Terminalcoffee discussion

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifesty...

I read this little ditty the other day and am still hung up on it.

What are your thoughts on the 18 year old aunt bathing with her nephews? What if it was a 30 year old aunt? What if it was a 22 year old uncle bathing with his nieces?

Ick.

This got my goat because I've showered with both my niece and my nephew over their lifetimes. My sister did, so I just figured if I was watching them that it was okay for me to shower with them as well.

The CPS comment really peeved me. I'm not a dirtybird, there's nothing sexual about it (it gags me to even write that) and the kids don't seem to think it's a big deal or weird or anything.

There's a difference between naked and sexual... it's unfortunate that the line can be so blurry.

The kids in the letter were 1 and 2...

I also think it's skeevier if it's a guy/uncle. Does that make me sexist?

I don't have a problem with parents bathing with their kids, or kids seeing their parents naked. It's just something about this particular situation that just feels icky to me. But the person that wrote in doesn't give much detail as to the relationship between the aunt and kids, like is she so close she's like their mom? Or is she only an occasional babysitter? Etc. No two families are exactly alike, and you're right Kristina, naked doesn't necessarily equal sexual.

I know that my kids and their kids have bathed together when the grandkids were younger. I don't know if they do now. The grandkids are getting to that age where they are self conscious about their bodies.

The other day, I asked my granddaughter where she sleeps when she goes for a sleepover at her other grandmother's new condo. She said with her grandmother - only problem was that her grandmother sleeps nude. Apparently, she'll sleep in the nude even with my grandson in the bed too.

I sleep in the nude too, but never when the grandkids are over.

I think parents being nude with their own kids is fine. Anyone else, not so much.

I wouldn't bathe with other people's kids .

Kristina wrote: "The CPS comment really peeved me."

(Child Protective Services.) Yes, me too, and I'm not even a nude-bather-with-children.

Really?? You're going to call Child Protective Services because an 18 year old aunt is in the tub with 2 children under age 3? Amy Dickinson is not terribly intelligent, if you ask me. The Post has another advice columnist who is excellent. I'd like to hear her answer, not the reinvented Ann Landers'.

Different families treat nudity differently. Some families run around nude. I'm not going to get all outraged because an aunt is bathing with two toddlers. I don't think it should go past toddlerhood, though.

I would like to see Carolyn Hax's response to this query as well! Or even Emily Yoffe/Prudence!

There are terrible people who do bad things to kids. Bathing with them is not necessarily one of these bad things.

Unless you're Sandusky.

I can do without Emily Yoffe. Carolyn Hax is the gold standard.