I’m just going to put it out there – my son LOVES to be naked. I mean, he REALLY loves to be naked. He turned four about a month ago and he is really into letting his freak flag fly.
It feels like I’ve tried everything to keep his clothes on. First, I tried explaining to him about privates and appropriate behavior for a 4-year-old. To be honest, this approach didn’t work and ended up bringing up a lot of questions I wasn’t quite ready to answer. Secondly, I tried various discipline techniques – timeout, dessert takeaways, no Disney Junior. No success. He could tell me what he had done wrong but the punishment didn’t deter him in the moment he wanted to let it all hang out. Lastly, I tried bribery. I know, I’m not proud but I thought this was a battle I really needed to win.
Turns out, being naked is all the reward he really wants.
After some reflecting, I’ve decided I don’t want him to be ashamed of his body and I felt like we might be starting to go down that road. So, we are trying a new approach. We still have the rule that when we leave the house, we must have clothes on. He seemed to accept this as a general policy once I tried buckling him into his car seat without bottoms and he discovered that the ride was extremely uncomfortable and as he describe it, “squishy”. However, our home is now open to four-year-old nudists and he can be as free as a bird anytime we are at home. So how has this affected our daily lives in the past week since the “freedom” policy was established? It’s made for less fights and a happier little dude.
In the end, I’ve learned some things about battles and really deciding if they are worth it. My little man has learned about compromise. And guests have learned they may see a little tushy when they stop by.
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