Andy Cohen Questions Whether It's OK to Bathe With His Daughter

At what point does it become inappropriate to be naked in front of your kids?

Bravolebrity Andy Cohen recently opened up about that awkward moment when you realize you probably shouldn’t be naked anymore in front of your child of the opposite gender. The candid parenting share played out when he was filling in on Live With Kelly and Mark.

Cohen, who is a dad to 4-year-old Ben, and 14-month-old Lucy, appealed to Mark Consuelos, a dad of three, for advice. The mastermind behind our favorite Housewives indulgences wondered aloud when taking baths with his kiddos was no longer appropriate.

"So Ben and I have taken baths, he loves to take a bath, whatever, I guess that's normal,” Cohen mused, going on to ask his co-host, “Were you ever naked in front of Lola?"

As fans know, Lola is the soap star’s 22-year-old daughter with his longtime wife Kelly Ripa. "I have a daughter,” Cohen went on to tell the audience at the taping. He then questioned Consuelos, “What is the protocol there? Because I'm a little bit of a nudie and I feel like I need to start locking it up."

Consuelos’ take on the hot-button issue? "I think the rule of thumb was when they start speaking. When they start saying words." Given those parameters, the sweet-natured dad of two Cohen concluded, "So there will be no bath time for me and my daughter. That's weird, right?" Consuelos made it clear he wasn’t the ultimate moral authority on the issue, but Cohen wouldn’t be swayed, ending the conversation by saying, “OK, your eyes are telling me that's weird. That's all I need to know.”

As a mom of three girls and two boys, I’m here to say that a judgment call about when it’s “weird” to be naked in front of or bathe with your kids, no matter their gender, has to be made by each individual family.

Related: My Mother-in-Law Still Bathes and Showers With My 9-Year-old Niece, Should I Intervene?

In our house, it’s not uncomfortable when my 5-year-old son and I are naked in front of one another—as in, I’m cool with it, and so is he. He may have questions about my anatomy, but then we move on. To be clear, I don’t parade around naked in the house, but if he sees me, it’s not a big deal. We even shower together in rare cases, like after a particularly sandy beach day. Could this dynamic shift in a year, a month, or a week? Of course. I’m definitely aware that it’s an assess-as-we-go situation, and I plan to be sensitive to my son’s feelings and needs as he grows up.

With the girls, meanwhile, I actually very strongly believe it’s important for me to be naked in front of my daughters to show them there’s nothing to be ashamed of with your body. This may not be the right approach for every family, and I get that. It’s just what works for us. We talk openly about issues relating to self-image, and these topics just feel more accessible if I’m not rushing to cover up if they walk in on me changing.

As for my husband, he’s been “locking it up” for years with our daughters and going back to the idea that you’ll just know when nakedness around members of your family of the opposite gender gets awkward. And, yeah, he just knew when each of the girls turned about 5.

So, I guess if I were to offer any advice to Cohen on this topic or any other in the parenting sphere, I’d say you have to go with your gut. If you feel that bathing with Lucy is “weird,” well, then that’s the rule for your household. My final thought is that we’d all be well served not to judge what other families do and just go with what seems appropriate under our own roofs. 

Related: How Old is Too Old for Siblings to See Each Other Naked?

For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Parents.