I was brought up in a very open household where my mum would sunbake topless, with only a g-string (thong) on. After a shower, it wasn't uncommon for my mum to be naked for a while, as she was walking between the bathroom and bedroom to get dressed. She didn't hide herself in the bathroom until she was fully clothed. My dad would walk around in his jocks and when they had friends over, all the women would sunbake topless together around the pool...with their husbands sitting around. It just wasn't a big deal. Of course, if i had friends over, my mum would cover up a little, as would my dad, as they realised that not all parents had the same beliefs regarding nudity, as they did. Mum and dad would also know that some of their friends may be confronted with their way of life, so knew that they would have to cover up whenever certain friends/relations would come to visit. We also live in a very warm climate (Queensland, Australia) which may have had something to do with it.
My parents had a very hard time getting me into clothes at all. Up until i was about 5, i would swim naked, and after that, you couldn't get me into a bikini top if you tried. Funny thing, though, was whenever my friends or relatives would come to swim, i'd put it on without being told. The reason for that, i guess, is that while my parents taught me that the human body is nothing to be ashamed of, it's only the next layer, after underwear, they also taught me that the society we live in has different ideas, and that i would have to use my common sense and learn what is appropriate/not appropriate.
I will definitely be passing these lessons and ideals onto my children.
Today, as a 27 year old woman, it is not uncommon for me to walk around my house naked, watch television naked, or at the very most, in my bra and underwear. I just don't see the need to be fully dressed every moment of the day. If there is a knock at the door, i'll get dressed, of course, but to me, there is no greater feeling of liberation than being completely naked. It took my husband a while to get used to it when we first moved in together, but now he loves it
I have spoken at length to others about this, and the extreme difference in feelings regarding nudity amazes me. Some people feel vunerable, exposed, when naked...not me. I believe that this can be due to upbringing. Some children are taught that being naked is bad in all cases, which can lead to them feeling ashamed of their bodies. It's all about balance.
** The weird thing is, that my nonna (my maternal grandmother) was a devout Catholic, and, as you can imagine, very prudish. Nudity was bad. So I guess it goes to show that it's not always about upbringing, as my mum is the most open, free-spirited woman you could ever meet. (but i'm biased

) Go figure!
