Andy Cohen is asking some of parenthood’s toughest questions—like when he needs to stop being naked around his kids
Is there anything not to love about Andy Cohen? The secret-keeper of the Bravo-verse, who welcomed his two babies, 4-year-old Ben and 1-year-old Lucy, via surrogate, is one of the funniest, most real celeb dads out there. But he’s tackling single-dad-dom on his own, so it’s natural that he has some questions. And he’s asking the hard-hitting ones that many of us have wondered, too!
Like this one: Cohen was hanging out on Live! With Kelly and Mark and mentioned to his good buddy Mark Consuelos that he needed some dad advice.
“So, Ben and I have taken baths, he loves to take a bath, whatever, I guess that’s normal,” he said. “Now, were you ever naked in front of Lola? Like, I have a daughter, 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 answered, “Not on purpose, I was never naked on purpose. I think the rule of thumb was when they start speaking. When they start saying words.”
Cohen added, “So there will be no bath time for me and my daughter. That’s weird, right? OK, your eyes are telling me that’s weird. That’s all I need to know. I just need to know the protocol!”
Lucky for Cohen, there is actually a protocol here! Studies show that kids (both boys and girls) who are exposed to parental nudity suffer no ill effects in areas of self-acceptance; relations with peers, parents, and other adults; antisocial and criminal behavior; substance use; suicidal ideation; quality of sexual relationships; and problems associated with sexual relations.
With all that said, experts say there are a few things you should consider when deciding if it’s time to cover up in front of your kids. First off, it’s time for clothes if either you or your kid feels uncomfortable. That one’s pretty self-explanatory. Same if your child starts expressing a need for privacy. Nudity can be good. Forced nudity is the polar opposite of good. And finally, you might consider covering up if your child is a little too curious about bodies. Ya know, just to avoid awkward moments and teach appropriate boundaries.
So there you have it, Andy! And don’t worry about asking the tough questions—everyone wonders about this stuff.
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