I’m sure that 99.8% of the parents who shower with their young children do so for innocent reasons like the ones you’ve illustrated, Govindha. But among all but one couple who shower with their kids that I know, the girls (all aged 3-7) shower with their father, and only their father. Something just seemed off about that, although nothing was probably wrong. I don’t want to get on the bad side of any Dopers who do this, as I’m sure most people have nothing but innocent intent, or think nothing of it to begin with. It just took me aback for a moment.
I bathed with my dad until I was about 8 years old, and I’ve seen both my parents naked many times. Nothing sexual about it at all. We’re flesh and blood after all, and I don’t think there’s a thing wrong with it.
But we never wrestled naked. That’s crossing into odd territory.
Well, as far as going to the bathroom with your kids in the room, I know that one of the joys of my kids outgrowing toddlerhood was being able to go to the bathroom ALL BY MYSELF, without a cheery toddler there talking to me when I just wanted a moment of PEACE and QUIET. Nowadays, I have to keep my golden retriever out of the bathroom. Same situation, actually, since he’s mentally a toddler.
I have a friend whose hubby showers with their two boys. I don’t know about dad showering with daughters, however; I find that a bit weird. In Japan, however, at the bathhouses, small girls go into the men’s side with their dads just as commonly as small boys go into the women’s side with their moms, and nobody thinks anything about it. (American men are sometimes wigged out by the ladies who work there who go into the men’s side whenever they feel like it, but that’s a different story!) But as was pointed out, there’s no wrestling involved there…at least I hope not!
My husband thinks that the kid walked in on his parents one night, and that’s how Dad explained it. :eek: Perhaps the kid’s never actually played “the Naked Game” with his dad, but, now that he’s home, he wants to try it. Kids get weird ideas like that sometimes.
Showering, using the toilet, getting dressed, etc. with same sex children doesn’t seem weird to me. (I’d have never been able to take my daughter to the Y if it were–heck, you’re showering and getting dressed with same-sex strangers there!) However, I’d draw the line at naked wrestling with children. Yeah, it might be innocent, but…
This guy used to “Play The Naked Game” with both, his, and other people’s kids.
I hope that’s the only similarity.
I brought this up, 'cause I’m reading a book on the fiend. I cn’t call him a man. He’d have to be human, first.
There was an article here lately that said, “War brings life to local veteran.”
Oh the effing irony.
shudder
Count me in the “maybe innocent, but definitely creepy” camp.
I haven’t been naked around my dad since I was oh, maybe seven at the absolute oldest. Probably five.
The story about Fish always squicks me out AND breaks my heart. Poor Gracie Budd.
My “naked with kids” story: When Jordan was six, we regularly took the kids to the beach, giving their parent-at-home, who’d worked all night, a needed break (the other parent was at work). On one particular occasion, I sent each of the boys into an empty changing booth to change into their swimbriefs, and proceeded to enter a third booth and do likewise. Jordan was in the booth next to mine, and decided that he was too little to be alone in a place like that, so he ducked under the booth, told me precisely that, and proceeded to change in my booth. I was naked at the time he ducked under, simply turned 3/4 away from him for propriety’s sake, and proceeded to pull on my swimtrunks as if it were nothing unusual. It’s adults, not kids, who see anything wrong or sexual about nudity – Jordan merely wanted to be with Uncle Dave, for security’s sake.
Hmm . . . yes, this is definitely creepy and should be investigated. However, we should remember that kids have a more limited means of expression than adults, and “The Naked Game”–whatever it is–may not be at all what it sounded like.
No, I have no theories about what The Game might actually be. But I do have an anecdote:
A few years ago, some friends of mine were investigated by the state Child Protective Services after their kindergartner told his teacher in great detail about sessions in which his parents put foreign objects in his rectum. These turned out to be suppositories prescribed by his pediatrician.
SmugTheJoiner - 
It is rather easy to confuse something innocent with something that isn’t, especially when all you have to go on is a child’s dictation which can be disjointed and contain the use of confusing terms. Sometimes you don’t know when it is appropriate to investigate, and when it’s best to leave it alone. Rather safe than sorry, though.
Yeah, but Poly, you weren’t deliberately going starkers and wrestling.
If it’s like traditional wrestling…
Like I said-I think it’s probably innocent, but it’s just one of those things that gives one pause. If only because of the jerks of the world.
And for what it’s worth, I’m 24, but I still will change if my mom or my sis is the room, if we’re in a hurry. Or if my sister’s on the computer, (which is in my room), I’ll go up and put my jammies on. She’s staring at the screen, anyways.