Modesty

We are, by nature and habit, a rather free thinking family as regards our bodies. Wandering about the house with little in the way of clothing is, if not common, certainly not aberrant. The children too, often parade through the various rooms in various stages of undress. It is just the way we do business. We all have a body and within the confines of our home we have no issues with letting it all hang out.

So it came as something of a shock last night when the Boy, who heretofore has shown no reluctance to saunter through the living room at 7 in the morning with nothing on but a smile, demanded he be allowed to shower rather than share the tub with his sisters. The Boy has always feared and hated the shower. The enclosed space, the water pouring down from overhead, and the echo of his own unceasing voice have all made the prospect of showering seem unlikely for him in our lifetimes. Yet there he was last night announcing that he had no intention of bathing with his siblings and would instead be stepping into the shower to clean himself. My wife and I were both amused and curious regarding this development. He had, just the night before, bathed with his sisters with great enthusisasm and no complaints, as he did almost every other night. Why this sudden transition? Enquiring minds wanted to know.

He explained. He thinks his naked body looks funny. He doesn't want to be seen with no clothing. He would prefer to clean himself in relative privacy. "I look funny with no clothes."

Huh? From whence did this overdeveloped sense of modesty (shame?) derive?

We have no idea. And it apparently did not last as he was up at 6:30 this morning galavanting sans clothing in front of the living room picture window with usual lack of propriety. Funny yes, but our laughter had nothing to do with his actual appearance, so who knows.

In the meantime he remains steadfast in his desire to continue his showering routine, though with the added reasoning that it is actually warmer than it is sharing a bath with two bouncing (and crowding) sisters.

We'll watch and wait... and wonder.