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From: frye@cuuxa.UUCP (frye)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: nudity and kids
Message-ID: <219@cuuxa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 9-Jul-85 04:03:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: cuuxa.219
Posted: Tue Jul  9 04:03:47 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jul-85 20:29:08 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Technologies CSD, Lisle, Il.
Lines: 43

This is in responce to Charlie Perkins' posting requesting
information on nudity and its affects on kids. All I know
on the subject I read from Doctor Spock. I believe he tends
to overdramatize the situation a little. (He doesn't believe
in exposing kids to nude adults at all. Ever.) He says that
the only nudity a child should be exposed to is other nude
children. My personal belief is this: Don't let a child see
anything he/she will have questions about regarding sex 'til
such a time as the child can ask those questions an under-
stand the answers.

Here's something I'll throw in just for humor value. When
I was about "tricycle motor" size many women wore slacks
that zipped and buttoned at the side. Now that made me a
little curious since I unzipped in front to go to the can.
How in the heck did they build women anyway? Add to that
the fact that some of those slacks zip up on the left and
some on the right... I finally asked my dad. He told me
women weren't built like us guys and weren't supposed to
be. He said that it didn't matter where the zipper was
just so long as they could get the pants down. Some even
close up in the back. He told me he'd explain more when I
was a little older and more apt to understand. I ended up
learning in other ways (books, friends, the usual) and got
him off the hook. I look back on these wonderings with a
bit of humor now but, back then I was scratching my head
and wondering what was going on.

Now back to the question. I am no authority on the subject,
I just believe in the KISS theory. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
I don't believe in creating questions in a child intention-
ally unless they can ask them and get an answer.


Thanks for indulging my ramblings,

T. R. Frye