My [67F/M] parents guilt and shame me me [26F] for posting a picture of myself in a bikini on social media.

I recently posted a picture of myself in a bikini swim suit on my private Instagram account which my mom follows. My mom has since made various comments indicating that from her and my dad’s perspective, me doing so was upsetting, shocking, and inappropriate. She questioned why my boyfriend would be okay with my posting something like that. She went so far as to say that it was “pornographic.”

I’m really at a loss here, do I attempt to further explain and illustrate that times have changed and this kind of thing is socially acceptable? To give some more context, my parents are not religious and are otherwise pretty open-minded and accepting people. So part of me thinks that they are really out of touch with reality and that this reaction is coming from a place of care and wanting to protect me. However, I am nearly 27 years old and should not have to defend myself for posting a picture that shows the equivalent of what would be seen at the beach. I realize that I am an adult and can go about my life as I please. In the future, I can simply block them to avoid confrontation. On the other hand, I have a really good relationship with them both and value their opinions. So doing that wouldn’t feel quite right. Honestly, this situation is hurtful because some part of me still seeks validation and approval from my parents. It represents a bigger issue in my mind which is that me, who has struggled with self-confidence over the years, now finally being confident and comfortable enough in my own skin, is not acceptable to my own family.

So I’m wondering if anyone has and insight or suggestions as to how would be best for me to proceed? If you have experienced something similar, please share.

TL;DR: My parent’s disapprove of me, an adult, showing myself in a bikini online and I am left feeling hurt and unsure how to proceed.

Submitted September 02, 2021 at 11:43AM by pastasidez https://ift.tt/3BGEUge