Is it EVER appropriate to shower with your kids? Psychologist reveals the TRUTH about bathing with children - after Bradley Cooper sparked bitter debate by fessing up to taking naked showers with his dad

There can often be a very fine line between cute and creepy - and it's one that Bradley Cooper tread very closely a few weeks ago when he admitted to bathing naked with his dad throughout his childhood.

The actor, 49, explained during a recent appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert Podcast that his father, Charles, was 'always nude' and would 'take showers with him' when he was a kid - which has lead to him being 'totally comfortable' being in his birthday suit around his own child, six-year-old daughter Lea.

He also confessed to talking to the youngster, who he shares with ex Irina Shayk, while he's using the toilet and she's in the bathtub - and his admissions have sparked a fierce debate about what age it becomes inappropriate to be naked around your kids.

Now, a psychiatrist has addressed the burning question during a chat with the Today show, and she said parents should stop stripping down in front of their kids by age five - one year younger than Bradley's daughter is.

Is it appropriate to shower with your kids? Experts have weighed in on the controversial subject after Bradley Cooper admitted to bathing naked with his dad throughout his childhood

The actor, 49, explained during an appearance on Dax Shepard's podcast that his father (seen with him in 2010) was 'always nude' and would 'take showers with him' when he was a kid

He said it has lead to him being 'totally comfortable' being in his birthday suit around his own child, six-year-old daughter Lea (seen together in December)

His admissions have sparked a fierce debate about what age it becomes inappropriate to be naked around your kids. He's seen with his daughter recently

Dr. Wendy Lane, a pediatric psychiatrist at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital, explained that when kids are little, bathing with a parent can actually help them learn 'about personal boundaries.'

She told the publication, 'It can be a way to learn accurate names for body parts, explain the physical difference between genders, explain that bodies change while growing up, and teach children about personal boundaries.

'Letting children know that their bodies are their own is important. No one should be touching their private parts, unless providing assistance with toileting or bathing, if needed, and parents should be aware.'

But the expert added that the act 'should always stop' when the child 'asks for it to stop,' which she said usually happens between the ages of three and five.

A California-based psychologist named Dr. Richard Beyer previously told the website Brightside.me that parents should cut out bathing with their kids by the time their six because they 'need more privacy and personal space as they grow and develop.'

He added that continuing to shower with your children 'may interfere with their ability to develop' important skills and personal hygiene, and 'may cause them discomfort.'

During their chat, Dax told Bradley that his family was 'naked all the time' when he was growing up, which prompted the A Star Is Born alum to reveal: 'Me too.

'I was like that. Not with my mom but with my dad. My dad was always nude, I always took showers with him.' 

Dax, 49, then asked the star, 'And now you're quite comfortable nude?' to which he replied, 'Totally.' 

Dax joked that his two daughters Lincoln, 10, and Delta, nine, who he shares with wife Kristen Bell, regularly 'file in' to the bathroom to talk during his 'poopy time.'

'My bedroom is... the bathtub and toilet and bed are all in the same room,' Bradley then revealed.

'It's 24/7, dude. There are no doors... the stairs go up and it's all one floor.'

During their chat, Bradley told Dax, '[Me and my daughter] talk when I'm on the toilet and she's in the bathtub; that's the go-to.' He also confessed, 'I always took showers with [my dad]'

Chrissy Teigen previously came under fire in December 2021 for admitting that she stilled bathed with her kids Luna, then five, and Miles, then three 

There was also speculation that President Joe Biden had showered with his daughter Ashley during her childhood, after she reportedly spoke about it in her diary

Now, a psychiatrist named Dr. Wendy Lane (seen) has addressed the burning question during a chat with the Today show, and she said parents should stop stripping down in front of their kids by age five - one year younger than Bradley's daughter is

When Dax asked him if his daughter 'cared' about the lack of privacy, he explained, 'No. We talk when I'm on the toilet and she's in the bathtub; that's sort of the go-to.'

Chrissy Teigen previously came under fire in December 2021 for admitting that she stilled bathed with her kids Luna, then five, and Miles, then three.

She posted a snap that showed her naked in the tub with her and John Legend's elder two children, and immediately, it was met with backlash.

There was also speculation that President Joe Biden had showered with his daughter Ashley during her childhood, after she reportedly spoke about it in her diary.

The journal was found by a woman who lived in a Florida-based home that Ashley had previously resided in, and was sold to a far-right activist group started by James O'Keefe.

While the contents of the diary were never made public so it hasn't been confirmed, reports claimed that Ashley said she bathed with her father as a kid in it.

An Australian influencer named Bronte Towns recently sparked fierce fury after she uploaded a video to Instagram entitled, 'Why I shower with my children.'

In the caption of the post, Bronte - who has boy-girl twins, eighteen months, a son, two, and another son, seven - insisted that washing with her kids had a slew of benefits, like 'saving time and water.'

She also said it acted as a 'natural way' for her to teach her kids about 'biology' while encouraging them to 'appreciate their own bodies.' 

'This is a fabulous way to open up discussions on why some people might choose to keep body hair, or shave it off, have stripes on their tummy, or where body parts are located without big stigma around it,' she wrote.

'[I can] normalize everyday bodies, not a stigmatized version most of our kids see all over advertising or online. 

'All bodies change, grow, shrink, get stretch marks, veins, body hair, the list goes on. Instead of only seeing the polished versions they see "normality."'

She also described the process as an 'opportunity' to 'educate' her kids on 'personal boundaries and consent.'

'In this situation, questions are great. They’re healthy and they’re necessary for children to ask in order to grow and learn,' she added.

An Australian influencer named Bronte Towns, who has boy-girl twins, eighteen months, a son, two, and another son, seven, recently sparked backlash after she made a similar admission

She insisted that washing with her kids had a slew of benefits, like acting as a 'natural way' for her to teach her kids about 'biology' while encouraging them to 'appreciate their own bodies'

She also described the process as an 'opportunity' to 'educate' her kids on 'personal boundaries and consent'

'So many questions pop up naturally when you shower together. We normalize open conversations in the shower, there’s no silly questions, nothing too awkward to ask, etc. 

'It’s a supportive environment where innocent, curious questions can be asked and answered age-appropriately.

'These things for our children are only normal until we make them not be. Of course there are age appropriate restrictions and whenever they feel uncomfortable or get "too curious" that’s a good indicator that a child has outgrown this routine.'

Her post launched a major argument in the comment section, with some people praising her and others branding the act as 'disturbing' and 'inappropriate.' 

'Ew no. Your son is way too old to be seeing you naked. Tf is wrong with you?' one person wrote. 

'I’m so glad I never saw my mom naked, that would have made for a very awkward disturbing relationship,' said someone else.

'I would never ever ever want to see either of my parents naked, nor would I want my two daughters to see me naked. Please don’t normalize this, our society it turning to s**t.'

'No that's disturbing,' added another user. 'Imagine having memories of your mom's naked body.'

'Nope, totally inappropriate,' read a fourth comment. A fifth pointed out, 'You can have literally all these conversations without taking a shower with your kids.'

Other commenters had Bronte's back. One supporter wrote, 'I showered with my mom growing up and was often in the same room as she changed up until I was a teen.

'I never had the thought of it being "weird" or "gross" until I saw posts like these with people being judgmental in the comments.

'It’s so normal and knowing what cellulite, stretch marks, and sagging skin looked like at a young age made me feel so much more comfortable in my body when I started to see these things.'

Her post launched a major argument in the comment section, with some people branding the act as 'disturbing' and 'inappropriate'

Other commenters had Bronte's back, however, and defended her

Someone else commented, 'Families bathing together is common and normal in Japan. It's only weird if we make it weird.

'These comments are not it. I have European parents, and it was VERY common for me to walk into their bathroom in the morning to see them showering or just freshening up,' revealed another user.

'Am I traumatized from that? Absolutely not. Bodies are totally normal. My children see me naked and it also does not phase them.

'I’ve showered with them. And we’ve taken big luscious family baths together.'

'It’s sad that everyone thinks such inappropriate things when they see this,' said a different person.

'They are your children, and you have every right to help them grow and learn about these important things earlier on.

'So many people say they are traumatized, but I bet many of them have looked at pornography which is way worse than seeing your parents naked at a young age. I think this is a great thing you’re doing.'

In response to the backlash, Bronte told Today, 'I believe if people haven’t grown up with family showers or baths, or do not have children of their own, it’s extremely difficult for them to comprehend how it could not be sexual but a normal part of everyday life.

'When I shower with my children, they barely even notice I’ve got no clothes on because this is a normal practice in our lives, and always has been.'

She recalled one time one of her kids asked her, 'Why are your nipples bigger than dad's?' to which she told them. 'Because mine are designed to feed babies.'

She added, 'My kids love having family showers and they get super excited playing together in the water.

'When they’re too old or outgrow it we will have a conversation with them - father to son, mother to daughter.'