How old is too old to let your kids bathe together? That was the concern one dad had for his boy-girl twins who are entering their preteens but still share tub time. Their concerned dad thinks that by this age, taking baths together is bordering on creepy, but his wife disagrees. She feels strongly that it's perfectly normal and warned him not to sexualize their kids. So what should these parents do when they are on two completely different pages with such a sensitive topic?
The dad explained that ever since his kids turned 11, he's felt that their bath time ritual is a little strange.
In a post on Reddit, the anonymous father shared that he and his wife started bathing their twins together when they were little because "it's easier to keep an eye on them if they're in the same place." But not that they're preteens, he believes things should change.
"They're about to hit puberty (Just turned 11 last month) and I don't think they should be doing it anymore," he wrote. "It's not normal for pubescent children to bathe together, even twins."
But his wife believes he's making a big deal out of nothing. "She says they've been doing it their whole life, they're just kids, etc, what's the problem with it?"
"What do you think?" he asked. "Am I just being a prude?"
Some people didn't hold back: They thought that it was gross for a brother and sister to bathe together.
"They should’ve been separately bathing since at least 5-6 years old," one person wrote in the comments. "I started showering by myself at around that time."
And someone else argued that things would be different if they were the same gender. "In my opinion, it is a little about gender," they wrote. "(In) this case though, the different genders would make that same dynamic inappropriate."
"Jaime and Cersei should totally be having separate baths by the time they are 11," another person joked, referring to the Game of Thrones twins in a relationship.
Other people thought the dad was overreacting.
"Everyone needs to relax," wrote another user. "Stop acting like because your children bathe naked together they are going to start…([to be honest] [I don't know] what you think is going to happen but if it’s anything sexual, it’s ridiculous)."
"Raise your kids right and they aren't going to do things…" another person added. "It's honestly really creepy that you're sexualizing your kids at 11. Or at all really."
"If your kids are fine with the arrangement why should you care?" a third person chimed in. "Chances are that when they get slightly older they'll change and want privacy. Or they won't and their behavior will continue to harm exactly no one. Different people have different feelings around nudity, let your kids decide for themselves."
In the end, it's probably best for mom and dad to talk it out and come to an agreement before broaching this sensitive topic with their kids.
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