to the people who are calling your kids creepy and abnormal. They are neither of those things," wrote one person. "You’re made uncomfortable because you see these baths as being adjacent to an act of incest."
The commenter continued, "From their perspective, this is how they bathe and how they have always bathed. It is fine if you and your wife want to talk to them about separating their bathing/shower schedules..."
"Not the prohibition of an abnormal practice or inappropriate behavior." It would be extremely easy for these kids to start feeling shamed or guilty about their bathing habits.
"It’s a conversation to have with them so they understand while they aren’t doing anything wrong it’s not the norm and their bodies are about to change and they may need to reconsider how they feel about their privacy," one person commented.
What do you think?