Until yesterday, it had never occurred to me that my husband — my daughter's father — helping our 6-year-old shower was really that big of a deal. I was just happy about the fact that after months of cajoling, we finally convinced her to give up her beloved baths in favor of the shower.
But now, if you believe what you read on the Cafe Mom forums, it seems my husband is no longer allowed to help with the bathing of our daughter. It seems she is now "too old" to be seen nude by him. Yeah, my baby daughter who still loves her blanket, comes into our room when she is scared, and wants to cuddle on our laps, is apparently too big a girl to be nude.
Get serious, people. Oh and also, get your minds out of the gutter.
Not everything is a Lifetime movie. Not every dad would abuse his child. At this point, neither my husband nor I stay in the bathroom as she likes longer showers. But she will call us in to help her change the temperature or give her a comb for conditioner or help her out of the bath with slippery feet and whoever hears her goes to her. Either my husband or myself.
There is nothing wrong with this. She is a little girl.
I do the same with my son and there is nothing nefarious or weird about it.
I understand as parents we must be diligent about teaching our children about good touch and bad touch and stranger danger and all kinds of other things. But we also have to teach them that they can trust their parents and that their bodies are nothing to be ashamed of.
My child is still happy to run around our family lake house naked in the backyard. She loves it. There is no way in hell I would take that innocence away from her. I feel sorry for people who see evil lurking around every corner or who say a 6-year-old needs to be modest.
That might be true in public. I am not sure I would let her run around nude in the park any more (though I did when she was a toddler, as did every other parent), but in her home? In front of the daddy she adores? Absolutely. And anyone who might think to tell me otherwise needs to rethink their own past and not put that baggage on my children.
Do you think it is wrong for a dad to be in the room while his daughter showers at 6?