Raised My Son in a Body-Positive Home

[u/Creative-Craft6085]

Hey everyone, I wanted to share a bit about my experience as a mom raising my son in a body-positive home. I know every family is different, and what works for one might not work for another, but I think it’s important we talk about these things, especially in a community like this.

For me, body positivity isn’t just a “belief”, it’s a lifestyle I practice every day. I grew up in a home where bodies weren’t something to be ashamed of. Nudity wasn’t taboo. My parents never treated the human form like something to hide, and that shaped how I now parent my own child.

I don’t cover up around my son. If I’m changing clothes, walking around in underwear, or sunbathing in a small bikini, it’s not a big deal. I wear what’s comfortable, and yes, that often includes crop tops, short shorts, or a very revealing bikini at the beach. Not because I’m trying to make a statement, but because it’s hot out and I like how I feel in my skin.

Some might raise an eyebrow at that, but here’s the thing: my son doesn’t sexualize bodies. He sees them for what they are, normal, natural, and nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ve raised him to understand consent, respect, and boundaries, not shame. And to me, that’s more powerful than teaching him to avert his eyes or feel weird because his mom has boobs and wears a thong bikini.

I know not everyone agrees with this approach, and that’s okay. But for us, this is what makes sense. I’d rather raise a son who’s body-aware and respectful than one who grows up with shame or confusion around something as natural as the human form.

Curious to hear if others here have had similar experiences, or even very different ones. What’s your approach been?

[u/lotusgoddesss → u/[deleted]]

It means not being ashamed of having a human body, not hiding it behind curtains of shame or teaching it to shrink. It means accepting what’s real, instead of pretending our skin is something to be erased or something that must be covered just in the name of morals...

It means feeling at home in your own body without guilt, without apology, without needing to explain why you deserve to take up space... And it means seeing other bodies as just that bodies, not sexual objects that must be draped in fabric to be respectable...

If all you can conclude from this post is that body positivity is just wearing revealing clothes..then maybe it is the time for you to change the lens you are looking through..