Where Does the Confidence GO?

From the time we are born, our parents begin to teach us what is right and wrong.  At some point, we begin to understand these things.  We learn that it's not nice to hit our friends or steal their toys.  We learn that when we don't follow directions, we get in trouble. [For the purposes of this post, I'm not going to go in-depth about kids who never learn discipline.]  We also learn what clothes are appropriate for different situations: pajamas for bed, shorts in warm weather, jackets in cold weather, swim suits for playing near the water, and shiny shoes for fancy places.  We start to learn modesty, too.

In our teen years, our developing bodies cause lots of internal crises.  Modesty is still a part of life, but our failing self-confidence is a stronger reason for keeping on our clothes.  We don't want to look at ourselves, and we sure don't want others to see our crazy imperfections.  But where does our confidence go?

Now, I'm not suggesting that we should all go around naked all the time.  Frankly, there are not many people who I'd want to see naked.  Modesty and decency laws are a good thing.

But I know people who live alone, or only with a spouse, and won't walk across their own hallways naked from the shower to the bedroom.  That's a little crazy to me.  As adults, shouldn't we at least be comfortable enough with ourselves to again be ok with private nudity?

Sometimes, I think it would be so nice to go back to a point in life where I was unaware of my flaws.  Children are so lucky that they don't understand the concept of body flaws.  They don't care if they have chubby thighs or dimples on their butts.  They accept themselves.

I snapped this pic tonight, but it's an almost-nightly show around here just prior to little boy bedtime.  The daytime clothes come off and go into the laundry, and then Kaleb "needs" his time to run around naked before he gets into the bathtub and his pajamas.  It's just something I have come to expect each night, and I even plan for it now by starting his bedtime routine a few minutes earlier.  He likes thinking he's getting away with something, and I like knowing he'll still be in bed on time.  It's a game we play each night: he runs away from the bath, and I pretend to be upset about it....both of us laughing the whole time.  It's funny, and it's adorable.  And it's something he will all-to-soon be too self-conscious to do.

Where will his confidence go?  Does it steal away to the same secret place our innocence goes as we age?  How do we get back the feeling of being this comfortable in our own skin, even just in private?  If any of you figure it out, please let me know!

For now, I'll have to be content snapping an occasional pic like this one.  Besides, one day I'll need pics like this to use as blackmail or to threaten to show his future girlfriends... or a wife!