It’s Father’s Day.
The traditional American role of father is to teach their boys to “man up,” and to protect their girls from anyone who shows interest in them. Hence, we live in a society that is rife with toxic masculinity and gender roles that have far outlived their value. In fact, the articles are legion that demonstrate that these “traditional” roles have brought much suffering generation after generation, when all that was really needed was a father to show love to their kids. To allow for vulnerability.
In addition to loving our kids as they are, it is just as important to teach kids to love themselves as they are – inside and out. In this way, having a clothing-optionalist house or going to clothing-optional venues teaches the normalcy of the human body. Rather than having unrealistic expectations about themselves or others, kids will see what is real and hopefully carry that into a world that will pepper them with imagery and messages that tell them they are less than, lack value, and are hideous.
Our house models self-acceptance. We are not a “nudist” family, per se, because we don’t prescribe a way of being. If one doesn’t want to wear clothes, so be it. If one does, that’s fine, too. We accept each other for who we are. And we demonstrate that being “as is” is good enough. There are many pressures in this world, and promoting the value of self-acceptance and love can be an important shield for the upcoming generations from the well-funded purveyors of body shame.
And in turn, the next generation could possibly create a more accepting and compassionate world.
Inevitably, whether someone accepts my reality or not, the questions come up: Why are you a naturist/nudist? Why would you want to see other people naked? How can you be naked around other people? And many variations on the theme.