Tonight, MLI has his first non-familial sleep-over at someone else’s house. It’s with a girl–the same one whose mom keeps asking us to do things. After saying “No” to Disney and numerous other requests, the child’s mom cornered CareerMom at daycare and asked that he come over tonight for a sleep-over.
What’s a CareerMom to do?
Well, one thing she did was tell the girl’s mom that she didn’t want them bathing together.
*crickets*
*more crickets*
When she told me this, it struck me as a bit of a silly thing to say when asked if your child can have a sleep-over. Of all the things to be worried about the first time your four year old stays at a relative stranger’s house (who is a divorcee with an ex-husband of questionable character), worrying about the kids seeing each other’s thingies seems a tad bizarre.
I don’t know, but are four year olds that “aware”? Granted, I started digging girls at a pretty young age, but not THAT young.
What do you think? At what age did you stop bathing your opposite-gendered children together?
Postulates & Pastimes 
CareerMom is probably more worried about MLI’s safety and is simply insuring that if anything should ever happen that he won’t be blamed for it. We all know these things can happen!
Way to go, CareerMom!
RE: No, she was strickly freaking out over the whole nekkid thing. But, as it turns out, as we were enjoying a blissfully peaceful Friday night after putting MLE to bed, the phone rang at 9:12 p.m. “Mommy, I want to come home.”
So, that worked out well.
hmm…guess I don’t have a lot of input to offer here, but umm yeah, I was diggin’ the men and all their bits pretty early on too I think 😉
RE: At four though, you couldn’t have if you had wanted to. Am I right? Eh, am I right?
(I never did play doctor when I was little and to this day, I feel as if I missed out on some right of passage or something.)
“What do you think? At what age did you start bathing your opposite-gendered children?”
Did you mean to say At what age did you STOP bathing your opposite-gendered children?
In that instance, I have been pretty lucky… #1 of 5 (Boy) was an “only” until age 7. Then came #2 of 5 (boy), and #3 of 5 (boy) almost back to back… We bathed the little boys together… Then came #4 of 5 and 3 years later #5 of 5 (both girls). We have always bathed the genders together, and not “inter-gender”…
But diapers were always being changed around this place, and so you know how little ones get up and “take off” of you.
I am sure the kids are “gender aware”…
RE: Aw crap. You got me. The bad grammar fairy strikes again! Fixed it!
I continue to bath my two together at times (6 1/2 and 3 1/2). Those times are getting less and less. My son is beginning to say no because he wants to have privacy. He is starting to want privacy, like closing the bathroom door and changing his clothing in his bedroom etc. I think alot of this has been picked up from school and being around kids his age who have older siblings. My two are so used to seeing each other naked that there is no novelty therefore there is no conversation about it. They cahnge infront of each other frequently and sometimes even do a good ol’ happy naked dance together just before getting in their respective showers or getting dressed.
I think your wife is right, in that you son may have questions that she is not comfortable with another (seemingly crazy) woman/parent answer. I am sure he will have lots of questions too–especially since you do not have a girl. God knows how this woman will answer the questions and what pieces your left to pick up. The questions come quick too!! my son is currently on a big “how does that baby get out of you?” kick. I am fearful for when he begins to ask “how does that baby get into you?”
Take Care
Rose