No Trousers Required (#Flashback Friday)

One of the things I envy about my children, indeed any child, is that innocence and unihibited sense of freedom they have about running around either in the nude or just in their pants. How wonderful to not have to worry about any lumps, bumps, or wobbly bits or whether or not you are having a thin day or fat day! Being able to strip off without a care in the world in front of anyone and just relish in your new found semi or total nakedness!

I don’t even recall a time when I did not feel self conscious about showing my legs, arms or other body parts off in front of anything or anyone other than myself in the comfort of my bedroom. Even as a young girl I remember hating the size of my thighs or thinking I looked too big. I was always a ‘big’ girl for my age as I was always tall and hit puberty early, had dark brown hairy legs from an early age too, so as a result I never liked myself in short skirts/dresses and hated family or school trips to the beach or swimming pool where I had to change in front of others (and of course, later on, changing rooms in shops!).

I did not get an unhealthy obsession about my body image. Afterall, even now as a grown woman with two children as much as I sometimes get down about my body, especially when trying to find something to wear out on a special occasion, it does not stop me eating cake or make me do a rigorous exercise routine on a daily basis! So yes I may not always like what I see staring back at me in a mirror, but I am sensible to know that it is not that bad really and could be much worse, and possibly better too! It depends on my mood on that day really. The boys see me naked I have no qualms with that. I dont want them growing up with issues about their bodies or how they look.  I do not let my ‘off days’ about the way I look be made obvious to them either – I moan about myself in my head and I will always do that.

But when I see Burton happily playing indoors or outside in the garden in just his pants and tee-shirt it makes me smile and I just hope he never feels awkard about running around with his legs out, dressed in his underpants.

I know, that being a boy, and later a man, he probably will not feel about his body the way that I did (or indeed other girls/women) or do, and will happily get his legs out in shorts and maybe his upper torso on a hot day. I want both Burton and Jenson to be comfortable in their own skin and not feel pressured to look a certain way. I want them to be healthy and fit and I will encourage them to be active but I will never tell them they look fat or have chunky legs (my legs once got called tree trunks at school!), for example. Growing up in our society and our world there are enough worries and stresses without having the people you love the most in this world, your parents, making you feel bad about the way you look.

Long live that childhood innocence, that unihibited freedom and no trouser wearing!

This post was brought to you as part of Flashback Friday

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Remember – a flashback can be from any time whether it be yesterday, last week, last month, last year or yesteryear! It can be a flashback of your own, your children, your partner or your friends.