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josephrjusticeThis is my answer to the OKC question "Do you think it is acceptable to raise children in a nudist household?" The possible answers are: (1) Yes; (2) No; (3) I'm not sure.
Insofar as I understand the practice of nudism to *not* be all about "Sex Sex Sex, Sex ALL The Time, SEEEEXXX!!!", but rather to be more about the acceptance of one's body as natural and healthy, to be about a lack of artificial shame or modesty about one's body but rather "this is what it is, and it's no big deal", to be about comfort and positive sensation and happiness as much as possible... I don't see any reason why it would be unacceptable to raise children in a nudist household. It's a lifestyle, and not even all that exotic a one. (After all, I've never heard of someone being born already clothed -- have you?)
Ummm. I *will* say that, if a child chooses (for whatever reason) to *not* be a nudist within the household, that that choice by them should be honored and respected and not derided or ridiculed. Nudism isn't for everyone, even those who do know the reality about it and not just misconceptions and ignorance about it.
Now, I *do* think that, given majority mainstream culture and attitudes, and frankly ignorance and fear of the different or unknown, or that which appears to threaten one's beliefs... Children in a nudist household need to be taught that their lifestyle and practices are not understood by many, and are even disliked or viewed with prejudice by a large number of people. And that because of this, while they should not feel shame over their lifestyle, they should be discreet about it and about who they share it with. They should not feel like they must lie about it (unless they choose to do so) if the question or topic of nudism just happens to come up naturally, but they should probably not either broadcast it widely from the rooftops to all who are there to hear about it, lest they suffer the consequences of prejudice against it by those who are ignorant and/or fearful and/or threatened.
So, my answer to this question is Yes, it is acceptable to raise children in a nudist household.
However, given the reality of prejudice by many in our culture against nudism or against anything that is viewed (fairly or not) to be even the least little bit sex-related, I can see that even the most open-minded of people, people who otherwise have no problem with the idea of or practice of nudism (or who perhaps have even practiced it themselves), might see it as ... unwise to raise children (who are by their very nature more vulnerable than adults to issues of prejudice, discrimination, bullying, etc) in a nudist household. Therefore, on those grounds I'm going to say that any of the available answers by others is acceptable to me.
Oh. While I'm thinking of it, on a related note I'll mention that, especially when I was younger I was pretty body-shy, largely because I did not have what I viewed to be an attractive body. (I was not particularly fit or athletic, but was at least somewhat overweight, shy, etc.) I was uncomfortable with the public group showers in gym class in high school, etc. I don't know if being raised in a nudist household would have helped with that at the time or not. I think I'm somewhat less body-shy now, at least in private, but that's certainly not because I've become any more fit or athletic in my body -- rather, I guess as I've aged I've become ... not so much more "happy" with my body, or even "accepting" of it, but perhaps rather "resigned" to it. I guess I have less emotional energy to spare for that topic. Something like that, anyway.
Insofar as I understand the practice of nudism to *not* be all about "Sex Sex Sex, Sex ALL The Time, SEEEEXXX!!!", but rather to be more about the acceptance of one's body as natural and healthy, to be about a lack of artificial shame or modesty about one's body but rather "this is what it is, and it's no big deal", to be about comfort and positive sensation and happiness as much as possible... I don't see any reason why it would be unacceptable to raise children in a nudist household. It's a lifestyle, and not even all that exotic a one. (After all, I've never heard of someone being born already clothed -- have you?)
Ummm. I *will* say that, if a child chooses (for whatever reason) to *not* be a nudist within the household, that that choice by them should be honored and respected and not derided or ridiculed. Nudism isn't for everyone, even those who do know the reality about it and not just misconceptions and ignorance about it.
Now, I *do* think that, given majority mainstream culture and attitudes, and frankly ignorance and fear of the different or unknown, or that which appears to threaten one's beliefs... Children in a nudist household need to be taught that their lifestyle and practices are not understood by many, and are even disliked or viewed with prejudice by a large number of people. And that because of this, while they should not feel shame over their lifestyle, they should be discreet about it and about who they share it with. They should not feel like they must lie about it (unless they choose to do so) if the question or topic of nudism just happens to come up naturally, but they should probably not either broadcast it widely from the rooftops to all who are there to hear about it, lest they suffer the consequences of prejudice against it by those who are ignorant and/or fearful and/or threatened.
So, my answer to this question is Yes, it is acceptable to raise children in a nudist household.
However, given the reality of prejudice by many in our culture against nudism or against anything that is viewed (fairly or not) to be even the least little bit sex-related, I can see that even the most open-minded of people, people who otherwise have no problem with the idea of or practice of nudism (or who perhaps have even practiced it themselves), might see it as ... unwise to raise children (who are by their very nature more vulnerable than adults to issues of prejudice, discrimination, bullying, etc) in a nudist household. Therefore, on those grounds I'm going to say that any of the available answers by others is acceptable to me.
Oh. While I'm thinking of it, on a related note I'll mention that, especially when I was younger I was pretty body-shy, largely because I did not have what I viewed to be an attractive body. (I was not particularly fit or athletic, but was at least somewhat overweight, shy, etc.) I was uncomfortable with the public group showers in gym class in high school, etc. I don't know if being raised in a nudist household would have helped with that at the time or not. I think I'm somewhat less body-shy now, at least in private, but that's certainly not because I've become any more fit or athletic in my body -- rather, I guess as I've aged I've become ... not so much more "happy" with my body, or even "accepting" of it, but perhaps rather "resigned" to it. I guess I have less emotional energy to spare for that topic. Something like that, anyway.
