For purposes of this discussion, parent includes adoptive parents, stepparents, and other legal guardians as well as biological parents, so long as there is a strong emotional connection between you and the child. If you think of yourself as a parent, you are on.
Young adult means at least 18 but under – oh, let’s say 22. College age.
A link to the sort of photographs I mean can be found inside the spoiler box below. Obviously it’s not safe for work.
And now the situation. Your child discloses to you that she or he has been approached by a photographer and asked to pose nude for photographs that will be published both on the web and in a book. The photographer is reasonably well-known and has a good reputation and references; additionally, the tog’s sexual orientation is such so that you can reasonably infer that the tog’s not just trying to get into your child’s pants (i.e, if your child is female, then it’s a gay male or straight female; if your child is male, then a straight male or lesbian.) You meet the tog and get no inkling that she or he means ill to your child.
Are you bothered by your child’s desire to pose thus? If yes, do you try to persuade her or him otherwise? Why do you choose and act as you do?
As long as they consider the implications (if any) this could have on their future career endeavors, and have made an educated decision re. how much they actually care about that, then I would be quite supportive.
Reasons:
Having a job is a Very Good thing, even better if it’s not in the Evil Service Industry.
Also, I’ve always thought that doing artsy nude modeling would be kindof fun (no idea how I’d get into that, though), and it would be rather hypocritical of me to disapprove
(This is all purely hypothetical, though, as I have no children)
Father, one son currently just shy of his 4th birthday. Given his cuteness factor, it wouldn’t completely surprise me if someone tried to get him to be a nude model 15 years down the road.
I’d be a bit uncomfortable with it, but his sexuality is his own, and what he does with it as an adult is his choice. By that point, I’ll have already done my best to encourage him to make responsible choices. I suspect I’ll be far more worried that he’ll knock up some girl than I’d be worried about his doing nude modeling.
Mother of a 12 yo boy. I would actively oppose my child (male or female) posing for nude photos. That is, I would voice my disapproval and point out all the reasons I could think of why I thought it was a bad idea. I would ask him to think about it again before deciding. If he still wanted to do it, I wouldn’t be happy about it, but I would not disown him or anything like that. I would probably just not bring it up again.
I’m not a parent yet, but my little sister is basically doing this. It’s always artists and professional photographers taking her picture, I’ve never seen any graphic nudity, but I am not okay with it. I have told her how I feel - but I wouldn’t go so far as ‘actively opposing’ anything she does, she is 20 years old and a self-sufficent (somewhat- she doesn’t take anything from my parents at least) adult. It’s her life. I just don’t approve of this part of it.
I doubt I would feel any differently with my own child when I am older.
Nude pictures have been provided in the OP. Besides, in my mischief-maker guise, I have repeaterscopes trained on all Earth’s comely women at all times, save only my baby sister and stepdaughter.
I would oppose it only because these things have a way of catching up to you later in life. If they are okay with all their future peers, bosses and children potentially seeing the pics, I guess it would be okay.
I would definitely inform them about what can and does happen.
IANAP, but not no way not no how would I allow a child of mine to participate in something like that.
When they reach the age of consent, then we’d revisit it, but certainly not until then. Even after, I’d still probably pitch a fit and fall in it. Kids grow up too damn fast as it is. They don’t need any more acceleration.
I actually vote differently for my son and my daughter, but probably not for the reasons you may think.
First of all, there’s just no way my son would do it, so it’s less threatening to contemplate. But more to the point, he’s not going to be a public figure. Ever. It’s just not in him. He’s very shy, very private, and wants a career in Electronics Engineering or something like that.
My daughter, OTOH, is very outgoing, very passionate about social injustice and already (at age 6) bitten by the theater bug. Add to that a very penetrating intellegence and love for debate, and I really wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up either in entertainment or in law/politics. And especially in politics, those kinds of pictures could be very damaging to her career, even 20 or 30 years down the road.
So I’d have more reservations about my daughter doing it, as it would have potentially greater impact on her professional life.
At the end of the day though, of course it’s their decision. But I’m going to be doing a lot more, “Are you SURE this is what you want? Remember that Weiner guy when you were 6?” with her than with him.
Being a model is a perfectly legit occupation (albeit, from what I read, often tiring and strenuous). I doubt there are many models doing only nude work, and I don’t think there’s much difference between both in any case, except in the more or less perverted mind of some onlookers. And there are 50 yo overweight people doing modeling, including nude.
Basically, I think you put too much importance in the “nude” aspect, by sexualizing it.
Also, you’re a fascist pig.
I’m a little confused about this part. Wouldn’t a person have to be 21 years old to be an “adult” as far as consenting to nude pictures? That’s my first thought but I reckon I could be wrong.
I wouldn’t be okay with it for the reason that things of this nature have a nasty way of turning up further down the road at the worst possible time. However, if the child wasn’t living with me then it would be none of my business.
I have no issues with my adult children posing for a professional photographer that wants to take artistic photos. That would include Playboy.
Gynecological stuff for Hustler is different. I’d certainly caution anyone that pictures like that could be highly embarrassing many years later.
Ultimately it’s a choice any adult has the right to make. I wouldn’t allow this to harm my relationship with my kids. As adults I have no control over their choices in life. I can offer advice, but they are free to ignore it.
My kids are right in the range of the OP. Son is 22, daughter turns 21 this month and I voted bothered by but not enough to oppose it.
I would likely have the opposite reaction of Whynot but for the same reasons. My son is the quiet determined type and he’s much more likely to find a cause that is worth fighting for and go as far as it takes to get it fixed. That or he’s going to be a teacher. Either way this seems like a poor choice.
Daughter is an art student and is determined to find a way to mix her business smarts with her art and make a living from it. She could argue that the pictures would actually enhance her career.
I wouldn’t really be comfortable with it but both kids have been making decisions on their own for a couple years with input from us gradually decreasing. Now they really only get advice when they ask and I’ve had a lot of practice biting my tongue.
I did nude modeling back when I was in college the first time around, it was a way to make some easy money. Most difficult thing was holding a single pose, at least the studio was heated nicely.
My mom and dad had nothing to say about it, it was none of their damned business. I was over 18.
