- Sara Haines said she’s comfortable with her kids seeing her naked while they talk to her.
- Whoopi Goldberg urged audiences to “knock” before entering any door.
- “I don’t run around nude, I’m in my bathroom and doing my lotions and things,” Haines added.
The View cohost Sara Haines has removed literal barriers to break societal barriers with her children, the star revealed on Tuesday morning’s live episode of the talk show.
During a Hot Topics discussion about what age parents should feel uncomfortable being naked around their kids, moderator Whoopi Goldberg urged the audience to teach kids to knock on doors before entering them. “You don’t just walk into people’s rooms or their bathrooms,” the EGOT-winning actress said.
“My kids do not knock,” Haines replied. “We talk about privacy, but we have that conversation while I’m sitting on the toilet and they’re standing there with me.”
After some light discourse from her cohosts, Haines clarified, “I don’t run around nude, I’m in my bathroom and doing my lotions and things,” before explaining that she and her husband, Max Shifrin, are “deliberate about” teaching their three kids — who range in age from 5 to 9 — how to feel comfortable in their own skin.
“I don’t want my kids to feel that they need to cover up, especially as young kids. I breastfed. My kids didn’t sexualize me; society did. They used to eat from my breasts,” Haines added. “They’ll ask questions still to this day, they’ll walk in, they don’t stare at me while I’m there. They’ll talk about how they’re fighting someone and they hit someone, I’m like, ‘I’ll be out in a minute.’ I don’t want them to feel ashamed of their bodies, either. I’m sure there’s a time that comes where it’s weird, but I think you’ll feel that as a parent. Right now, there are not private doors.”
ABC
Haines’ cohosts weren’t as sold on the idea. Alyssa Farah Griffin jumped in to say that “when they’re inching toward puberty is when you should actually go out of your way to not make them see you naked,” citing her feeling that “it’s traumatic to children” to see parents naked.
“You don’t want to be a 12-year-old girl and walk in on your dad or your mom,” she said, laughing.
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Legal expert Sunny Hostin added, “I’ve never seen my parents naked, my children have never seen me or my husband naked.”
Goldberg closed the discussion with another reminder for audiences to knock on doors before entering them, to protect their own peace as well as that of their kids.
The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on ABC.