Your thoughts on kids seeing bare breasts:
 

I'm working on a paper and wanted to gather some anonymous opinions:


What are your thoughts on kids seeing bare breasts (in particular, male kids 5-9):

I think it is ok. In some countries it is a natural thing. It is a part of the human body, in Europe where it is different bare breasts are not seen as something bad like here in the states. The human body is beautiful and shouldn't be thought of as obscene or bad. Just my 2 cents.

Well written!

I wish everbody would form such developed answers :)

I do not want to reveal my preference until after the poll is completed - to do so would confound the data.

For me it's just a non issue. It's only a big deal if society makes it one and in the US it is.

It should be as right as rain in our society but is not yet. In the US our puritan ethics conflict with this natural expression of ourselves. Other parts of the world have different mores as well and either tolerate or prohibit the practise. I'm headed to Fontana for the races this month, bet I'll see some!

Wow! This is going far better than I expected.

To be honest, I am not suprised with the "enlightened" responses here. Let's face it .. this is a VERY liberal group :) [GOOD thing!]

I wonder how well this will bode in one of the "mom" forums :D

I had an gf staying with me for awhile and the kids saw her once or twice and I didn't think anything of it. I'd only be concerned if they saw sex. Seeing someone just out of a shower is no biggie. It happens all the time.

Why is the female nipple evil in our country? Why is it that men can show the same body part--just because it doesn't serve the same function? Or, if it's not the nipple but breasts in general, shouldn't overweight men be forbidden to take off their shirts in public? And I say that as a guy who could stand to lose a few pounds.

In short, this is an issue that I feel shouldn't be one. Especially these days, with as much as is already on display on TV and the magazine rack. Then, as others have pointed out, seeing bare breasts in public doesn't seem to have turned Europe into a continent of serial rapists.

Why does your avatar and profile make me wonder about your paper.;) LMAO


I think we would be very interested to see those responses as well. If you do a “mom site”, please share the feed back.

Our Lilith is sage on this one for me.:cool:

I have to say, I'm surprised at my response - I'm sort of against it. Maybe it's because I don't have kids but had two young stepsons. Since they weren't my kids, I was vigilant in them not seeing me. Maybe I'd be different with my own. If I lived in Europe, I'd certainly feel different.

Society generally dictates what is OK or acceptable. I grew up where it was generally not 'normal' for kids to see a females breasts.

Thankfully society has now allowed woman to nurse in public places. It allows the Mom to nurture her child in a very natural way.

Are breasts sexy? Yes. But almost any part of my lover is sexy when we are in the mood.

But then again it is not my body that is being seen, so the comfort level must depend on her.

Denial is the root of obsession.

I'm from Europe - I couldn't understand why someone was asking this question from its title - until I read the responses.

Breasts are'nt genitals and frankly most europeans don't have an issue with their kids seeing non aroused or non pornographically depicted genitals. Why should you - thats the way we are?

Even my mum & dad (68 & 72 respectively) aren't bothered about bare breasts in {most} public places; my own take is, if kids DO see topless females, so what? Like folk have said, it's all natural, and I don't think any kids, even young boys, will bother about it if left to their own devices; it's only "Society"'s attitude to things that shape young minds, and if we cn change THAT.... well, the world might be a *little* bit nicer place to live!! :)

DM

I would have voted "no big deal," but for some reason when I try to vote, I'm told that I am ineligible. I breastfed both of my kids, and the older one (a boy) would often be present when I breastfed his sister. Seeing my breasts and seeing his sister being breastfed was no big deal. Both kids also saw their dad and me naked many times, such as when we'd get out of the shower. Like I said, I just don't see it as a big deal.

I have no problem with my son or daughter seeing breasts.
It wont scar them for life will it. There was some huge debate about women breast feeding in public here lately and i just wonder how stupid that is. What is more natural than a mother feeding her baby. And how does she do it??? She put the baby to her breast and the baby sucks life sustaining goodness from her nipple.

I am pleased to say the public debate brought an 85% across the board response saying that a mother should be able to breast feed where ever the baby needed it.

The furore came about when a female member of the Victorian Parliament was forced to leave the chamber because she was breast feeding her child.

Absolutely should not be considered a big deal. When you make it a big deal, in my opinion, that is where all the troubles and hang ups start. As a mom I have tried to be open about nudity infront of my son. Explaining it is just a body, we all have them...Oddly even with this openess when my second son was born, my older son was a little freaked out seeing the baby being breast fed. He was 10 at the time and had developed his own feelings towards nudity. I had to start over. Whenever he catches a glimpse and shirks away or gets "grossed out" I reiterate my feelings on nudity. I so don't want my children thinking just because someone is nude that it is sexual. That is where exploitation comes in to play...and objectifying. The human body in its natural unaroused state does not need to be considered X-rated. Now if we were talking about bare breasts in some sort of sexual fashion, i.e. being licked or sucked by an adult or w/ nipple clamps on, obviously I would not find that appropriate for a young child to see.

Just curious, bm4all. What kind of paper are you working on and for what?

Thanks for the great responses gang!

Denny, I am writing a social psychology paper on changing gender inequalities. In particular, the paper focuses on the gradual change of social inequalities regarding to status. My question about kids seeing breasts is extremely important because between the ages of 7 and 12, kids are being "socialized" by society as a whole - and can be excellent indicators of society's teachings. The reason I ask adult opinions is because they are the ones who allow or disallow certain forms of socialization to occur.

Glad you asked? :) :D

This is another example of the way things have changed over time!When I was in my young teens,my uncle got Playboy magazine.In those days,seeing a bare breast,was very erotic.Now
it's considered no big deal!It's TAME in magazines. Irish

It's just our society is stuck up about them. I don't see any harm in nudity, period.

Vigil--I suspect a lot of the attitude here in the US can be traced back to the Puritans, who got here before almost anyone else from Europe. They had, as you might imagine, a bit of influence in the early days of the colonies, and some ideas (both good and bad) hang on like leeches. I think every history has examples of attitudes that stay around for centuries for no good reason--this is one of ours.

Dear Flynn

The celtic cross is in my heart. It is one of the ironies of histories that the world's broadest community retains the prejudices of the narrowest church.

i find that the sexual taboo's in america are actually very unhealthy for several reasons

one, it violates our constitution. to separate church and state and similarly have both the taboos and laws regualting sexual material we see an obvious connection between our governmetn and christianity

secondly it denies a distinct part of our humanity and distinguishes us entirely from what is natural. to deny this serves no purpose yet is imposed on society as a whole with no proven benefits

and as a side note puritans were in generally pretty damn freaky by today's standards...even when it came to things now labeled as rape and sexual harassment. punishment was very slim, and really only because they had a tremendous fear of the wrath of god

now you say your paper is on psychology? have u taken any classes on frued? basically his belief is that children of all ages express sexuality , and that when that is inhibited then psychological perversions occur

while not seeing bare breasts has never turned a child crazy i find that there is not one single practical reason to disallow it

:) also i'm quite the fan of bare breasts :)

Actually, the paper is for social psychology .. even more confusing :D. I am all too familliar with Freud and his psychodynamic theory. Interesting that such a smart man would justify all of his perversions in such a scolarly manner :) :)

Some very well thought out responses ... and lots of votes! Thanks gang! I love you all !!

For the record, the Celtic cross used as my avatar is actually album art for the Indulgers--a Celtic rock group I follow loyally. I swiped it because their song (and album) "In Like Flynn" inspired my choice of name here.

Anyone who wants to know more about the band can visit www.shamrocker.com

And............Now back to our program, already in progress.......

Just to ad a tidbit............I've always been of the thought that, what we can't have we'd want with fervor if we have the knowledge and not yet the experience. If parents, who feel taboos of their own childhoods, inflict said taboos on their children.......they should expect that their children will want to know what the "big secret" is. In other words..........the more we can't have it.....the more we want it! If you grow up in a sexually deprived enviroment.............you seek what you've never had. We are sexual beings from birth............and with every day thereafter, we are told not to be......by society.

Some interesting thoughts here.

I am intending on exposing my child to my breasts as soon as he's born.

It's going to be a bit difficult to FEED him otherwise.

I imagine he'll probably also get a good look at my vagina when he's squeezed through it.

The human body has MANY different functions and most of them are not sexual. Nudity is not the same as sex and I think it's somewhat pathetic that people out there can't seem to tell the difference.

But you're forgetting that women doen't even *have* breasts until someone somehow points out that they do.

Until then, they disappear. Women are talented that way.

Ah yes...I always find it useful when a man points out that I have large breasts. Otherwise I tend to forget I have them. It's easily done when they only weigh a couple of pounds each.

I love the prevailing idea in here that sex can be seperated from nudity.

Nudity is something very natural and I think all kids could benefit from being more comfortable with their bodies. Not feeling like they have to hide because they are not perfect.

I'm not a prude about the sex side, but not a good idea for children.

Probably what scares most people is that children will make up their own mind about what is sexually appealing...and breasts are the easy target, especially if they are large. Flat-chested and A-cup women don't seem to get the same sexual stigma & love like large ladies do...so for example, one could probably bring their kids to a Fashion Week show and see semi-topless models strut around all in the non-sexualized name of fashion and "art" without fear.

I certainly know I loved looking at breasts as a kid...whenever I got the chance to peep them...but if anything, it's just made me appreciate them even more as an adult. :loveshowe

for me, it's all in the context.
some plastered girl on girls gone wild using her breasts as a tease or a sexual weapon or the main act in a risque show: not ok
some girl just showing her breasts because she has no top on: fine by me

:yikes: I just saw the first thread and it was like 3 years ago! Didn't know it still continue after so many years.

Anyway, I think it is pretty open if my kids were to see bare chest. I mean he/she will have to see it sooner or later, why not now?