Brutally Honest: Is it OK to be naked in front of your kids?

Editor's note: Kelly Wallace is CNN's digital correspondent and editor-at-large covering family, career and life. She is a mom of two girls. Read her other columns and follow her reports at CNN Parents and on Twitter. (CNN) -- Let me say at the start that there is no way around the topic of nakedness in front of your children without getting personal and slightly uncomfortable. I'm already feeling somewhat tense as I type this. I joke that the only person who should have to see me naked is my husband. He signed up for it, right? My kids certainly didn't. A lifetime of body image issues means I'm not one to walk around naked at home. But I don't cover up around my daughters, 7 and 8, when I'm getting dressed or in the bathroom, either. I don't want them to think there is anything wrong with my body or theirs. And when they ask hilarious questions such as "Mom, why do your boobs hang?," I can't help but laugh and use the opportunity as a chance to tell them my body has changed over time and theirs will, too. When is it OK to leave your child alone? What if you don't like your kid's pals? How not to raise a mean girl 'Brutally Honest': When is it OK to leave your teen home alone overnight? In conversations over email with mothers and fathers across the country and in Canada, it's clear there is no "one size fits all'" approach to the questions of whether it's OK to be naked in front of your kids and if there's an age when it's no longer OK. Rhonda Woods, a mother of three, says ever since her children, now 20, 13 and 13, were little, she and her husband have been teaching them not to be ashamed of their bodies. They have also never hidden their bodies from their kids, she said. "As they get older, my husband is more discreet around our daughters and I am more discreet around our son. Not because we are uncomfortable, but because they may be," said Woods, a real estate agent in New Milford, Connecticut. "So when it is time for me to undress, I tell whichever of my kids is in my room talking to me, that I plan to do so and they have the option to leave." 'Brutally Honest': What if you don't like your kids' friends? Comfort is key A common theme I heard from parents is comfort. If both you and your children are comfortable with you being naked in front of them, there isn't anything "inherently wrong with that at all," said Avital Norman Nathman, who says her 8-year-old son is used to seeing her and her husband naked on occasion when they are getting dressed or in the shower. "If my son were ever to say or even act as if he was uncomfortable by it, we would of course respect that," said Norman Nathman, editor of the motherhood anthology "The Good Mother Myth: Redefining Motherhood to Fit Reality" and founder of the blog The Mamafesto. "Nudity, when it's within your home and 100% nonsexualized, isn't going to traumatize a child, especially if you're all on the same page, are all consenting and are all comfortable with it." Nancy Friedman, a New York City mom of two middle schoolers, said while every child is different, most kids make it clear when their mom or dad's nudity no longer works for them. 'Brutally Honest': Mean girls are getting younger "I think your kids let you know when it's time to stop being naked in front of them -- usually about the time they decide they don't want to be naked in front of you," said Friedman, co-founder of the video sharing site for tweens called KidzVuz. As children age, they certainly develop their own sense of modesty around others, said Micky Morrison, a mom of two in Islamorada, Florida, and founder of BabyWeightTV. "But even my 12-year-old son doesn't hesitate to undress in front of me. I figure that he will one day, and that's OK," said Morrison. "Perhaps one day he will avert his eyes or become uncomfortable with my nudity as well. And that's OK, too." Amanda Rodriguez, a mom of three boys in Frederick, Maryland, said she reached a point with each of her sons, usually no later than age 5, when she thought it was no longer OK to be nude around them. "I began to feel uncomfortable being naked in front of them because of the questions and the poking and prodding and search for Mommy's 'inside penis' -- that's what they thought a vagina was," said Rodriguez, founder of the blog Dude Mom. "I don't think it makes them terrible people or scars them for life if they stumble into the bathroom while I'm going, but it's easily avoidable awkwardness none of us really needs to experience on a daily basis." Terry Greenwald, a divorced father of three, puts himself solidly in the no-being-naked-in-front-of-kids' camp. Read: 28 Web abbreviations every parent should know "It would be very difficult to teach children any sort of modesty and humility if a parent thought it OK to be naked in front of their children. It also would bring up questions and conversations they might not be ready to handle," he said. Blogger: Why I want my sons to see me naked A few months back, a post by blogger Rita Templeton about why she wants her four sons -- ages 2, 5, 6 and 9 -- to see her naked, was republished on The Huffington Post and went viral. Templeton said she wanted her sons to see what "real" women look like before they are bombarded with an ideal in the media that doesn't match reality. "Before they are exposed to boobs that are as round and firm as cantaloupes and pictures of taut, airbrushed, dimple-less butts, I'm exposing them to a different kind of female body. Mine," wrote Templeton, who blogs at Fighting Off Frumpy. Her words led to an onslaught of hate mail, nasty tweets and accusations she's sexualizing her sons, she said. Buzz Bishop, a father of two boys in Calgary, wrote a blog post of his own in part as a response to all the outrage. He says he has been playing games called "naked baby" and "naked daddy" at bath time since his children were little while at the same time he teaches his kids not to stare when they are in the open shower in the men's bathroom at their neighborhood pool. "Rita's doing what works for (her). I'm doing what works for me. You're doing what works for you. And we're all just trying to teach our kids a little respect for each other, and themselves," said Bishop, who writes about parenting on his blog Dad Camp. There doesn't seem to be much science to help guide us on whether it's better or worse for your child, or it makes no difference at all, if they see you naked. I couldn't find many studies when I searched for them, and those I found had conflicting findings. For instance, one study found no negative impact on adolescents who regularly saw their parents naked at ages 3 and 6, but another study found that parental nudity when kids were ages 6 to 11 resulted in more permissive attitudes about sex and increased sexual frequency. For some parents, like Maryellen, a mom of two young girls on Long Island, who only wanted to use her first name, it's all about convenience. "I'll be honest. Sometimes it's easier and faster just to pull them into the shower with me," she said. "But my girls are 4 and 6. A year from now I may not be doing it any longer. By then, they may be showering by themselves (dare to hope?)" Do you think it's OK to be naked in front of your kids? Share your thoughts with Kelly Wallace on Twitter or CNN Living on Facebook.

Buying Guide: Home Wireless Networking

A secure wireless network makes sharing files between computers and devices (like a printer or phone) easy. WiFi lets you surf the internet using a modem and router, without messy cables. We look at how Wi-Fi works and the gear you'll need. What Is A Wireless Network? A wireless network connects multiple computers and devices (printers, phones, tablets etc) together, without using cables. The devices "talk" to each other through a central hub called a router. This enables the computers and devices to: Share files and documents. Connect multiple computers to the one printer. Enjoy multi-player gaming. Load files from portable wireless devices, such as What Are The Benefits Of Wi-Fi? Wireless networks do away with messy cables. This leaves you free to wander around the house or office, while staying connected. New computers have Wi-Fi technology built-in, while older ones will require a USB adaptor. Connect To The Internet Most wireless routers come with a modem built into them. This enables all devices connected to the router to be simultaneously connected to the Internet. Is It Hard To Set Up? Not at all. The latest generation of networking gear (routers) comes with easy-to-follow wizards that guide you through the process. Simply plug in, follow the prompts and you're away. Wireless technology (Wi-Fi) is available in a range of standards. These refer to factors such as the data transfer rate and the operating frequency. The standard you choose ultimately affects your network's speed and its range (distance): The top standard today is 802.11n. This offers faster transfer rates and more range than the previous 802.11g format. Important Security Note! If you do not take the necessary security steps, your network will be left wide open to anyone within range. They could gain access to files on your computers (this could include banking details or passwords). They could also download illegal content using your Internet account. Some, but not all, of the ways to secure your network include: Change the default administrator passwords. Turn on the encryption to scramble the messages sent over the wireless network. MAC (Media Access Control) restricts network access to selected devices. Router: The central device that communicates to all connected devices: Choose a router with built-in modem for Internet access. Also look for built-in firewalls for extra security. Ensure it supports the latest 802.11n format. Network cable: While wireless does away with cables, they offer much faster ADSL transfer speeds, so it's always good to have the option. Wireless network adapter: This is Important if the laptop or desktop you want to connect doesn't have Wi-Fi capabilities already built into it, or to upgrade your laptop Wi-Fi standards: It's important to match the adapter to the standard of the router you're using. USB adapters simply plug in, rather than being physically installed inside the computer. Network adaptors are backwards compatible. This means an 802.11g device will work with an 802.11b device etc. Wireless access point: Think of this as a wireless extension cable to give you more range, so you can move further away without the signal being too weak. Extra range antenna: Makes your router signals more powerful, for extra range. Network printer: Connects to the network so multiple computers can print from it. Simple Home Wireless Network Choices Router: A router with an in-built modem will connect to the Internet. Standards: Aim for 802.11n. Security: Make sure you secure your Wi-Fi network to ensure your files are safe. Optional Extras More range: Use a wireless access point or an extra-range antenna to increase the range of the network. Network adapters: If your laptop doesn't have built-in Wi-Fi, you can buy a network adapter. What Next? Now that you are a wireless network expert :-), click on the links below to explore routers, range extenders and wireless adapters available from BambooNaija.com: